Frequently Asked Questions
What is Launchpad Projects?
Launchpad Projects is for emerging music industry professionals - for anyone who is building a career in the music industry, but NOT as a music creator / performer. This includes those wanting to work in music management, events, record labels, publishing and more. You can apply to Launchpad Projects as an individual, for a project and/or as an organisation to receive support via one to one advice, career & business development and funding.
Examples of funded support we would consider include:
Funding associated with releasing new music (including pressing, publicity and marketing)
Funding associated with live events (promotion, artist costs, venue, online tech)
Professional membership fees, conference fees, industry event costs, workshops
Contribution to training costs and more.
Who is it for?
Projects that are successful will have:
An exciting and focused idea
A relevant and well planned/researched proposal that takes into account the wider music industry/community
A great level of commitment and responsibility to delivering the project
A clear link between the project activity and the overall ambitions for your future development
Ready to receive this level of support
What is the benefit in submitting my project to Launchpad?
After every deadline for Launchpad, we send your project submission to one of our “reviewers” - this includes music industry professionals and business owners, other project/funding managers and more. This can be a great way to get your project or career known about by more people within the music industry.
When you submit your proposal, your details will be added to our mailing list, where you can receive regular updates about other opportunities and events that are available to you. These include workshops, talks, new business enterprise support, other development opportunities and funding deadlines.
From the selected projects submitted to Launchpad, we will provide:
Approximately 8 projects with one to one advice and career guidance sessions
Approximately 4 projects with funding support towards their development
How to answer the questions in a written format
Please describe your project / music industry career to date (approx. 200 words)
Please give us an insight into what you do, who you are and what stage of your career you are at.
This is where you can give us an insight into who you are and what you do.
If you are applying as an individual, you should answer this question about yourself, and the work you have done with music to date.
We’d like to hear about what stage your project/career is currently at and what you have done so far.
Please include any notable achievements, for example, audiences reached, artists you’ve managed/released, organisations worked with, partnerships developed.
Please describe what you want to achieve with your project in the next two years, and how are you currently planning to achieve this? (approx. 200 words)
Please share your plans with us in as much detail as you can at this stage.
Please tell us where you hope to be, in as much detail as you can at this stage, but also be realistic.
We need to know about your ambitions for developing your career or project with as much detail around how you plan to do this within the next 2 years.
Think about how the activity you will undertake will give you a platform to build over this time period and beyond.
Be specific, and don’t forget to tell us how you plan to achieve this.
What subjects would your project / career most benefit from advice on? (approx. 200 words)
Please give an overview of what kind of areas of the music industry or business practice you would benefit from learning about and / or if general support would also be beneficial to you/your project.
Please tell us in as much detail as you can how you think your career or project would benefit from receiving guidance in your chosen area/s of support, be specific.
If you would like to be considered for funded support, please detail how you would use £500-£1000 to allow you to deliver a project and develop your ambitions, which would be hard to achieve otherwise. This should be for activity delivered in the 2nd half of 2021 (approx. 200 words)
Please detail what other contributions to the project would come from other sources and a short / brief budget.
Your project can involve releasing new music, promoting events, music management, or if applying as an individual, aspects of personal career development. If you are unsure whether your project is eligible, please reach out to us!
Please detail the plans for your project, including any other income or funding support you are currently in receipt of or are planning to fundraise for. This can include other sources of funding, organisational support, in-kind support or product/ticket sales.
Please also detail why this project is important to you/your organisation, and how this funding will directly help to achieve your overall plans as detailed above.
How to answer the questions in a video or audio format
You can submit the additional information we need for Launchpad via video or audio format if you would prefer. It is important that we get the right information, as clear and concise as possible, so it’s easy for our reviewers to easily understand ‘who you are and where you’re at’ with your project.
Please note, we still require a ‘written’ response to detail your prospective project budget. See further guidance below.
Your total video should be no more than 3 minutes - please use the following guide:
Please describe your project / music industry career to date (approx. 30-40 seconds)
Please give us an insight into what you do, who you are and what stage of your career you are at.
This is where you can give us an insight into who you are and what you do.
If you are applying as an individual, you should answer this question about yourself, and the work you have done with music to date.
We’d like to hear about what stage your project/career is currently at and what you have done so far
Please include any notable achievements, for example, audiences reached, artists you’ve managed/released, organisations worked with, partnerships developed.
Please describe what you want to achieve with your project in the next two years, and how are you currently planning to achieve this? (approx. 45-60 seconds)
Please share your plans with us in as much detail as you can at this stage.
Please tell us where you hope to be, in as much detail as you can at this stage, but also be realistic.
We need to know about your ambitions for developing your career or project with as much detail around how you plan to do this within the next 2 years.
Think about how the activity you will undertake will give you a platform to build over this time period and beyond.
Be specific, and don’t forget to tell us how you plan to achieve this.
What subjects would your project / career most benefit from advice on? (approx. 30 seconds)
Please give an overview of what kind of areas of the music industry or business practice you would benefit from learning about and / or if general support would also be beneficial to you/your project.
Please tell us in as much detail as you can how you think your career or project would benefit from receiving guidance in your chosen area/s of support, be specific
If you would like to be considered for funded support, please detail how you would use £500-£1000 to allow you to deliver a project and develop your ambitions, which would be hard to achieve otherwise. This should be for activity delivered in the 2nd half of 2021. (approx. 30-40 seconds)
Your project can involve releasing new music, promoting events, music management, or if applying as an individual, aspects of personal career development. If you are unsure whether your project is eligible, please reach out to us!
Please detail the plans for your project, discussing other income or funding support you are currently in receipt of or are planning to fundraise for. This can include other sources of funding, organisational support, in-kind support or product/ticket sales
Please also detail why this project is important to you / your organisation, and how this funding will directly help to achieve your overall plans as detailed above.
Please include figures and a short / brief budget detailing what you would spend your funding on and any other additional income, as detailed above. (Please note this budget needs to be submitted in writing. Approx. 50 words)