Arts Council pledges Grantium improvements

The system used by arts and culture organisations to apply for funding from Arts Council England (ACE) will be upgraded in response to complaints about difficulty of use, it has been confirmed.

The Grantium application portal was launched by ACE in 2016 as a result of cost-saving requirements imposed by government, but has come in for sustained criticism for being counterintuitive, using incomprehensible language and having confusing design.

Previous plans to improve the system were shelved due to the Covid pandemic, but following renewed criticism in recent weeks in the run up to the deadline for its 2023-26 investment programme, ACE has told ArtsProfessional it is now working closely with the developers to make changes.

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ACE said improvements will take users' experience into account. It added the "valuable feedback" it has received about Grantium focused on key aspects of the user journey and improvements to some of the system’s functions.

However, ACE is currently unable to confirm which aspects will change.

Testing new versions

A spokesperson for ACE said it is committed to providing accessible application processes for individuals and organisations applying to its funds.

"As part of this, we offer an access support programme to support applicants with specific access requirements," the spokesperson added.

"We are also aware that some users have provided feedback about our online application portal, Grantium.

"We have passed this onto Grantium’s developer, who are in the process of upgrading the platform. We are currently testing new versions of the system and hope to be able to confirm a launch date in the near future.”

Grantium cost £930k when it was first introduced in January 2016, when ACE described it as a new “fit for purpose” grant application system that would remove the need for applicants to send or receive physical letters.

A new version of the system had been pencilled-in for introduction in 2020, but was delayed due to the Covid pandemic.

'Kafkaesque'

Based on views shared on Twitter last week in the lead up to the NPO application deadline of 18 May, Grantium users are impatient for action.

Among scores of comments on the system Susan Jones tweeted: "Oh for heavens sake this woeful nay Kafkaesque bit of poorly-scoped tech augmented by pedantic administrators’ expectations.

"To grantium i.e. to make arts life as hard as possible must surely merit adding to the dictionary. Art and artists deserve better."

Meanwhile Robin Johnson questioned the fundamental design process.

"Would have loved to have been in that Grantium development focus group: “what we need is a system that only rodents understand…," he tweeted.

However there was praise for support provided by ACE to navigate the process.

"You can say what you like about Grantium but @ace_national customer services are on it," Christina Poulton said.

Referencing reports that the future of ACE will be considered as part of a government review of public bodies, Mary Paterson said: "I hope ACE has a long and happy and continuous existence. And I hope they burn Grantium to the ground."

Jamie Eastlake simply said: "I no longer live in the North East. I live in Grantium."