Grants for Cultural Heritage Preservation by The Sumitomo Foundation

The "Fiscal 2026 Grant for Projects for the Protection, Preservation & Restoration of Cultural Properties Outside Japan" is offered by The Sumitomo Foundation to protect, preserve, and restore cultural properties outside Japan. The primary goal of the initiative is to hand down tangible cultural properties, which are the common heritage of humankind, to future generations. The total budget for Fiscal 2026 is JPY 35,000,000, with approximately 15 projects expected to be selected.

The program supports projects for the protection, preservation, and restoration of tangible (movable and immovable) cultural properties (fine arts or archaeological sites/materials) outside Japan that possess artistic or academic value. Support also includes cultural properties constituting a part of structures or buildings (such as murals and sculptures), as well as preliminary surveys immediately linked up with protection, preservation, and restoration projects.

The program strictly excludes intangible cultural heritage, digital preservation projects, historical buildings or structures themselves (temples, mosques, shipwrecks, etc.), preservation/restoration of whole archaeological sites, pedagogical projects, as well as research utilizing digital technology or artificial intelligence.

• Eligible Applicants:
  • Owners or official administrators of cultural properties;
  • Researchers who will actually conduct preliminary surveys.
• Ineligible Applicants:
  • Profit-making commercial corporations;
  • Individuals who own cultural properties for profit or whose cultural properties are for private use only.

• Total Program Budget: JPY 35,000,000 for Fiscal 2026.
• Number of Selected Projects: Approximately 15 projects.
• Disbursement Currency: Japanese Yen (JPY) or US Dollars (USD) as selected by the applicant.
• Eligible Expenses:
  • For Protection, Preservation & Restoration Projects: Expenses directly required for the implementation of the project.
  • For Preliminary Surveys: Travel expenses (economy-class actual fare for shortest routes), accommodation for business trips, communication and courier delivery, rental of equipment/software/databases, procurement of consumables and special purpose equipment, remuneration for survey assistants and third-party services (interpretation, translation, stenography), printing and publication of results, and meeting expenses (room rental and refreshments).
• Ineligible Expenses:
  • Remuneration for services rendered by applicants and their collaborators;
  • Administrative and overhead expenses of universities, research institutes, or organizations;
  • Procurement of general-use equipment (facsimile machines, copiers, etc.).
• Co-funding: No mandatory co-funding percentage is required. Parallel application for grants from governments and/or other private organizations is acceptable.

• Direct protection, preservation, and restoration activities for tangible cultural properties outside Japan.
• Preliminary scientific surveys directly linked to the protection, preservation, and restoration of cultural properties.

• By November 30, 2026 (17:00 JST): Application deadline via the official website.
• December 2026 – February 2027: Application screening and review by the Selection Committee.
• March 2027: Final selection approval by the Board of Directors and notification of results to applicants via email.
• March 2027 – March 2028: One-year project implementation and grant duration period.
• Post-Completion: Submission of the Project Completion Report, Financial Report, Restoration Report (by restorer/conservator), or publication of research findings.

1. Registration: Visit the website https://www.sumitomo.or.jp/e/, select the applicant category ("Institution" or "Individual"), and register an email address. Receive a "Temporary Registration of the Web Application Notice", click "Acknowledgment", and receive an email with the Application URL.
2. Review: Access the Application URL to review the required procedures and prepare application materials.
3. Completion & Upload: Fill in basic information into the online "Application Format" (Page 1). Download the Word template (Pages 2–5) and complete it on PC in English or Japanese (10–11 pt font). Convert forms and accompanying materials into PDF format (except photos in a ZIP archive) and upload them to the system.
4. Submission: Verify all information, check "Apply", and click "Confirm". Receive a registration number via email.

• Evaluating Body: Selection Committee and Board of Directors of The Sumitomo Foundation.
• Key Selection Criteria:
  • Significance as a Cultural Property: Artistic, historical, and academic value of the cultural property.
  • Urgency of the Project: Current condition of the property and need for immediate action.
  • Feasibility of the Project Plan: Realism of the methodology, cost breakdown, and project schedule.
  • Need for the Grant: Justification for financial support.
• Additional Focus: The project's relationship to Japan may also be considered (e.g., whether the cultural property is a Japanese work of art, whether it has influenced Japanese art, or whether the project is led by Japanese researchers or institutions).

• Application Form:
  • Page 1 (Application Page 1): Online system input (project name, applied grant amount, applicant, conservator/researcher, and recommender information).
  • Pages 2–5 (Application Pages 2–5): Completed Word file converted to PDF (property description, condition, conservation/research plan, special mention, conservator/recommender details, public announcement method, cost breakdown, funding plan, and project schedule).
• Mandatory Accompanying Materials:
  1. Recommendation Letter: One letter in any format from an independent 3rd party of high academic standing, explaining the historical and cultural value from an academic viewpoint.
  2. Photos: ZIP archive (up to 20 pictures, max 100 MB) showing general and detailed conditions of the property or survey area.
• Optional Accompanying Documents:
  1. Applicant Information summary;
  2. Resume/CV of conservator/researcher or recommender;
  3. Estimated Cost Report;
  4. Project Schedule Report;
  5. Additional reports or collaborator information.

• Formal Confirmation: Submission of a signed Consent Letter to The Sumitomo Foundation upon award notification.
• Final Reporting:
  • Project Completion Report;
  • Financial Report;
  • Restoration Report prepared by the conservator or restorer (for restoration projects).
• Public Acknowledgement:
  • For Restoration Projects: Mandatory public announcement (via brochures, newsletters, or plates) that the project has been funded by a grant from The Sumitomo Foundation.
  • For Preliminary Surveys: Mandatory publication of survey results in academic papers indicating grant support, with a copy submitted to the Foundation.
• Governmental Approvals: Mandatory completion of all legal formalities and acquisition of required governmental approvals for receiving funds and conducting project activities.

• No Legal Entitlement: Submission of an application does not establish any legal entitlement to receive financial support from The Sumitomo Foundation.
• Consent Letter: Upon award notification, selected grantees are required to sign and submit an official Consent Letter to the Foundation.
• Governmental Approvals & Formalities: Grantees must complete all necessary legal formalities and obtain required approvals from governmental or local authorities if necessary to receive grant funds or execute the project.
• Data Privacy & Public Announcement: Personal information is used strictly for selection and notification purposes. However, the grantee's name, title, affiliation, project name, and granted amount will be publicly announced.
• Non-return of Documents: Submitted application forms and accompanying materials will not be returned under any circumstances.
• Disbursement Currency: Grant funds are transmitted to the grantee's bank account in Japanese Yen (JPY) or US Dollars (USD) as selected in the application.
• Finality of Decisions: Selection is reviewed by the Selection Committee and approved by the Board of Directors of The Sumitomo Foundation. The Foundation cannot respond to any inquiries regarding the reasons for selection or rejection.