Following the letter WGGB wrote to Arts Council England last week, over the Grantium application portal IT crash, we have now received a response from ACE on the issues we raised, and we wanted to update playwrights and other writers.
In a letter to WGGB General Secretary Peers, sent on 14 August 2025 from Arts Council England Chief Executive Darren Henley, he confirmed that all previously submitted and partly completed applications have remained safe on the ACE system, and that ACE expects to be able to give applicants access to them in early September.
Henley went on to reassure applicants that the questions they are required to answer will remain the same in the replacement process that is currently being built, so the work they have completed will still be applicable.
When it comes to applicants working with other bodies and delivery partners, which means they may want to change their plans with these partners if they are going to submit an application later than they had hoped, ACE gave the following advice. If an applicant has not already submitted an application, but they wish to do so when the portal re-opens, they should make any necessary changes to their application based on the project’s plan at the time of application.
On the question of whether ACE might be able to waive the rule around applications not including work that has already taken place, Henley said that “unfortunately the answer is no: National Lottery funding can only be used to pay for work that has yet to happen. However we will, of course, be as flexible as possible around the elements of the process that are within our control”.
He added that, “We know that timing is crucial for certain projects, and we have this firmly in mind as we work quickly to re-open our grant-making portal. Once the new process is up and running, we will be able to confirm how we will handle time-sensitive applications.”
The letter went on to say that last year, grants made in the under £30,000 strand of National Lottery Project Grants (NLPG), accounted for 82% of all applications – and for this reason ACE’s first priority was developing a new platform for these applicants. Henley confirmed that work on the other strands of NLPG (over £30,000, Touring, Major Projects, Place Partnerships, and Supporting Grassroots Music) is happening alongside the work on the process for applicants for under £30,000.
Finally, the letter said ACE was committed to inclusivity in its application processes and that access support would be available 10 days before its alternative application process opens, so that applicants who require support have what they need to work on their applications.
He added that it is possible that things will change and if this should happen – or if ACE have any further information to impart – he would share this with WGGB and the wider cultural sector as soon as possible.
WGGB welcomes this clear and detailed communication from ACE and will keep members updated. You can also keep up-to-date via the ACE website.