Grants for Cultural Cooperation from the British Council

Connections Through Culture Grants is an international program of the British Council that supports new and existing partnerships between organizations, artists, and creative professionals in the United Kingdom and participating countries. The program aims to foster intercultural dialogue, long-term professional relationships, collaborative cultural production, and the exchange of knowledge and innovation. It supports projects in the fields of art, culture, architecture, design, fashion, film, music, theater, literature, creative technologies, and interdisciplinary practices.

Under the programme, applications must involve collaboration between at least one UK-based partner and one partner from an eligible participating country. All partners must be legally established in their respective countries at the time of application and throughout the project period.

Eligible applicants may include:

• artists and creative practitioners;
• arts, cultural and creative organisations;
• festivals and biennials;
• cultural professionals;
• creative hubs, networks and collectives;
• organisations working across arts and interdisciplinary sectors.

Key eligibility requirements include:

• organisational partners must be separate legal entities;
• applicants must have the appropriate legal and tax status to receive and manage grant funding;
• the Lead Partner must provide banking details during due diligence and contracting;
• registration and tax documentation may be requested where applicable.

Applications are not eligible if they:

• do not include a UK partner or an eligible country partner;
• involve two core partners based in the same country;
• are submitted by funding bodies;
• are not primarily focused on the arts, culture or creative sectors;
• are solely commercial in nature without clear cultural or collaborative outcomes;
• are incomplete or submitted in a language other than English.

The grant programme provides funding of up to £10,000 for projects implemented in Ukraine.

Applicants must prepare a budget in pounds sterling (GBP). The budget should be clear, realistic, proportionate to the proposed activities, and demonstrate how grant funds will be used.

Eligible budget items may include:

• accessibility and inclusion costs;
• translation;
• travel;
• marketing and communications;
• project management;
• production and fabrication costs;
• shipping, installation, and de-installation;
• reasonable contingency costs where justified.

Applicants are encouraged to distribute funding as fairly as possible between the UK partner and the partner in the participating country. A 50/50 funding split is recommended where appropriate and realistic.

Costs related to making activities, events, venues, and communications accessible to participants and audiences must be included within the main project budget. Additional funding may also be requested for specific access needs of core delivery team members, such as sign language interpretation or specialist equipment; however, approval of such costs is not guaranteed.

In Ukraine, individuals must be registered as private entrepreneurs (FOPs) in order to act as the Lead Partner and receive grant funding.

The programme supports a wide range of arts, cultural and creative projects that foster collaboration between the UK and participating countries. Particular emphasis is placed on long-term partnerships, co-creation and cross-cultural exchange.

Projects may cover fields such as architecture, design, fashion and craft, creative technology, film, literature, music, theatre, dance and visual arts.

Eligible activities may include:

• co-creation and collaborative artistic development;
• residencies and professional exchanges;
• research and development activities;
• workshops, panel discussions, talks and knowledge-sharing events;
• exhibitions, presentations, showcases and performances;
• festival and biennial activities;
• digital innovation projects combining arts and technology;
• curatorial exchanges and collaborative cultural programmes;
• artist and cultural practitioner development;
• public engagement and audience development activities;
• interdisciplinary and cross-sector initiatives.

Projects may be delivered digitally, in person or through hybrid formats and can be at any stage of research, development or delivery.

The grant programme follows a structured timeline from application submission through project implementation, reporting, and final payment.

• 17 June 2026 (12:00 BST) — applications open.
• 12 August 2026 (23:59 BST) — application deadline.
• August–September 2026 — eligibility checks and main assessment period.
• From 14 October 2026 — applicants are notified of provisional selection results.
• November 2026 — grant agreement signing and grantee onboarding.
• 1 December 2026 – 31 December 2027 — project implementation period.
• December 2026 to January 2027 — expected processing and payment of the first grant instalment (80%), subject to due diligence, receipt of required documents, and grant agreement signature.
• No later than 31 January 2028 — final reporting deadline (within one month of project completion).
• The final grant instalment (20%) is paid following submission and approval of the final report.

It is important to note that funded project activities should not begin before the grant agreement has been signed and all required verification procedures have been completed.

Applications must be submitted through the Good Grants platform before the published deadline.

Before applying, applicants are encouraged to:

1. Review the FAQs on AI tools, plagiarism, intellectual property and project changes.
2. Check the programme’s eligibility requirements.
3. Confirm that both the UK partner and the participating-country partner are eligible.
4. Ensure that the Lead Partner meets all legal, financial and tax requirements necessary to receive and manage grant funding.
5. Agree on roles, responsibilities, ways of working and the project budget with all partners.
6. Prepare the required information and supporting documents.
7. Complete the application in English and provide all required information within the specified limits.
8. Submit the application before the deadline.

Applicants who require access support to complete their application may contact the British Council and provide details of the support required, its purpose and any associated costs.

Eligible applications are assessed against five evaluation criteria, each carrying a specific weighting in the overall assessment.

Key assessment criteria include:

• Quality and artistic/creative merit (25%) — assessing the strength, relevance, and quality of the creative proposal, including track record and context.
• Partnership and collaboration (25%) — evaluating the quality of the partnership, mutual benefit, collaboration model, and clarity of roles.
• Feasibility and project management (25%) — assessing whether the project is realistic, well planned, and deliverable within the proposed budget and timeframe.
• Audience/participant engagement and impact — 10%.
• Equality, diversity, inclusion, access provision, environmental sustainability, and social value — 15%.

The scoring system uses a scale from 1 to 5 points for each criterion:

• 5 points — Excellent; exceeds expectations and demonstrates strong impact.
• 4 points — Good; strong alignment with minor areas for improvement.
• 3 points — Satisfactory; meets the basic requirements.
• 2 points — Weak; falls short in key areas.
• 1 point — Poor; does not meet the criteria or is insufficiently developed.

Applicants are required to prepare and upload a set of supporting documents as part of the application process. These may include:

• CV or biography of the applicant, artist, designer or other named practitioner, where applicable;
• a Partnership Letter of Intent using the programme template;
• links, portfolios or examples of previous work;
• relevant permissions, licences or letters of support, where applicable;
• confirmation of participation in a festival, biennial, venue or public presentation, where relevant.

Before submission, applicants should ensure that:

• the project includes both a UK partner and an eligible country partner;
• all partners have reviewed and agreed to the proposal;
• all required documents have been uploaded;
• the application is completed in English and contains all required information.

Incomplete or ineligible applications will not be assessed.

Applicants are required to provide comprehensive information about the project, partnership arrangements, budget, project management, risks and expected outcomes. Particular attention is given to risk management, accessibility, inclusion and safeguarding requirements.

Applicants should:

• describe partner roles, responsibilities and collaboration arrangements;
• prepare a detailed budget in pounds sterling (GBP);
• provide information on project management and delivery;
• develop a risk management and contingency plan.

Risk assessments should address:

• security, political and operational risks;
• travel disruptions, visa issues and mobility restrictions;
• budget pressures and currency fluctuations;
• safeguarding-related risks.

Projects involving children, young people, vulnerable adults or public-facing activities must explain how relevant safeguarding risks will be managed.

Applicants are also expected to consider equality, diversity and inclusion by ensuring accessible participation and addressing barriers for different groups. In addition, projects are encouraged to incorporate environmental sustainability measures, reduce environmental impact and create wider social value and long-term community benefits.