Fast Track Award

Fast Track is Help Musicians' quick-turnaround grant for working and early-career musicians who are actively building their careers themselves, whether that means self-managing, self-releasing or self-producing. The standard Fast Track grant offers up to £500 toward things like training and courses, software and equipment, recording and releasing music, networking, or other professional development. A separate strand, Fast Track Live, offers up to £1,000 specifically for live activity: tours, festival appearances, showcases, support slots and launch shows. Full lists of what does and doesn't qualify as eligible spending are published in the application guidance rather than on the main page, so it is worth checking those before budgeting. Whatever you are funded for has to happen within six months of receiving the grant, so this suits a specific, near-term opportunity rather than a longer-term plan. The page doesn't state nationality or residency requirements beyond describing the audience as working and early-career musicians building sustainable careers. There are three rounds a year; Round Two, covering applications submitted 7 September to 9 October 2026 at 5pm, is the one currently open, and Round Three follows from 19 October to 20 November 2026. Applications go through Help Musicians' SmartSimple portal. The panel assesses each application on opportunity, need and impact, favouring requests that show clearly how the support will grow the applicant's music career and income over the long term, not just cover a one-off cost.