GovWire

This research evaluates the impact and delivery of the Culture Recovery Fund (CRF) launched by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in July 2020 for cultural and heritage organisations adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The accompanying data report is based on management data from applicant-supplied information, and a summary is provided with headlines and visualisations of key highlights from the data.

The CRF was a 1.57-billion package of measures, initially for cultural and heritage organisations at risk of insolvency in the year 2020-2021 due to having been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The support set out to help these organisations survive and, when possible, reopen. DCMS commissioned an evaluation of CRF in January 2021. The evaluation was undertaken by a consortium led by Ecorys including Ipsos UK, BOP Consulting and Economist George Barrett. The findings from this evaluation show that CRF met its overall objectives, was efficiently implemented, demonstrated value for money and strengthened the financial health of the cultural sector.