Based on the current student loan system, the initiative will enable young people who choose not to go to university to access low interest loans for starting up a business.

There is an anticipated overall budget of £10 million available. Loans are expected to be worth up to £2,500 per individual. The scheme will also provide access to training and business mentors.

Young entrepreneurs aged 18-24 who are planning to start up a business enterprise in the UK will be eligible to apply for a loan.

The pilot scheme, which will last for one year, is now expected to launch on 28 May 2012. http://www.bis.gov.uk/

Applications for up to seven eye-catching, innovative, challenging films to be made into a half-hour film for Channel 4 in 2013 are now invited.

Writers, directors and writer/directors within the UK that are building a track record and a career in film and television drama are invited to apply.  Submissions from multicultural, the four nations and region-based film-makers are encouraged.

The deadline for receipt of applications is 2 July 2012.

http://www.touchpapertv.com/comingup.html

Bite The Ballot are launching a national creativity challenge for young people to change the face of Parliament. They are looking for artists between the ages of 14 and 24 to submit original artwork or photography expressing what it means to be British.  Basia Hamilton, famous portrait artist for the Royals together with the talented British photographer Rama Knight have teamed up with Bite the Ballot as guest judges. They are looking out for original, fresh and inspiring submissions.

What are you waiting for? Get cracking on your artwork or photos – whether it’s the London Olympics and Paralympic games, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, Adele winning 6 Grammys or anything you feel is special about being British this year.” 

The deadline for submissions is the 15th August. For more information please visit:  http://www.communitychannel.org/arts360/competition/.

Designed for registered charities, Google Grants provides free advertising on Google AdWords, to charities seeking to inform and engage their constituents online. Google Grants has given free AdWords advertising to hundreds of charitable groups whose missions range from animal welfare to literacy, from supporting homeless children to promoting HIV education. As a result of this free advertising many charities have experienced an increase in the recruitment of volunteers and sponsorship.
 
Applications can be made at any time. www.google.com/grants/

The types of works that can be funded include:

• Urgent building repairs
• Environmental improvements
• Works to enhance physical accessibility, etc. 

 
Applicants have to own or manage theatres with titles or signed leases of more than 5 years on buildings in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.  Applicants also need to demonstrate that they run a regular theatre programme of professional, community and/or amateur work presenting no less than 30 performances a year. 
 
There are no closing dates and applications can be submitted at any time. http://www.theatrestrust.org.uk/grants

The foundation has also increased the value of its own Awards for Visual Arts by £5000 to £50,000. The database is at http://fundingforartists.org.uk/

Headingly Carnegie Stadium, Leeds

Convened by Leeds Rugby Arts (Leeds Rugby Foundation) and hosted in association with the Carnegie Research Institute (Leeds Metropolitan University) the conference aims to bring together those interested or engaged in the historical and contemporary relationship between the arts and sport, to facilitate interdisciplinary partnerships and to further opportunities for both cultural knowledge and practice.

For more information visit: http://artsinsport.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/fields-of-vision-newsletter-march.pdf

The Greggs Foundation was established in 1987 by Ian Gregg, founder of the Greggs bakery retailer. The regional grants programme is administered by committees of volunteers from Gregg shops, bakeries and offices who are based in England, Scotland and Wales. They use their knowledge of the local area to make small grants to local organisations, in particular those that make a difference to people in need in the heart of Greggs’ local communities.

The Greggs Foundation prioritises local organisations that help people in need in their local area. Although each application is considered on its merits, the Greggs Foundation is highly unlikely to fund an application that doesn’t work in a highly disadvantaged area or support priority beneficiaries, these are:

• Voluntary carers
• People with disabilities
• Older people
• Homeless people.

 
The closing date for applications is the 19th May 2012. http://www.greggsfoundation.org.uk/regionalgrants.html

Awards are made every other year, each time focusing on a specific craft discipline. In 2012, the focus will be on ceramics.

Applicants should have finished formal training and be working full- or part-time in the UK.

Grants usually range from £500 to £1,000. Examples of what these grants may be used for include project costs, eg setting up a workshop, buying equipment, educational work or for research and travel.

Grants are not available for students, or for those working in the field of fine arts.

The deadline for the receipt of applications is 21 September 2012.

For more information, visit http://www.crafts.org.uk/

• The Start Up Programme compromises of a grant of £4,000 and a place on SSE’s Start Up learning programme. It is for applicants at an early stage in the development of their project or organisation, and supports personal development and business skills development to help turn projects or project ideas into reality.
• The Scale Up Programme compromises of a grant of £15,000 and a place on SSE’s Scale Up learning programme. The programme is for social entrepreneurs with an established organisation who are looking to take it to the next level, equipping them with the tools to develop it further and maximise their social impact.

 
In addition, each year, one of the Scale Up participants will also win the Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award with a total grant of £25,000. 
 
The closing date for applications is 10am on the 28th May 2012. See link here:
http://www.the-sse.org/schools/26/lloyds-banking-group-social-entrepreneurs-programme