The Freelance Writing Jobs Fund
Grants and mentoring for UK-based freelance writers.
The Freelance writing Jobs Fund will be returning in 2021! This page will be updated with more information in the coming weeks, but to find out when applications open, make sure you’re subscribed to the Freelance Writing Jobs newsletter which lands every Wednesday afternoon.
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The weekly Freelance Writing Jobs newsletter has been a lifeline for many writers over the last few months. It’s not just about the work, it’s been a ray of hope and optimism each week.
The Covid-19 pandemic has hit freelancers hard. After seeing so many freelance writers lose commissions, jobs and regular gigs, I decided to use 50% of April’s newsletter profits to help freelance writers who needed support. That chunk of money — some of which came straight from subscriber donations — was enough to set up the Freelance Writing Jobs Fund.
Due to two incredibly generous anonymous donors this week, there are now ten grants of £100 each available for freelance writers who have been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. Each recipient will also receive an hour-long mentoring session with me (over phone or Zoom), to take place in June or July.
The government’s self-employment grants are letting many freelancers fall through the cracks without support, so I’m prioritising writers who won’t receive support elsewhere during this time. I really hope that the government will readdress the terms of their self-employment support to benefit those currently without a safety net.
A couple of conditions to note before you apply:
You must be aged 18 or over.
You must be based in the UK.
The majority of your income must come from freelance writing. This can be any kind of writing, and any kind of freelancing — including being a limited company — but words must be your bread and butter.
Please note: the deadline for the 2020 fund has now passed.
The form is short — what you see on the screen is all you need to fill out — but it won’t save midway through, so writing your answers elsewhere and then copying them over is a good idea.
I won’t share the information given with anyone, and it’ll be stored for no longer than six months.
Applications will close at midnight (UK time) on 24th May 2020.
Everyone who applies will be contacted by 3rd June 2020.
The grants will be awarded only via bank transfer by 8th June 2020.
If you have any questions that aren’t answered here, do email me, but also be aware that I won’t expand the application criteria under any circumstances. Don’t send your application or any further information via email, it’ll be deleted without response.
Please note: this isn’t an official fund. I’m not a charity. The money is literally coming out of my own pocket. I’m anticipating a lot of admin. Be nice. Be patient.
The grant isn’t just for newsletter subscribers so do share this page with any freelance writers in the UK who you think might benefit from the grant and mentoring scheme.
Keep safe and well,
Sian
