Organizer Information
The Bagri Foundation was established in 1990 by the late Lord Bagri CBE (1930–2017), who set it up to support education and fund relief work. Three generations of the Bagri family have since broadened the foundation's scope. In 2015, Dr Alka Bagri, following the completion of her PhD in Indian Miniature Painting, became the driving force behind the foundation's arts and cultural programme, expanding its remit across wider Asia. The foundation's stated mission is to cultivate a meaningful space for Asian culture to thrive, and to provide opportunities for artistic presentations that sit alongside predominant Western narratives. Beyond the arts, the foundation also supports education, relief work, development, and healthcare, though those areas are funded at trustee discretion with no set deadlines. The foundation is a UK-registered charity (No. 1000219) and a company registered in England and Wales (No. 2530127), based in London.
Title & Description
Bagri Foundation Arts & Culture Grants — Autumn 2026 Round
The Bagri Foundation offers grants to non-profit arts organisations actively engaged in the cultural sector to support artistic projects that promote the sharing of traditional or contemporary Asian culture. The foundation works with organisations across the UK and Europe, and — by invitation only — with international projects. Grants are awarded twice a year and typically fund between 10–30% of a project's total budget, with the average award around £20,000. The application process runs in two stages: an initial Expression of Interest, followed by an invitation-only full application (Stage 2) for shortlisted projects.
Categories
- Craft
- Exhibitions and Biennials (no exact taxonomy match — see note below)
- Sound/Music
- Public Art
- Performance
- Literature
- Culture
- Visual Arts
- Video/Film
- Multiple Disciplines
Note: "Exhibitions and Biennials," "Prizes and awards," and "New public commissions" are listed by the source as supported formats but have no exact one-to-one match in the platform taxonomy; the closest available terms have been selected above.
Eligibility
- Applicant must be an established organisation with a proven track record of delivering artistic projects — not an individual (the foundation does not fund individuals; artists must apply via a presenting institution)
- Eligible organisation types: UK and European registered charities, Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs), exempt charities (e.g. national museums), Community Interest Companies (CICs), not-for-profit organisations, and creative collectives with a proven track record and public profile
- Project must have a confirmed public outcome in the UK or Europe (international presentations are by invitation only, though organisations based outside the UK/Europe may apply collaboratively with a UK/European partner)
- Project must promote the sharing of traditional and/or contemporary Asian culture, covering the entire Asian continent "from Turkey to Japan"
- Project must include established or mid-career level artists from Asia or the diaspora (having an artist of Asian heritage alone does not automatically qualify a project — the project itself must actively engage with Asian culture)
- Project must be fully formed at the point of application, with confirmed artists, planned public outcomes, and established venue partners — projects at the ideas stage are not supported
- Applicant must have at least one other confirmed funder already in place (core funding, arts/local council funding, a host organisation, or another private funder, financial or in-kind)
- Project must start no earlier than 1 March 2027, and at least 3 months after the estimated public outcome date (to allow time for marketing sign-off)
- Only one project per organisation may be submitted per funding round; the foundation rarely funds the same organisation twice within a year, and expects roughly one year between closing one grant and awarding another to the same organisation
- Not eligible: research/development-only projects, professional development or educational training, film production or post-production, capital and archival projects (including digitisation), collections work (redisplay, acquisitions, or curatorial research only), standalone residencies (unless part of a larger project leading to a public exhibition), and local-only community projects without national or international impact
- Previously declined projects will not be reconsidered, though the same organisation may submit a different project in a future round
Program Benefits & Awards
- Grant funding ranging from £5,000 to £100,000
- Grants typically cover 10–30% of the total project budget
- Average grant size is approximately £20,000
- Applicants requesting more than £75,000 are advised to contact the foundation directly before applying
- First-time applicants are advised not to request more than £50,000
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Expression of Interest (Stage 1) window: September 7 – October 5, 2026 (11:59 pm, end of day)
- Full Application (Stage 2) deadline: Monday, November 9, 2026 (11:00 pm, end of day) — by invitation only
- Outcome announced: Late December 2026
Location
United Kingdom and Europe
Additional Details
- Applications with a solid, well-developed funding strategy are prioritised; the final grant awarded may be lower than the amount requested
- Expressions of Interest are reviewed on a rolling basis within approximately 2 weeks during open rounds
- Reference-only preview versions of the Stage 1 (Expression of Interest) and Stage 2 (Application) forms are available on the foundation's Funding page for applicants to review in advance; Stage 2 is strictly invitation-only, and speculative Stage 2 submissions are not accepted
- Donations toward education, relief work, development, and healthcare are handled separately from the Arts & Culture Grant, do not use the Submittable platform, and are awarded at trustee discretion with no fixed deadlines