Sound Connections opens Activate Fund for London early years music-making projects
Music charity Sound Connections is inviting applications for its 2026 Activate Fund, supporting Music Hubs and Music Services to develop action-focused early years music-making projects with young people in London.
The fund offers a total of £6,000 and is open to Music Hub partnerships and Music Services working in London.
This year’s Activate Fund will focus specifically on early years music-making, enabling Sound Connections to test how its Emerging Music Leader Scheme trainees can be partnered with Activate activity.
Applicants can apply through one of two funding routes: three grants of £2,000 for individual Music Services or Hubs delivering a project in one London borough, or one grant of £6,000 for a Music Hub partnership delivering a project across at least three London boroughs.
Supported projects could include experimenting with new approaches to early years practice, developing relationships with local early years communities, facilitating early years music events, training staff in early years practice or bringing in specialist practitioners to work with local communities.
Sound Connections says proposed activity should be child-centred, engaging in early years music-making and development, and support the organisation to deepen its early years practice.
Successful grantees will also receive termly mentoring from Sound Connections team members specialising in youth voice and participation and/or early years, free places on Sound Connections training and networking events during the 2026/27 academic year, and support throughout the investment cycle.
Applications must be submitted by 9am on Monday 29 June 2026.