UK Tightens Eligibility Rules for Touring Funding Scheme
December
11
The UK government has introduced tighter eligibility and due-diligence requirements for artists applying to the Music Export Growth Scheme (MEGS), the touring-support fund administered by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) on behalf of the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
Under the latest round, MEGS will distribute £1.6 million (€1.8m) in grants ranging from £5,000 to £50,000 to support emerging UK artists with international touring and marketing.
As part of revised procedures, applicants will now be required to declare any activities that could bring the scheme into disrepute within the three years before and after receiving a grant.
The government says the changes are intended to “ensure the scheme remains the gold standard for supporting talent by improving the programme’s due diligence processes.”
The DBT will also conduct verification checks, including reviews of publicly available social media activity and news coverage.
According to published guidance, actions that may affect eligibility include offences related to terrorism, violence, organised crime, sexual offences, fraud and corruption, as well as findings by a court or tribunal relating to breaches of the Equality Act 2010 or Human Rights Act 1998. Ongoing investigations relevant to the application may also be considered.
The tightened process follows a high-profile legal dispute involving Belfast hip-hop group Kneecap.
The trio had been shortlisted for a £15,000 MEGS grant in 2023, but the award was withdrawn after comments from government minister Kemi Badenoch.
Kneecap challenged the decision in court, with a Belfast judge ruling that the block was unlawful. The group later received nearly the full amount and donated the funds to two charities in Northern Ireland.
