Grants of between £5,000 and £10,000 are available to contribute to the development of behind-the-scenes UK songwriters and producers.
The PRS Foundation is the United Kingdom’s leading charitable funder of new music and talent development. Established in 2000 by the music rights organisation PRS for Music, it operates as an independent charity dedicated to supporting songwriters, composers, artists, and music organisations across all genres.
Since its inception, the Foundation has invested over £50 million in more than 9,000 new music projects. It is widely recognized for backing breakthrough talent early in their careers, including alumni like Little Simz, Sam Fender and Wolf Alice. The Foundation’s key core functions are:
- Grant Funding - providing direct financial support to individual music creators for creating, performing, and promoting new work.
- Industry Development - offering financial assistance to grassroots organizations, including festivals, venues, and promoter networks, and
- Promoting Diversity - managing targeted strategic initiatives to break down systemic and demographic barriers within the music sector
The PRS Foundation's Hitmaker Fund provides grants to UK-based songwriters and producers working in popular music genres to support their creative and professional development.
The fund is designed to support the creation of new music by investing in talented songwriters and producers at crucial tipping points in their careers, enabling them to further develop their writing and production skills and build sustainable careers in the music industry.
Grants of between £5,000 and £10,000 are available to contribute to the development of behind-the-scenes songwriters and producers, with eligible activities including time to create, training or skills courses, creative and professional development, studio hire, purchase of equipment or software (up to 25% of costs), tracking, maternity leave and childcare, and international activity that could benefit creative development.
Applicants must be UK-based songwriters or producers with a previous professional track record, at least 5 credited works registered with PRS for Music, and must not be signed to a major label or major publisher deal. Applications can be made directly by songwriters or producers, or by their representatives such as managers, music publishers, lawyers, or trusted advisors.
Ineligible activities include van or car purchase, international touring, support for a roster of artists, projects covered by existing label or publisher deals, capital projects, and building a studio. Applications must include at least 2 commercially exploited works for consideration, and applicants must clearly outline how the funding will be used to advance their creative and professional development.
The Hitmaker Fund opened to applications on Tuesday 1 September 2026 with a deadline of Monday 28 September 2026.
Further information, guidance and details about how to apply can be found on the PRS Foundation website.