About the terms of reference framework
The purpose of this framework is to provide a clear process for assessing, administering, and awarding Government of Jersey grants. The terms ensure consistency, transparency, and strategic alignment across all 3 schemes.
Strategic objectives
Funding decisions must support at least one of the Government of Jersey priorities. These include:
- delivery of the
Arts Strategy,
Music Strategy and
Heritage Strategy
- strengthening the capabilities of the local creative sectors for:
- artists
- producers
- organisations
- technicians
- creative entrepreneurs
- enabling the creation, development, or expansion of high-quality artistic, cultural, educational, or public engagement projects
- ensure public value through clear and measurable results, effective resource use, and contribution to Jersey’s cultural ecosystem
Grant categories
The framework covers 4 grant categories. These include:
- Arts, non-music
- Music
- Public event, non-Music
- Heritage
Each category has it's own application form, metrics, and reporting structures, however they all operate under this unified governance and assessment framework.
Find more information on Arts grants and how to apply.
Grant eligibility
To be eligible for consideration, applicants must meet the following conditions:
- the project must not have started before the application is submitted
- the project start date must fall at least 6 weeks after the expected decision date
- all required documentation must be provided before consideration, including:
- itemised budget
- project timeline and communications plan
- measurable outcomes with target values
- organisation financials where relevant
- most recent annual accounts, audited if available
- business applicants must provide full financial disclosure, or the application will not be reviewed
- partnership requirements, for example, a Normandy based partner for Norman Year related projects, where specified in the individual scheme
Annual application cycles
There are 2 applications cycle windows annually. The deadlines for applications each year are:
- 20 January. A decision will be made by 15 February
- 20 August. A decision will be made by 15 September
How grant applications are assessed and scored
Applications are reviewed by officers in the Department for the Economy.
Recommendations may involve input from other departments, for example by officers from other directorates of the Government of Jersey such as Children, Young People, Education and Skills (CYPES) or the Cabinet Office.
Final decisions are made under Government of Jersey delegated authority. Applicants receive a formal written outcome by the published decision date.
A scoring system, based on below assessment framework, is used to guide assessment of strategic alignment.
Scores inform decisions but don’t fully determine them. Other factors outside the scoring matrix, such as ministerial priorities, may influence the final outcome.
Assessment framework
1. Strategic alignment
The grant applications are assessed against the objectives of the relevant strategy for Arts, Music, or Heritage. These include:
- contribution to cultural participation, education, and inclusion
- quality and significance of artistic or cultural output
- enhancement of sector resilience and capacity
- innovation, collaboration, and community value
- relevance to ministerial priorities
2. Outcomes and measurability
Applications must include a minimum of 2 outcomes. Outcomes without metrics are not considered. They must be:
- specific
- quantifiable, having numerical targets
- measurable, through clear reporting methods
3. Feasibility and delivery
Applications must include the following to prove feasibility:
- realistic budget
- applicant capability
- timeline viability
- risk identification and mitigation
- appropriateness of request, relative to scope and impact
4. Economic and social value
All applications are evaluated using the performance indicators (KPIs) specific to each scheme. These include:
- participation numbers
- engagement hours
- engagement with disadvantaged communities
- public-realm activation
- collaboration with education, health, or environmental partners
- economic impact hours for Jersey-based creative professionals
-
inward investment potential
5. Financial governance
To ensure financial governance, each application must demonstrate:
- organisational stability
- reserves policy and financial management
- evidence of co-funding or matched funding where appropriate
- alignment of public funding with the overall project cost
Conditions of the grant
Successful applicants must comply with the following conditions:
- comply with the
Public Finances Manual
- use funding solely for the approved project components
- submit required monitoring reports, including:
- delivery against outcomes
- financial reconciliation
- KPI data
- notify Government of Jersey of significant variations to project, including:
- scope
- timeline
- budget
- risk profile
- acknowledge Government support in communications, unless exempted
How your data will be used
Subject to the
Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018 and retention requirements of 5 years, grantees information may be shared with or included in:
- other government departments
- relevant authorities
- public publications
Grantees may be listed in the Annual Delivery Reports of the Arts or Heritage strategies.
Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018 on the Jersey Law website
Find out more on our
Department for the Economy privacy notice.
Reviews of the terms of reference framework
These terms of reference may be updated to reflect:
- strategic changes
- operational improvements
- ministerial direction
Updated terms apply to future grant application windows only.
Contact us
If you have any questions about the terms of reference framework you can contact the team at creativeisland@gov.je.
gov.je