Awards Application Site

We use a tool called Survey Monkey Apply (you'll see their monkey symbol around).

We hope you'll find it easy to use.

We know that sometimes online forms can be a bit frustrating! We hope ours won’t be. If you want some help please contact us at:

Awards@youngsounds.org.uk
0300 302 0023

Please tell us if our application website is a barrier to you applying. If so, we'll happily find another way for you to send us your application.

One step at a time

The application is made up of bite-sized steps that you can work through at your own speed. Guidance is given each step of the way. This overview will help you know what to expect.

Register

The very first step is to sign up for an account here on our Survey Monkey Apply website.

If an adult is registering on your behalf, they should put their name on the sign-up form. Your name will go on your application. We'll send an email with a link to click to verify the email address provided. Once verified you can log in and start an application.

Registration

Before we ask you to tell us about your music we need some basic details from you to make sure that you're eligible for our Awards programme.

Step (1)

A few basic questions

Things like your name, age and contact details and who is supporting you to apply (e.g. a parent/carer or a teacher, mentor etc.)

Step (2)

Financial eligibility

The adult supporting you to apply should fill this in. We'll ask them for some information about your family's annual household income.

Then you'll need to wait a short while for our Awards Team to look over your answers. We'll email to let you know if you're eligible to apply. If you are then you'll move into the application stage.

Application stage

Step (3)

You and your musical journey

Multiple choice and short answer questions to help us understand the music you're passionate about and the journey you've taken in music so far.

Step (4)

How we could help you

Multiple choice and short answer questions to help us understand how a Young Sounds Award could help you.

Step (5)

Personal statement

Tell us about you and your music in your own words. You can type, hand write or record a video.

We know that younger children and young people with additional needs may require more adult support with this step.

Step (6)

Musical evidence

This is your chance to show us what you can do. Send us one or more examples of your work. If you're an instrumentalist this will be a video of you playing music. If you create your own music it will be an example of a piece you've written/produced.

Step (7)

Your files

Upload or provide links to your musical evidence as well as your personal statement, if sending it separately.

Step (8)

Declaration

The main adult supporting the application will need to complete this.

That's it. We don't need letters of recommendation or references.

One last thing ...

(9) Optional data monitoring questions

After you submit your application one final task will appear. Answers to these questions do not form part of your application and won't be seen by our adjudication panel. Your answers will help us to monitor and improve our Awards programme.

And then ...

Our Awards Team will check your application before it goes into our adjudication process. We'll let you know if we need any further information from you.

The average wait time for an outcome is 3 months.

The longest you will have to wait is 6 months.

In some circumstances we may contact you to attend an in-person audition.

If we do you will be given time to prepare and Young Sounds will cover any expenses you incur. In most circumstances an audition will not be required.

You can log in and check the status of your application if you're worried you've missed an email from us. If it still says Adjudication stage then you haven't missed anything.

If it's a 'yes'

We'll contact you to let you know the good news. We'll tell you how much your provisional Award offer is for. It will be between £100 and £2,000.

We'll ask the adult who supported your application to complete a financial declaration form and to send us evidence of your financial eligibility. In most cases this will be a parent/carer sending evidence of household income.

Our Awards Team will let you know when your Award is approved. We'll give you all the information you need for how to claim your funding.

You'll also join the Awards programme and start gaining access to our programme of musical opportunities.

If it's a 'no'

We hate saying no and we know that it can be really disheartening.

We wish we could offer funding to every eligible young musician who applies to us. As a charity we're constantly fundraising to be able to support more young people, but our funds are limited. So this is a competitive programme and we can't say yes to everyone.

We're sorry but you cannot appeal a decision from us. You can apply again after a year has passed, as long as you're still eligible.