Grants of up to £800 are available to schools in the UK and Ireland that are teaching the national curriculum to support music education for young people in all its forms, specifically for school music projects and the purchase of instruments and equipment.
Universal Music UK Sound Foundation's aim is to support music education for young people in all its forms. The Foundation supports.
- School music education, such as the purchase of instruments/equipment or projects.
- Funding musical instruments for students in full time education, and
- Funding training for music teachers.
The Foundation’s School Fund, which is currently open to applications with a deadline of 10am on Wednesday 17 June 2026, is specifically to support the purchase of musical instruments and equipment, as well as funding school music projects.
Applications are invited for funding of up to £800 (this was previously £1,000, and - before that - £1,500) from schools teaching the national curriculum based in the UK and Ireland towards the cost of musical resources. The scheme is open to primary, secondary, junior, Special Educational Needs (SEN) schools and Further Education Colleges in the UK and Ireland.
Further information, guidance and an online application form is available on the Foundation’s website. Applications should be received by 10am on Wednesday 17 June 2026 for grant offers made in September 2026.
Further application windows are scheduled for 2026 and 2027, as follows:
- Applications will open in August 2026 for funding offers made at the end of January 2027.
- Applications will open in December 2026 for funding offers made at the end of April 2027.
The Foundation also has grant programmes for individuals in full-time education and teachers. Grants of up to £1,000 are available through its UMUKSF Individual Funding programme, while grants of £800 (previously £1,000) are also available for school music teachers through the Foundation's Teacher Funding programme, employed by a school and delivering the national curriculum, to fund certain short courses to enhance their teaching. Both programme also have an application deadline of 10am on Wednesday 17 June 2026.