Making an application

When to apply

There is one application round a year.
Applications open: 16th June
Closing date:      30th September
Applications received after 30th September will not be considered, nor will they be held over to the following year.

Eligibility to apply

Who can apply?

Applications can be made by

  • professional photographers

  • organisations (such as charities) that provide services for community benefit.

A project would normally involve both of the above in its delivery.

Who cannot apply?

You cannot apply for work that is already under way.

Your application should be for a discrete project, but it may be part of a wider or longer-term programme of activities. 

Projects benefitting from these grants would be expected to last for no longer than a year, and be implementable within the year of the grant being awarded.

You may only submit one application a year.

How much can you apply for?

You can apply for a grant of between £500 and £1,500.  We can fund up to 100% of costs, but normally expect our contribution to be matched either by other funding or in-kind contributions.

Costs you can and cannot include

Please check what you can and cannot spend the money on before planning your budget. 

You can include:

  • Artist’s fees for a photographer providing an experience for participants, up to 10% of the overall cost of the project

  • Equipment costs (e.g. cameras)

  • Materials costs (e.g. film, chemicals)

  • Processing costs (e.g. hire of dark room)

  • Production costs (e.g. printing paper, mount-cutting)

  • Costs of exhibiting (e.g. venue hire, frames).

This is not a definitive list. If you believe a cost should be eligible and it is not listed here, explain why in your submission, and enter it as ‘other’ in your budget.

 You cannot include:

  • Core staff costs of any organisation involved in the project.

The following costs are discretionary:

  • Travel costs – reasonable and necessary travel is normally acceptable

  • Subsistence costs – normally only food and refreshments, accommodation costs may be covered in exceptional circumstances.

What makes a good application?

Everything you want to tell us must be in the application form and not in the covering email or in any other correspondence. 

Use plain English: be clear and direct, use short sentences, avoid jargon, and explain any technical terms you need to use.

Make no assumptions about who is reading your application, especially if you have had a grant previously.

Tell us about any in-kind contributions and any funding you have been awarded from others, as that helps demonstrate value for money and commitment to the project.

If you include hyperlinks in your application, please make sure they work properly.

Explain the relevance of any images that you upload as part of your application.

How to apply