Indie Podcaster Grants and Funding Opportunities 2025 (UK & USA)
First, let’s be clear about something: You don’t need a lot of money to run an excellent podcast.
Most independent podcasts exist on a shoestring budget (majority of indies run their show on less than $40 a month). Many great podcasts survive on no budget at all.
But did you know there’s a wide range of grants and funding available to podcasters that could give your show a little cash injection?
When we surveyed a bunch of independent podcasters, we learned that 41% didn’t know applying for funding as a podcaster was even an option.
In reality, there are a whole load of different creative grants, mentoring programs and funding opportunities available to podcasters in the UK, USA and beyond that can support you in taking your podcasting career to the next level.
Here’s an overview of just a few of these initiatives and where to go to apply for them.
Grants and Funding for UK Podcasters 🇬🇧
1. Arts Council England (ACE)
Good For: Arts-based podcasts
Arts Council England offers various grants for audio storytelling and community-driven projects within the arts.
Funding for individuals rather than organisations is offered through the National Lottery Project Grant. The grants are ongoing, so you can apply throughout the year.
Funding available: £1,000–£100,000
>>> More ACE funding info here
Tip: Creative Scotland/Wales Arts International, and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland are all regional equivalents of ACE that fund creative projects, including audio.
2. Whicker’s Podcast Pitch
Good for: Documentary podcast makers
In collaboration with Sheffield DocFest, The Whickers offers a bunch of funds to successful documentary podcast makers, including a top prize of £15,000 and £5,000 for the runner-up.
They also dish out a package to 6 finalists that includes free passes to Sheffield DocFest (including travel and accommodation) and a bunch of great audio networking opportunities.
The 2025 deadline has passed, but it is worth checking next year.
Funding available: £15k (first place), £5k (second place), £400 to 6 other finalists.
>>>Check out The Whickers Podcast Pitch fund
3. BBC Sounds Audio Lab
Good for: Young and under-represented voices in podcasting.
Every year, the BBC runs an accelerator program for podcasters who need a bit of support to turn their big audio ideas into productions.
The program is focused on under-represented voices and runs for a whole 8 months. Over that time, successful candidates gain access to funding, training, mentoring, production expertise, and promotion on the podcast release.
Funding available: Amount unknown for individual creators (any inside info on this, please get in touch!), but if you’re a production company based in the UK, the BBC also offer up to £30k to organisations keen to support successful applicants in producing their show.
Applications for 2025 are now closed, but you can keep an eye on this page for updates.
Grants and funding for US podcasters 🇺🇸
1. Podfund
Good for: More established podcasters
Podfund is an awesome opportunity for experienced creators with proven traction and revenue with their podcast.
You’ll have to have a bit of an existing success story to be considered, but the reward can certainly pay off. Podfund offers startup and growth capital of between $25,000 and $150,000 (sometimes even more!) as well as mentorship, peer community, tool access, and strategic support.
It’s a fair whack of a grant that they’re open to offering individual podcasters as well as studios, so it’s certainly worth the punt.
Funding available: $25,000 to $150,000 plus extra support perks.
2. Elevate Creatives Fund
Good for: Early-career audio professionals
The Elevate Creatives Fund is a joint grant program by Wave (a small-business financial platform) and the Shorty Awards. It’s designed to remove financial barriers that get in the way of creative entrepreneurs making great content – including podcasters.
Any podcaster who’s shortlisted in the first round gets a link on the Shorty Awards website and a free personalised accounting and bookkeeping session from the folks at Wave.
And if you’re one of the six chosen for the program, you get $20k to develop your show, creative mentorship and a free ticket to the Shorty Awards.
Funding available: $20,000
>>> Check out the Elevate Creatives Fund
3. Our Greatness
Good for: Independent Women of Color podcasters
Our Greatness is a funding initiative run by Matriarch Digital Media.
The company offers microgrants to independent US-based Women of Color podcasters in the hope of removing any resource barriers that get in the way of important stories and perspectives being told through podcasting.
You can apply throughout the year, and applications are reviewed at the end of each month. I struggled to find any details on how much the grants are, so if you have any information on this, please reach out 🙂
Funding available: Unknown
>>> Check out the Our Greatness podcast fund
4. AIR Media New Voices
Good for: Early-stage audio professionals
Since 2009, AIR has been offering a mentoring program to underrepresented voices in audio who are at the early stages of their careers in audio.
The initiative runs annually and includes mentorship, professional development support, networking with industry leaders, and a $1,000 stipend.
In 2024, they announced an additional program, AMPLIFY, that focused on supporting creators with marketing an existing podcast.
Deadlines for these programs are usually in the summer months.
>>> Check out AIR Media funding page
5. The Black and Brown Podcast Collective
The BBPC offers a number of funds to US-based podcast creators of colour.
To apply for any of the BBPC’s grants, you just need to become a member of the Collective first. Membership is free, and there are no application fees for the grants either.
Here’s what funds are available through BBPC right now:
- Podcast Education Grant
- Black Women, the Experience Grant
- Podcasters of Color Seed Grant
- Allies – Bridging the Gap Grant
- Content Creator Music Grant (Free background music for a year)
>>> Learn more about BBPC grant opportunities
Grants for podcasters worldwide 🌎
1. Content is Queen
Content is Queen is a UK-based podcasting agency that offers its microgrants internationally.
This global initiative is supported by Audible, allowing them to offer small-scale grants (£500 or £1,000) to help independent podcasters develop trailers, pilot episodes, or special instalments of an existing show.
There are 20 grants available each year, with 10 grants of £1,000 and 10 grants of £500.
Successful applicants don’t just get cash, but production support too, including:
- Access to producers, editors, and the Epidemic Sound music library (1 hour per month).
- Use of the Content is Queen studio (based in Somerset House, London).
- Expert guidance through regular check-in calls.
Information on the 2025/2026 deadline has yet to be announced, but it typically occurs at the end of the year.
>>> Learn more about Content is Queen Grants for podcasters
2. Podcasting, Seriously Awards Fund
This fund was born out of a well-known problem in the podcasting industry: podcasting awards rarely go to independent creators. And one of the reasons this happens is that indies can’t afford to pay the (often high) application fees that a lot of these awards programs require.
Enter, the Podcasting, Seriously Awards Fund. This program reimburses independent BIPOC, Queer, and Trans audio producers for up to $200/year in awards entry fees and $500/year for audio production education courses, too.
To qualify, you need to be based in the U.S., U.K., Canada or Australia and identify as BIPOC, Queer, or Trans. Your show also needs to have been published within the last year.
Applications are rolling all year round. You submit your receipts after paying entries for awards, and they’re reviewed anonymously within 2–3 weeks of submission.
Over 300 grants have been awarded since 2021, supporting entries into major awards such as The Ambies, Webby, Tribeca, and ARIAS.
>>> Check out the Podcasting, Seriously Award Fund
6 Tips for a Successful Podcast Grant Application
1. Look for niche grants that are relevant to your show.
The narrower the niche, the less competition, so finding grants in your particular niche can be much more fruitful. For example, the John Templeton Foundation offers grants specifically to podcasts on topics around science, philosophy and spirituality.
And it’s not just podcast-specific grants you should keep an eye out for. Focussing more on niche rather than format can open a few additional funding doors.
2. Know your “why” (and say it clearly)
Purpose-Driven Podcasting: What Is Your “Why”?
Read article called: Purpose-Driven Podcasting: What Is Your “Why”?Funders want to know why your podcast matters – not just to you, but to a community, or a gap in the industry. Be able to say: “This show exists to…” in one sentence.
3. Align with the grant’s mission
Most grants focus on themes like diversity, journalism, innovation, underrepresentation, or accessibility. Read the criteria carefully, and reflect the funder’s own language in your pitch. Show that you’ve done your homework and that your podcast aligns with their mission.
But don’t change your project to fit the grant. Stay true to your ideas!
4. Keep your application details specific
Vagueness kills all applications! Try to be as precise as possible about what the grant will fund (e.g., “3 episodes + marketing graphics”), who your audience is, and how/when you plan to produce the content.
This shows funders you’ve thought seriously about the logistics of what you’ll actually do with the funding.
5. Include data in your pitch
Any data you hold on your podcast is helpful to include. Don’t worry if the numbers are small – you can frame it in a way that sounds good! Highlight trends, like “total listen time grew to one year last quarter” or focus on your niche success (e.g. “Top 20 History podcast on Apple Podcasts Singapore.”)
6. Stay in the know
Even if a fund isn’t currently accepting applications, it’s a good idea to sign up for updates so you’re among the first to know when an application round opens.
Sign up to the Perspectives newsletter for updates on new podcast funding opportunities – we’ll let you know as soon as we do!
