Grant News
The Museums Association is accepting applications for the Esmée Fairbairn Communities and Collections Fund (EFCCF), a £1.185 million annual programme funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation. The fund, which will run through 2025 and 2026, is designed to support museums and their partners in using collections to advance inclusion, equity, and social and climate justice.
Two streams of funding are available.
- Core Grants are designed for individual museums for strategic development of their inclusive collections work
- Partnership Project Grants are intended for collaborations between museums and community organisations, with a strong emphasis on equitable working and co-design.
Grants can be worth up to £100,000 and run for up to 3 years. Up to 12 grants will be awarded per year over two funding rounds.
Since its launch in 2011, the Collections Fund has distributed more than £14 million across nearly 200 projects.
A 2024 review prompted the fund’s new direction, focusing on deeper community partnerships, staff and participant wellbeing, and long-term legacy. Early rounds of the redesigned scheme suggest that partnership applications are particularly strong, with a higher shortlisting rate than for core grant bids.
The next application deadline is 22 July 2026.
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