GB-London: Evaluation of Arts Council England's Supporting Grassroots Live Music programme

NOTE: This notice was updated on 12 January 2022 for the following reason: Tender deadline extended until 04/02/22(Supporting Grassroots Live Music (SGLM) is a strand of National Lottery Project Grants (NLPG), Arts Council England's open-access programme for arts, museums and libraries projects. The SGLM strand has a budget of £1.5m per year ring-fenced for organisations and individuals whose work focuses on the hosting and promotion of live music events in venues.

Arts Council England are seeking an independent evaluator to conduct a process and impact evaluation of the SGLM programme. The evaluation will provide insight and evidence of the impact of SGLM on grassroots music venues and promotors since 2019 and help inform and shape our continued to support to this sector once the ring-fenced funding finishes (currently scheduled for March 2022 but with a possible extension to March 2023 TBC). It should also provide wider learning for the Arts Council around how time limited financial interventions such as this one can be successfully delivered. The aims of the evaluation are therefore three-fold: a)To look back at funding to date to evaluate and understand how effective the programme has been in meeting its original aims and outcomes (as outlined below), and whether it has had the intended impact;

b)To look forward, informing how the Arts Council might continue to support grassroots music venues and promoters beyond the life of this ring-fenced fund;

c)To identify any learning that can be derived from this time-limited intervention that could inform the Arts Council's work with other sectors.)

Additional information: The contracting authority considers that this contract may be suitable for economic operators that are small or medium enterprises (SMEs). However, any selection of tenderers will be based solely on the criteria set out for the procurement.