Deadline: September 14, 2025
The British Council Biennials Connect Grants 2025 are now open for applications, offering vital support for festivals, biennials, and art organisations that champion collaboration across borders. This funding initiative provides opportunities to strengthen artistic partnerships, especially between the UK and international organisations, with a strong focus on early- to mid-career visual artists.
If your organisation is looking to foster meaningful connections and present new artistic work globally, this programme provides a unique opportunity to do so. Applications close on September 14, 2025.
About the British Council Biennials Connect Grants 2025
The Biennials Connect Grants 2025 are designed to:
- Build collaborations between UK biennials/festivals and those in international locations.
- Support visual artists, curators, and art organisations through funding for networking, skills development, and showcasing new work.
- Place special emphasis on engaging organisations and artists based in Official Development Assistance (ODA) countries.
This initiative will fund projects that help early- and mid-career artists gain international visibility, create partnerships, and exchange ideas across diverse cultural contexts.
Funding Available
The programme provides two levels of funding, depending on the project location:
- Up to £9,500
- Available for UK biennials/festivals collaborating with visual artists in ODA countries.
- Available for international biennials/festivals in ODA countries collaborating with UK visual artists.
- Up to £5,000
- Available for collaborations between UK and non-ODA countries, involving either biennials, festivals, or organisations.
A total of up to eight grants will be awarded for ODA-focused projects.
Who Can Apply
Applications are open to institutions only:
- Biennials, festivals, and art organisations, whether based in the UK or internationally.
- Individual artists are not eligible to apply directly; all proposals must come from an organisational applicant.
Funding Priorities
Applications will be prioritised if they:
- Encourage collaboration between UK and international artists, curators, organisations, and festivals.
- Engage early- to mid-career visual artists.
- Originate from or involve organisations and artists in ODA countries.
This focus ensures that the grants foster equitable partnerships and create opportunities for artists at pivotal stages of their careers.
Application Process
The British Council has streamlined the application process to support collaboration:
- Applications must be submitted online through the official grant platform.
- Each project must have a lead applicant responsible for submitting the application.
- The lead applicant can invite project partners to contribute to the application form.
This ensures that all collaborators have input while maintaining a clear line of responsibility.
Key Dates
- Deadline for submissions: September 14, 2025
Applicants are strongly advised to begin preparations early to ensure sufficient time for drafting strong narratives, project plans, and budgets.
Summary at a Glance
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Deadline | September 14, 2025 |
| Funding (ODA) | Up to £9,500 |
| Funding (non-ODA) | Up to £5,000 |
| Eligibility | Biennials, festivals, art organisations (not individuals) |
| Focus | UK ↔ ODA collaborations; early/mid-career visual artists |
| Applications | Online via British Council platform |
Final Thoughts
The British Council Biennials Connect Grants 2025 present an invaluable opportunity for biennials, festivals, and art organisations to collaborate internationally and give visibility to emerging artists. With funding support ranging from £5,000 to £9,500, the programme is ideal for organisations seeking to expand global partnerships and showcase new artistic work.
If your organisation aligns with the priorities of this grant, now is the time to build strong partnerships and prepare your application ahead of the September 14, 2025 deadline.
👉 Apply here
👉 Read more about the programme
📌 Need expert support with your application? Contact grantsdatabase.org for proposal drafting, refining, and review to boost your chances of success.
