Assessor's Eye: ACE NLPG Application Grading - Disconnected Bodies | Arts Audience Consultants

No generic feedback

If you’re applying to Arts Council England National Lottery Project Grants what matters is understanding how your application will be judged; not how it feels, but how it would likely be scored against published criteria.

Reviewed against ACE criteria

Assessor’s Eye is a professional, criteria-based review of your application. Using Arts Council England’s published outcomes, objectives, and assessment criteria.

Clear, structured, actionable insight

You receive a clear, structured assessment showing how strong your application is, where it falls short, and exactly how to strengthen weaker areas before you submit.

0£million

Secured for clients in 2025

Success rate in 2025

Applications written in 2025

0hours

Free advice provided in 2025

The struggles of securing arts funding are real!

Many inspiring and innovative projects go unfunded due to poorly written applications, where small tweaks would make all the difference. Let’s make sure your application doesn’t become the next.

Access the assessment process

Your application is assessed in line with Arts Council England’s published criteria.

Reviewed against Project Grant outcomes

– Creative quality and ambition
– Public benefit and engagement
– Cultural contribution and relevance
– Fairness, inclusion, and access
– Environmental responsibility

Assessors don’t fund ideas, they fund clear objectives

– Whether objectives are clear, realistic, and fundable
– Whether outcomes are demonstrated, not just stated
– Whether activity, budget, and timeline logically support the aims

Reviewed against the Let’s Create strategy

– Who the work is for and why it matters now
– How it supports inclusive culture
– How it contributes to communities, places, or artistic development

84% success rate

Acesss the assessment process

With two decades of bid writing experience, we’ve developed deep insight into evolving funding trends; including Arts Council England’s Let’s Create strategy.

Working with your project

We break down complex funding priorities help craft powerful narratives, set clear outcomes, and ensure you meet the funding criteria.

Real advice from real successes

We’re not affiliated with ACE. Our insights come from direct experience winning funding so you get honest, practical support rooted in what actually works.

inside assessor’s Eye

You’ll receive a clear, professional assessment document that includes:

– A summary of your application’s overall strength
– A breakdown of each outcome and objective
– Grading for every assessed area
– Written explanations for each grade
– Targeted suggestions on how to strengthen weaker sections
– Insight into how an application may be interpreted by an assessor.

The language is practical, funder-focused, and easy to act on.

winning arts council funding: revealed by experts

Think funding is out of reach? Think again. In this episode, we speak with two powerhouse creatives: Anna Clarke and Libby Esler.

Together, they’re leading the Arts Council England funded Let’s Create and Reuse programme, a sustainability-focused textile initiative.

unlock the secrets of arts funding: choose assessor’s eye

We bring you top-level insight and access to powerful fundraising networks and policymakers, with no gate-keeping.

Experienced with 6 funding bodies

Arts Council England, The National Heritage Fund, The National Lottery Community Fund, PRS, The British Council and Erasmus+.

4 international partners

Working to improve creative education in Africa, cross sector programmes in Finland and two European touring exhibitions.

6 government and council commissions

Advising on place-making and social impact projects across England, Scotland and Wales.

explore Disconnected Bodies

Join our free online workshop

Join arts consultant Pablo Colella for a free, two-hour group workshop offering practical support for anyone applying for arts funding. These regular sessions provide space to ask questions, test ideas and better understand what funders are looking for.

Workshops cover topics including shaping project ideas, understanding funding criteria, aligning outcomes and evidence, clarifying access and participation, and avoiding common application pitfalls. Participants can bring draft applications or early ideas and receive general guidance, shared learning and peer insight in a supportive group setting. Sessions run twice monthly, every 2nd and 4th Friday of the month.

1-hour Advice Call

^£65_hour

With leading arts Bid Writer Pablo Colella.

Clear, practical guidance to strengthen arts funding applications, align evidence, and improve confidence when applying.

Book Now