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Design Grants, Fellowships and Residencies

Currently 27 active paid design grants, fellowships and residencies. Hand-curated and updated weekly. Almost every entry is funded; a few notable unpaid open calls and festival submissions are included as clearly flagged exceptions. Browse the list below, or use the interactive desk for filtering and shortlisting.

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Open calls

  1. Stimuleringsfonds: Design Grant Scheme 2026 (final round)

    Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie (Creative Industries Fund NL) · Netherlands. Requires establishment in the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Dutch Chamber of Commerce (KvK) registration. · Deadline: 19 Aug 2026 · Award: EUR 10,000-25,000 for a single executing party; EUR 10,000-50,000 for projects with project partners. Minimum 20 percent co-financing required. Round budget EUR 650,000 (2026 total EUR 1,580,000). No application fee.

    The Stimuleringsfonds Design Grant Scheme (Deelregeling Vormgeving) supports projects by designers, design agencies, observers and cultural institutions working across product, graphic, spatial, fashion, textile and social design. Solo projects receive EUR 10,000-25,000; projects with partners up to EUR 50,000, with at least 20 percent co-financing. From 2026 the scheme runs two rounds per year rather than three, and this round opens 12 August 2026 at 15:00 CEST and closes 19 August 2026 at 16:00 CEST. The procedure is two-phase and applications are ordered by lottery draw rather than by submission time, so submitting early confers no advantage. Applicants must be registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (KvK).

  2. Stimuleringsfonds: Architecture Grant Scheme 2026

    Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie (Creative Industries Fund NL) · Netherlands. Requires establishment in the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Dutch Chamber of Commerce (KvK) registration. · Deadline: 19 Aug 2026 · Award: EUR 10,000-25,000 for a single executing party; EUR 10,000-50,000 with project partners. Minimum 20 percent co-financing. Round budget EUR 587,946 (2026 total EUR 1,155,000). No application fee.

    The Stimuleringsfonds Architecture Grant Scheme supports architects, observers, design agencies and cultural institutions on projects across the broad field of architecture, including design research, reflection and public debate as well as built work. Solo projects receive EUR 10,000-25,000, projects with partners up to EUR 50,000, with at least 20 percent co-financing. This round opens 13 August 2026 at 15:00 CEST and closes 19 August 2026 at 16:00 CEST. From 2026 the scheme allocates places by notary-supervised lottery draw rather than by order of submission. Applicants must be registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (KvK).

  3. Inato Gallery: Touch Some Grass (open-call poster exhibition)

    Inato Gallery · Submissions are digital (A3 portrait PDF) and no residency or travel is required; the exhibition is mounted by Inato Gallery, an artist-run space in Iligan City, Philippines. No nationality restriction is stated. · Deadline: 31 Aug 2026 · Award: No artist fee, stipend or production budget. This is an exhibition opportunity: selected posters are shown in Inato Gallery's Touch Some Grass exhibition. No submission fee is stated in the call.

    Touch Some Grass is an open-call poster exhibition responding to the growing presence of AI-generated imagery and its impact on creative labour, authorship and visual culture. At a time when images can be produced instantly and consumed just as quickly, the exhibition reclaims the poster as a space for ideas, intention and public conversation, inviting artists to make work that questions, challenges or reflects on this changing landscape. As the organisers put it, the question is no longer whether machines can make images, they can; the question is what kind of world we build when speed matters more than thought. NOTE: this call offers exhibition and visibility only, with no artist fee or stipend. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: artwork size A3 (297 x 420 mm), portrait orientation, 300 DPI, CMYK recommended, print-quality PDF preferred, maximum file size 1 GB, one submission per artist. CAP: participation is limited to 60 artists and the submission form closes automatically once all slots are filled, so the effective deadline may fall well before 31 August 2026 (10 of 60 slots were taken at the time of listing). Inato Gallery is an artist-run space in Iligan City, Philippines, which began as a solo street exhibition by KaraTula and now runs concept-driven solo and group shows, open mics, talks and workshops built on openness, participation and the belief that art should exist where people already are.

  4. The Kitchen / Central Location Open Call (foodculture days Biennale, Vevey 2027)

    foodculture days · Vevey, Switzerland. The Kitchen is built on the Esplanade de la Paix by the lakeside. The selected collective must be present in Vevey for the two-week build and installation, 1 to 16 June 2027, and through the biennale 16 to 20 June 2027. · Deadline: 31 Aug 2026 · Award: CHF 15,000 all-inclusive project budget (VAT included), covering travel, visas, equipment and additional kitchen equipment rental, per diems, materials and artist fees. Food costs and accommodation in Vevey are covered separately by foodculture days. Three shortlisted collectives each receive a CHF 250 research fee to develop their proposal in Phase 2. One collective is selected. No application fee.

    foodculture days is opening up The Kitchen / Central Location, the living heart of its biennale in Vevey, to an outside collective for the festival's 6th edition. The Kitchen is at once an open-air kitchen, a gathering space and an artistic installation, sited by the lake on the Esplanade de la Paix along a busy promenade, hosting multidisciplinary projects, concerts, themed meals, public discussions, citizens' assemblies and moments of collective cooking. The call asks for new ways of inhabiting it. WHO THEY WANT: a transdisciplinary collective of scientists, artists, designers, craftspeople, cooks, activists and architects, either newly formed or already active; collaboration across generations, cultures and levels of expertise is encouraged. WHAT IS OFFERED: an open-air citizen experimentation laboratory in Vevey's public space, framed around rethinking ways of living and the relationship to time and to creation, and thinking together about the conditions under which multidisciplinary practices can flourish. THE BRIEF: kitchen and hospitality, lunch and dinner service, vegetarian meals with a vegan option. Meals should be affordable, seasonal where fresh produce is involved, and conceived in the spirit of a communal canteen: simple, generous, nourishing and full of flavour. Expected covers are roughly 100 guests Wednesday to Thursday and roughly 150 Friday to Sunday. WHAT THE FESTIVAL PROVIDES: curatorial support to develop the proposal, with particular attention to the themed meals; introductions to local producers, growers and artisans including farm visits and foraging sites; production support and volunteers throughout; and standard professional kitchen equipment and cooking facilities. BUDGET: CHF 15,000 all-inclusive (VAT included) covering travel, visas, equipment rental, any additional kitchen equipment, per diems, materials and artist fees; food costs and accommodation in Vevey are covered separately. THE SPACE: the pavilion, called Cuisine, is a modular metal structure assembled from repurposed agricultural greenhouse components on a 3.1 metre bidirectional grid, with pillars and arches forming ridge vaults, a textile covering naturally dyed yellow with reseda, and a terracotta brick hearth for wood-fired cooking laid directly on the floor. It comes with dining tables, low tables, a reception table, a shelf, a bar, pendant lights, 30 cushions, removable curtains, flags, blackboards and signage panels, and can expand, contract or be reconfigured. TIMELINE: Phase 1 deadline 31 August 2026 at midnight CET; three shortlisted proposals selected in late September, each invited to an online meeting and paid a CHF 250 research fee for Phase 2; final project selected and announced in early October 2026; collaborative development with the foodculture days architectural team October to November; production December to February; build and installation in Vevey 1 to 16 June 2027, with the collective present throughout those two weeks; 6th edition of the biennale 16 to 20 June 2027. PHASE 1 QUESTIONS: tell us about your collective (origins, intention, what makes you special); member biographies with collective or individual portfolios, website, Instagram, city of residence and practices; what the concept consists of in terms of food and cuisine, relationships, and scenography and spatial research; what you want to put into practice in the central pavilion, your vision and the kind of experience you want to create; any special requirements; and references, including a quote representing the collective, two reference texts, three images and optionally video. An Open Call Information Kit, a recording of the online information session and a Q&A are published on the open call site and are worth reading before applying.

  5. The Impart & Nalli Fellowships 2027-28

    Impart in collaboration with Nalli Silks · Remote and self-directed; applicants may reside anywhere in the world. Projects must engage with textile practices across South Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Tibet. · Deadline: 31 Aug 2026 · Award: Up to INR 5.5 lakhs (INR 550,000) per fellow towards project execution, covering research-related expenses including travel, fieldwork and documentation subject to approval. Two fellowships are awarded. No application fee.

    A research fellowship from Impart, an online platform building accessible resources on South Asia's art histories, in collaboration with Nalli Silks, a heritage textile brand established in 1928. The programme has supported two research projects a year since 2024-25; for the 2027-28 cycle two fellowships are awarded, each carrying a grant of up to INR 5.5 lakhs for one year of independent research and project development. AREAS OF FOCUS: underexplored textile-related histories, practices and traditions across South Asia. Any textile-centric subject may be proposed; the call particularly encourages textiles in religious, literary, liturgical and mythological contexts; the environmental impact of textile production and consumption; endangered or disappearing textile traditions; critical perspectives on textile revivalism, digitisation, archives and material afterlives; labour in textile production with attention to caste, class and gender; relationships between textiles and other cultural forms including storytelling, poetry, music, architecture and material culture; techniques, technologies and tools tied to specific traditions; South Asian textiles within the contemporary global design economy; intellectual property, ownership and cultural rights; and socio-cultural perspectives on the relationship between handmade and industrial textiles. ELIGIBILITY: open to anyone aged 18 or over residing anywhere in the world, provided the project engages with textile practices in the wider South Asia region (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tibet). Early- and mid-career researchers, designers, archivists, journalists, writers, educators, practitioners, collectives and small organisations are all welcome, and collaborative projects are permitted provided co-creators are credited and listed in the application. Both new and ongoing projects are eligible, but applicants must specify which part of the project the grant will develop and disclose any current or previous funding from other organisations. SUPPORTED FORMATS: journalistic inquiry, documentary film, archive activation, practice-based research, archive generation, digitisation and documentation initiatives, and exhibition or book projects. DELIVERABLES: a comprehensive project report at the end of the grant period; a research dossier developed from that report in collaboration with Impart, presenting key questions and findings and hosted on Impart's website for public benefit; and a set of final project outputs, which may be audio-visual (interviews, short films), visual essays (photographic or process-based documentation), written pieces (essays, features, interviews) or curatorial work (exhibition or digital curation). Fellows also take part in periodic check-ins and submit progress reports. Copyright is settled case by case, but all final outputs must be made openly and freely accessible to the public. APPLICATION: a Google Form structured as a full project proposal, plus a project budget (percentage-based allocation is acceptable, but be as specific as possible), a project timeline for the one-year period with key phases, activities and milestones, and a single supporting PDF containing an up-to-date CV, selected work samples, and up to two letters of support or recommendation. The form is in English; applicants who would prefer another language are invited to write to Impart to arrange an alternative. NOTE: the fellowship has a strict no-tolerance policy on the use of AI or LLMs in the application form or any submitted materials, and any violation results in rejection. KEY DATES: applications close 31 August 2026; awardees notified December 2026; fellowships run January to December 2027. No individual feedback is given on unsuccessful applications.

  6. Emerging Talents: Concept Grant (Design)

    Pro Helvetia (Swiss Arts Council) · Switzerland-based emerging designers. · Deadline: 01 Sep 2026 · Award: Up to CHF 10,000, plus possible individual coaching. No application fee.

    Pro Helvetia's Emerging Talents concept grant supports the early-stage concept development of design projects before a prototype is created. Emerging Talents are professional designers whose design-relevant training or business registration (self-employed, sole proprietorship, or company) dates back less than seven years. ELIGIBILITY: requires a connection to Switzerland (Swiss citizenship, or permanent residency with regular artistic activity in Switzerland); not open to practitioners without a Swiss connection. At least 50 percent of participants must be Swiss citizens or permanent residents whose place of work is in Switzerland. AMOUNT: up to CHF 10,000, plus possible individual coaching. Deadlines twice a year: 1 March (23:59 CET) and 1 September (23:59 CEST). Apply via the Pro Helvetia portal.

  7. Emerging Talents: Prototype Development (Design)

    Pro Helvetia (Swiss Arts Council) · Switzerland-based emerging designers. · Deadline: 01 Sep 2026 · Award: Up to CHF 20,000, plus possible individual coaching. No application fee.

    Pro Helvetia's Emerging Talents prototype development grant supports the creation of prototypes, pilot production runs, or sample collections for marketable design projects. Emerging Talents are professional designers whose training or business registration dates back less than seven years. ELIGIBILITY: requires a connection to Switzerland (Swiss citizenship, or permanent residency with regular artistic activity in Switzerland); not open to practitioners without a Swiss connection. At least 50 percent of participants must be Swiss citizens or permanent residents whose place of work is in Switzerland. AMOUNT: up to CHF 20,000, plus possible individual coaching. Deadlines twice a year: 1 March (23:59 CET) and 1 September (23:59 CEST). Apply via the Pro Helvetia portal.

  8. Emerging Talents: Production Grant (Design)

    Pro Helvetia (Swiss Arts Council) · Switzerland-based emerging designers. · Deadline: 01 Sep 2026 · Award: Up to CHF 50,000, conditional on own or third-party matching funding. No application fee.

    Pro Helvetia's Emerging Talents production grant supports the production of design projects based on completed prototypes or sample collections. Emerging Talents are professional designers whose training or business registration dates back less than seven years. ELIGIBILITY: requires a connection to Switzerland (Swiss citizenship, or permanent residency with regular artistic activity in Switzerland); not open to practitioners without a Swiss connection. At least 50 percent of participants must be Swiss citizens or permanent residents whose place of work is in Switzerland. AMOUNT: up to CHF 50,000, on condition that own or third-party funding is available. Deadlines twice a year: 1 March (23:59 CET) and 1 September (23:59 CEST). Apply via the Pro Helvetia portal.

  9. Emerging Talents: Project Extension (Design)

    Pro Helvetia (Swiss Arts Council) · Switzerland-based emerging designers. · Deadline: 01 Sep 2026 · Award: Up to CHF 20,000, plus possible individual coaching. No application fee.

    Pro Helvetia's Emerging Talents project extension grant supports extending advanced-stage design projects toward market success, for example through marketing, digital presence, and distribution. Emerging Talents are professional designers whose training or business registration dates back less than seven years. ELIGIBILITY: requires a connection to Switzerland (Swiss citizenship, or permanent residency with regular artistic activity in Switzerland); not open to practitioners without a Swiss connection. At least 50 percent of participants must be Swiss citizens or permanent residents whose place of work is in Switzerland. AMOUNT: up to CHF 20,000, plus possible individual coaching. Deadlines twice a year: 1 March (23:59 CET) and 1 September (23:59 CEST). Apply via the Pro Helvetia portal.

  10. Emerging Talents: Matchmaking Event in Switzerland (Design)

    Pro Helvetia (Swiss Arts Council) · One-day matchmaking event in Switzerland for Switzerland-based emerging designers. · Deadline: 01 Sep 2026 · Award: Not a cash grant: participation in a one-day matchmaking event (keynote, lunch, matchmaking, networking) plus exclusive online pitch training. No application fee.

    Pro Helvetia's Emerging Talents matchmaking event is a one-day event in Switzerland where emerging designers network with industry professionals, receive feedback, and take part in exclusive online pitch training. Emerging Talents are professional designers whose training or business registration dates back less than seven years. ELIGIBILITY: requires a connection to Switzerland (Swiss citizenship, or permanent residency with regular artistic activity in Switzerland); not open to practitioners without a Swiss connection. Open to Swiss citizens, permanent residents, or people working for Switzerland-based institutions. This is not a cash grant. Deadlines twice a year: 1 March (23:59 CET) and 1 September (23:59 CEST). Apply via the Pro Helvetia portal.

  11. JUGAAD: Absolute Improvisation, open call for printed matter and small-format works (Amsterdam)

    SAC Art Amsterdam and Mama Magnet · Fair takes place 9-10 October 2026 in Amsterdam. Open internationally, but selected work must be shipped to the Netherlands by the end of September 2026 at the artist's expense. · Deadline: 05 Sep 2026 · Award: No application fee. Selected work is sold at the printed matter fair on mutually agreeable terms regarding commission, duration and number of editions; artists are remunerated within 30 days of each sale. Unsold works are returned at the end of the agreed consignment period.

    Open call from SAC Art Amsterdam and Mama Magnet for a printed matter fair themed around jugaad: improvised, resourceful solutions built from what is on hand (from the Sanskrit yuj, 'to join', via Hindi jugar, famously embodied by post-independence Punjabi vehicles pieced together from scrap metal and pump engines). The curators want work that engages the spirit of jugaad either as subject (everyday intelligences of getting by, lateral logics of adaptation, unlikely workarounds, reinvention born of necessity) or in how it was made (found or repurposed materials, adapted processes, structures built to solve a specific constraint). Work that came from adjustment rather than access, problem-solving rather than budget. WHAT: zines, artist books, comics, risograph or photocopied prints, posters, foldables, instruction manuals, packaging and other small-format works; if it can travel in a suitcase it is probably in scope. No framed work or anything needing gallery-standard installation. Gen-AI images and text are not accepted. WHO: artists, designers, writers and collectives whose practice genuinely engages with the theme; if unsure, reach out and explain in a line or two. Selected work must reach the Netherlands by end of September 2026. TERMS: selections made on a rolling basis 5 August to 5 September; selected work is sold at the fair (9-10 October, Amsterdam) on mutually agreeable commission terms, with payment within 30 days of each sale and unsold work returned after the consignment period. HOW TO APPLY: email info@mamamagnet.org with a CC to art@sacartamsterdam.com, subject line 'JUGAAD - [Your Contribution]', by 5 September 2026; earlier is better given rolling selection.

  12. Stichting Stokroos: Residency at Fundaziun Nairs 2026

    Stichting Stokroos · Residency in Scuol, Switzerland (Fundaziun Nairs). Applicants must live and work in the Kingdom of the Netherlands (including its Caribbean parts) or Suriname for at least one year. Applicants outside the Randstad particularly encouraged. · Deadline: 11 Sep 2026 · Award: Fully supported stay (accommodation and meals paid directly to Fundaziun Nairs) plus an unrestricted living, travel and production budget of EUR 7,000. 80% paid before the residency, the remainder on receipt of a brief final report. No application fee.

    Stichting Stokroos funds a three-month reflective residency at Fundaziun Nairs in Scuol, Switzerland, for one selected visual artist, designer or craft practitioner (overlap possible). Both emerging and established makers may apply. Stokroos covers full accommodation and meals directly with Fundaziun Nairs and provides a discretionary EUR 7,000 budget for living, travel and production. The application should include a proposal that engages specifically with the residency, its Alpine surroundings and/or its historical and cultural context. Eligibility: you completed your first subject-specific (vocational or higher) programme in 2022 or earlier, or have an equivalent established practice, or started without formal training (first presentation marks the start of your practice); at least 21 years old; living and working in the Kingdom of the Netherlands (including its Caribbean parts) or Suriname for at least one year; not currently enrolled in a study or post-academic programme. Applications are individual only; duos and collectives cannot apply. Makers already selected by Fundaziun Nairs may still apply if they meet the criteria. You may submit only one application per year across all Stokroos grants, and must not have received a Seed Grant rejection in the previous calendar year. Apply via the online form (Dutch or English) with a portfolio PDF up to 20 pages, optional video up to 10 minutes total, CV up to 2 pages, and work/plan descriptions up to 2,500 characters each. Selection includes an introductory interview with up to three candidates; Stokroos aims to respond within 8 weeks. No appeal is possible. Application window: 1 to 11 September 2026. More information at nairs.ch.

  13. Call for Proposals: Activate Yonge + St. Clair During DesignTO Festival 2027 (Toronto)

    DesignTO · Yonge + St. Clair, Toronto, Canada. Preference given to artists based in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. · Deadline: 13 Sep 2026 · Award: Between $5,000 and $7,500 CAD per selected project, inclusive of artist fees, materials, fabrication, transportation, installation, and de-installation. Free to apply.

    Artists, architects, designers, fabricators, and multidisciplinary creatives are invited to submit proposals for a series of site-specific installations at Yonge + St. Clair as part of DesignTO Festival 2027. For more than seven years the Yonge + St. Clair BIA has partnered with DesignTO to transform publicly accessible spaces throughout the neighbourhood into an exhibition of art, design, and placemaking. For the 2027 Festival, SEVEN installation opportunities are available across lobbies, galleries, and window spaces: 2 St. Clair Ave W (Lobby), 2 St. Clair Ave E (Lower Level Window), 30 St. Clair Ave W (Lobby), 40 St. Clair Ave W (Lobby), 55 St. Clair Ave W (Lobby), 95 St. Clair Ave W (Gallery), and 1521 Yonge St (Window). One installation will be commissioned per location. THEME: 'Intersections' - proposals may explore convergence, transformation, movement, identity, exchange, and the evolving relationship between people and place. Artists may submit proposals for multiple locations, but each proposal must be tailored to its site and submitted separately; only one proposal per artist or team may be selected. WHO SHOULD APPLY: emerging and established artists, designers, architects, fabricators, and multidisciplinary creative practitioners working in any medium; preference given to artists based in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. BUDGET: selected projects receive $5,000 to $7,500 CAD inclusive of artist fees, materials, fabrication, transportation, installation, and de-installation. Artists are responsible for the fabrication, transportation, installation, and de-installation of their work. KEY DATES: submission deadline 13 September 2026 at 5:00pm ET; selected artists notified late September 2026; final project information due October 2026; installation period 14 to 21 January 2027; DesignTO Festival exhibition 22 to 31 January 2027; de-installation 1 to 2 February 2027. HOW TO APPLY: submit a single PDF (artist information and biography, project description and executive summary, visual materials, detailed line-item budget, and current resume) via email or Dropbox link to info@yongestclair.ca with the subject line 'DesignTO Festival 2027 - Installation Name - Artist Name'. Free to apply.

  14. Stimuleringsfonds: Open Call Professionalisation and Practice Development 2026

    Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie (Creative Industries Fund NL) · Netherlands or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. Requires an independent design practice of at least four years. · Deadline: 17 Sep 2026 · Award: EUR 8,250 to EUR 28,250 per applicant. Total budget EUR 300,000, increased for 2026. No application fee.

    Open call from the Creative Industries Fund NL supporting designers in deepening and professionalising their own practice rather than delivering an external client project. It funds practice development across design, architecture, digital culture and the crossovers between them, and the Fund explicitly names digital storytellers and sound designers among eligible practitioners, which makes it one of the more accessible routes for a maker working between technology and art. ELIGIBILITY: designers with an independent practice of at least four years, established in the Netherlands or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. Temporary collectives may apply with one lead applicant. Grants run from EUR 8,250 to EUR 28,250. The window runs 19 August 2026, 15:00 CEST to 17 September 2026, 16:00 CEST.

  15. Stimuleringsfonds: Design Sector Internationalisation Grant Scheme 2026

    Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie (Creative Industries Fund NL) · Netherlands-based applicants; funded activity takes place mainly abroad. At least one international partner required. · Deadline: 22 Sep 2026 · Award: EUR 10,000 to EUR 50,000. Minimum 20 percent co-financing. Round budget EUR 300,000 (2026 total EUR 600,000). No application fee.

    This scheme funds international activity by the Dutch design, architecture and digital culture sectors, covering projects that take place mainly abroad and require at least one international partner. Open to professional makers, observers, design agencies and cultural institutions. Grants run EUR 10,000 to EUR 50,000 with at least 20 percent co-financing. The round runs 25 August 2026, 15:00 CEST to 22 September 2026, 16:00 CEST. From 2026 places are allocated by lottery draw rather than order of submission. Activities in countries under a code-red travel advisory or subject to sanctions are excluded. Applicants must be registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (KvK).

  16. Stimuleringsfonds: Festivals Creative Industries 2027

    Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie · Netherlands · Deadline: 23 Sep 2026 · Award: Maximum EUR 85,000 per festival; scheme ceiling EUR 1,350,000. Minimum 20 percent co-financing required. No application fee.

    Annual scheme funding festival organisations in the creative industries (design, architecture, digital culture, fashion, e-culture, etc.) presenting a 2027 edition. Application window opens 25 August 2026 at 15:00 CEST and closes 23 September 2026 at 16:00 CEST. Supports both content programming and the organisational/curatorial running of a festival; applicants must be organisations rather than individuals, but the scheme is the natural home for any artist-led collective or platform that runs a critical-AI / digital-culture / surveillance-focused festival event. Note the wider 2026 context: Stimuleringsfonds is restructuring its grant offering for 2027, and several individual schemes (Design, Digital Culture) have been reduced to two rounds in 2026. The Festivals scheme is a separate annual track and one of the cleaner ways to access SCI funding for an event-format project.

  17. Stimuleringsfonds: Open Call Platforms for Design-based Learning 2026

    Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie (Creative Industries Fund NL) · Netherlands including the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. Foundations (stichtingen) only. · Deadline: 23 Sep 2026 · Award: Maximum EUR 75,000 per application, from a total budget of EUR 720,000. No application fee.

    Joint open call from the Creative Industries Fund NL and the Cultural Participation Fund supporting platforms that develop design-based learning, covering product design, textile and fashion, spatial design and creative coding. Maximum EUR 75,000 per application from a EUR 720,000 pool, with regional quotas including the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. ELIGIBILITY IS NARROW: only foundations (stichtingen) may apply. Educational institutions and organisations already receiving four-year BIS funding are excluded, and individuals cannot apply. Deadline 23 September 2026, 16:00 CEST.

  18. AHRC: Design Generators Round Two (2026)

    Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), UK Research and Innovation · United Kingdom. Lead applicant must be employed by, or hold a formal written arrangement with, a UK research organisation eligible for AHRC funding. Project activities must take place in the UK. · Deadline: 29 Sep 2026 · Award: GBP 150,000 to 200,000 per project at 100 percent full economic cost; AHRC funds 80 percent and the host research organisation must cover the remaining 20 percent. Total fund GBP 1,000,000, approximately 5 awards. Covers research staff time, design prototyping, partner costs and public engagement activity. Subcontractors and PhD studentships are not fundable. No application fee.

    Design Generators round two funds design-led research projects combining design interventions with arts and humanities methodologies to contribute to the green transition. Eligible activity includes design research prototyping, circular business model exploration, strengthening third-sector resilience, skills development, policy and strategy work, and public engagement programmes, so exhibition-style and public-facing outputs are in scope where they sit inside a research project. Awards are GBP 150,000 to 200,000 at 100 percent full economic cost with AHRC paying 80 percent, meaning the host organisation carries a 20 percent institutional contribution. The lead must be a postdoctoral-standing researcher at an AHRC-eligible UK research organisation, and every project must pair that lead with at least one non-academic co-lead from business, the public sector, the third sector or a community organisation, which is the practical entry point for an arts organisation. Freelancers and independent consultants cannot lead. The opportunity opened 21 July 2026 and closes 29 September 2026 at 4:00pm UK time. Decision lag is roughly three months from the deadline. IMPORTANT: this round explicitly excludes international stakeholders and international activity, so non-UK partners cannot be involved.

  19. Stichting Cultuur Eindhoven: Project Subsidy (Projecten, 2027 round 1)

    Stichting Cultuur Eindhoven · Eindhoven. The applicant must be a legal entity based in Eindhoven and the activity must serve the Eindhoven cultural offering. City-restricted at the applicant level. · Deadline: 30 Sep 2026 · Award: Maximum EUR 35,000 per application and maximum 80 percent of eligible costs, so at least 20 percent co-financing is required. No application fee.

    The mid-size project strand of Stichting Cultuur Eindhoven, the arm's-length body that distributes the city's culture budget, and the main municipal route for an Eindhoven organisation to fund a festival, exhibition or public programme. Awards go up to EUR 35,000 and cover a maximum of 80 percent of eligible costs, so at least a fifth of the budget must come from elsewhere. Unlike the Snelgeld strand this route is closed to individuals: only private-law legal entities established in Eindhoven may apply. Rounds run three times a year in fixed windows; the next opens 1 September and closes at 17:00 on 30 September 2026, which is round 1 of the 2027 cycle. TIMING: the decision lag is long by municipal standards at up to 13 weeks after the submission window closes, so a September 2026 application is decided around the end of December 2026 and activity should be planned for 2027. Given Eindhoven's design and technology profile, media-art, design and creative-technology programming fits the remit particularly well. The parallel Snelgeld strand offers up to EUR 5,000 on rolling intake, reopening 1 September 2026 and running until 31 December 2026 or until the tranche budget is exhausted, whichever comes first.

  20. Architecture Kick Start Grant Scheme

    Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie (Creative Industries Fund NL) · Netherlands · Deadline: 07 Oct 2026 · Award: Maximum EUR 10,000 total project budget including co-financing. Round budget EUR 167,000. Maximum 35 applications per period, ordered by random draw. No application fee.

    Kick-start grant for architecture practitioners to develop early-stage projects. The grant period opens 6 May 2026 15:00 CEST and closes 13 May 2026 16:00 CEST. A maximum of 35 applications are considered per period; once the window closes all applications are ranked in random order via a draw system before processing begins. Round budget €167,000; maximum grant request €10,000.

  21. Design Trust Seed, Feature & Impact Grants (Hong Kong / Greater Bay Area)

    Design Trust · Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area. Open to applicants based in the region or seeking support for design projects related to it, including international applicants. · Deadline: 20 Oct 2026 · Award: Seed Grant: HKD 50,000. Feature Grant: capped at HKD 300,000, awarded annually upon special consideration. Impact Grant: case-by-case, for former grantees. Full or partial funding on a case-by-case basis. Free to apply.

    Design Trust offers grants to individual designers, curators, collectives, and non-profit organisations for projects and activities relevant to various design disciplines, supporting work relevant to the context and content of Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area (the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macao and the nine Guangdong municipalities of Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, and Zhaoqing). It supports innovative, thought-provoking investigations across design disciplines from graphics, media, and wearables to architecture and the built environment, including exhibitions, research projects, and creative installations that advocate the positive role of design in the region. THREE GRANTS: (1) SEED GRANT (HKD 50,000) fosters experimentation, testing, and sharing, awarded to individuals kick-starting a meaningful project with social, educational, economical, or environmental impact; supports emerging designers, young scholars, and projects in the pipeline needing additional resources, including research and prototypes focused on Hong Kong and Greater Bay Area issues to be showcased at international venues, symposia, or biennales. (2) FEATURE GRANT (capped at HKD 300,000, awarded annually upon special consideration) fosters cross-disciplinary projects on the Greater Bay Area with wide-reaching audiences, often sited at an exhibition or biennale of international standing, supporting exchange between a Hong Kong/China-based collective and an internationally renowned cultural institution. (3) IMPACT GRANT supports public-facing, community-based projects led by former Design Trust grant recipients, fellows, and mentees with a proven track record; considered case-by-case (contact grantapplication@designtrust.hk). ELIGIBILITY: individuals, collectives, and certified non-profit organisations either based in the Greater Bay Area or seeking support for design projects related to the region. Individuals or collectives who have completed two Feature Grants or three Seed Grants should apply for the Impact Grant instead. APPLICATION: two cycles annually, deadlines 20 April and 20 October (late submissions roll to the next cycle); apply at least 3 to 6 months before the project's commencement. Design Trust may provide full or partial funding on a case-by-case basis.

  22. International Vouchers

    Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie (Creative Industries Fund NL) · Netherlands (for international travel) · Deadline: 27 Oct 2026 · Award: Up to €1,500 within Europe (zone 1) / up to €2,500 outside Europe (zone 2)

    Travel voucher for Dutch-based professionals in design, architecture and/or digital culture who have been invited by a foreign party to give a presentation, lecture or workshop. To apply you must have submitted an application to the Fund in the past five years that was positively assessed (previous International Vouchers do not count). The inviting foreign party must cover a proportionate share of the costs. Covers hourly fees, travel and accommodation directly related to the activity. IMPORTANT TIMING RULE: applications are accepted from 5 months to a minimum of 7 weeks before the activity begins, and processing takes about 6 weeks. This lead time can rule out activities that fall shortly after a round opens. Round 2 (4 May to 22 June 2026) has closed. Round 3 runs 8 September 2026 15:00 CEST to 27 October 2026 16:00 CEST, with a budget of EUR 33,000; given the 7-week rule it effectively serves activities starting from late October 2026 onwards. IMPORTANT PREREQUISITE: you must already have had an application to the Fund positively assessed within the past five years, and a previous voucher does not satisfy this, so this is not a viable first approach to the Fund. The window runs 8 September 2026, 15:00 CEST to 27 October 2026, but closes early once 20 complete applications are received. Maximum one voucher per applicant per calendar year.

  23. Stichting Stokroos: Seed Grant 2026

    Stichting Stokroos · Kingdom of the Netherlands (including its Caribbean parts) or Suriname; must have lived and worked there at least one year. Applicants outside the Randstad, or plans taking place there, particularly encouraged. · Deadline: 31 Oct 2026 · Award: Fixed grant (no project budget required): EUR 5,000 for an individual, EUR 7,500 for a duo, EUR 10,000 for a collective. Paid in full within 2 weeks of award. No application fee.

    The Stichting Stokroos Seed Grant gives individual makers, duos and collectives time and space to focus on their artistic development, for example a focused working period for research and experiment, or the development of a prototype, new work or methodology. There are two application rounds in 2026: 15 May to 30 June 2026 (now full) and 1 September to 31 October 2026; Stokroos considers a maximum of 60 eligible applications per period (or closes once the budget is reached) and supports around 50 applications per year. Eligibility: active as a visual artist, designer and/or craft practitioner (overlap possible); living and working in the Kingdom of the Netherlands (including its Caribbean parts) or Suriname for at least one year; at least 21 years old; you completed your first subject-specific (vocational or higher) programme between 2018 and 2022, or started without formal training (first presentation marks the start of your practice); not currently enrolled in a study or post-academic programme. Duos and collectives may apply provided all participants meet the guidelines. The grant is a fixed amount with no budget required: EUR 5,000 (individual), EUR 7,500 (duo) or EUR 10,000 (collective). Plans can take place anywhere, start at least 10 weeks after submission and last a maximum of one year. You may apply for the Seed Grant once every two calendar years and receive it up to twice, and may submit only one application per year across all Stokroos grants. Apply via the online form (Dutch or English) with a portfolio PDF up to 20 pages/person, optional video up to 10 minutes total, CV up to 2 pages/person, and work/plan/collaboration descriptions up to 2,500 characters each. Stokroos aims to respond within 8 weeks; no appeal is possible. Next deadline: 31 October 2026.

  24. A4 Residency Art Center: International Residency Programme 2028 (Chengdu)

    A4 Residency Art Center (A4 Art Museum) · Chengdu, China · Deadline: 31 Dec 2026 · Award: Studio and accommodation provided; round-trip economy airfare or second-class train ticket within a set budget; production grant of RMB 10,000 per person/team for creative production and material costs (excluding living expenses). No application fee.

    Multidisciplinary international residency at the A4 Residency Art Center in Chengdu, China, a global exchange platform integrating creation, networking and resources, dedicated to fostering cross-cultural creative collisions and innovation through residency programmes while promoting deep integration of creative culture with commerce and communities. Residents initiate one to two participatory local activities to facilitate communication with the city and community; A4 also organises group activities, intimate sharing and exhibition opportunities to foster understanding among creators and connect them with local resources. AVAILABLE DATES: Spring 2028 (April - June) or Autumn 2028 (July - October). ELIGIBILITY: international applicants from any field; A4 welcomes applications from multidisciplinary artists (visual, performing, music, film, sound, architecture), curators, designers (product, fashion, spatial, interactive), and interdisciplinary creatives. PROGRAMME SUPPORT: studio and accommodation; round-trip economy airfare or 2nd-class train within a set budget; RMB 10,000 production grant per person/team (excluding living expenses). DEADLINE: 31 December 2026 (2028 cycles). APPLY via the A4 Residency Art Center latest-recruitment page.

  25. Playlab: Senior Visual Communication Designer (remote)

    Playlab (nonprofit) · Remote, full time. Salary quoted in USD; the posting does not state a geographic restriction. · Deadline: Rolling / undated · Award: USD 120,000 to 150,000 base salary. Full-time.

    Playlab is a nonprofit building public infrastructure for educational AI, equipping communities to create AI tools that reflect their own needs and values; more than 60,000 educators have published apps on the platform. Its premise is that AI is a new design material that should be shaped by many, and that educators should be designers of AI systems rather than end users of someone else's. THE ROLE: visual communication designers own the brand and the surfaces where people encounter and build with it, shaping how educators learn about AI and gain the confidence to tinker with it, and making sophisticated ideas legible without flattening them. Work spans brand expression, storytelling, data and information design, motion, interface and print, taken from concept through produced work and shipped as reusable systems. The job includes getting close to the people using Playlab and the contexts they work in, and helping collect and share their stories. WHAT THEY LOOK FOR: craft that is production-grade with a clear point of view and good judgement about when to ship fast versus slow down; narrative sense, meaning well-reasoned positions on how Playlab tells its story and the ability to turn complex systems into intuitive visuals that stay true to their depth; initiative on fuzzy problems, from defining the space to shipped work, thinking ahead to dependencies and second-order questions; technical fluency across print, web and motion, building with and on AI as a creative material and curating tooling and workflows; and taste, a distinct visual voice with the restraint to leave a rough edge when it serves the work. FIT: at least 5 years' experience with a strong graphic design foundation, a home base in visual communication (brand, editorial, campaign, web) and a track record in at least one other design discipline; able to lead design on owned projects while collaborating across the team; broad knowledge of creative tools and workflows including AI-leveraged ones; genuine interest in learning environments and the people in them; and strength as a producer comfortable owning the last mile to production. BONUS: education or edtech experience, designing creative tech, and a love of creative side quests. The posting explicitly encourages applications from people who do not meet every listed qualification. Culturally the organisation describes itself as sitting between a startup and an R&D lab, with nonprofit governance intended to keep incentives tied to teaching and learning rather than growth.

  26. Playlab: Senior Product Designer (remote)

    Playlab (nonprofit) · Remote, full time. Salary quoted in USD; the posting does not state a geographic restriction. · Deadline: Rolling / undated · Award: USD 120,000 to 150,000 base salary. Full-time.

    Playlab is a nonprofit building public infrastructure for educational AI, with more than 60,000 educators publishing apps on its platform. Designers there are responsible first for researching, prototyping and implementing interaction patterns that let educators be makers of technology rather than recipients of someone else's system, then for shaping how educators learn about AI and gain confidence to tinker with it, and finally for the storytelling that carries the work into the world. The two standing questions the role works on: how to expand and deepen what educators can create with AI, and how to lower the floor for who can create and how easily AI systems can be meaningfully deployed in real educational contexts. THE ROLE: as Senior Product Designer you own the design of Playlab's surfaces from prototype through shipped product. WHAT THEY LOOK FOR: craft that is production-grade with a clear point of view, and instincts for when to ship fast versus slow down; product sense grounded in staying close to the problems Playlab is solving, with the ability to hold unresolved questions and keep moving; initiative on fuzzy goals, defining the design space, gathering context and driving through prototyping to a shipped solution while bringing leadership along; technical fluency, building with and on AI, judging what is worth building, and curating custom tooling; and taste across visual, interaction and communication design. FIT: at least 5 years as a strong design generalist with a home base in product design and a track record in another design discipline; able to lead design on owned projects while collaborating across the team; broad knowledge of creative and AI-leveraged tools; interest in learning environments and the people who create them; and comfort getting technical with engineers, possibly pushing code. BONUS: education or edtech experience, designing creative tech, and a love of creative side quests. The posting explicitly encourages applications from people who do not meet every listed qualification. The organisation describes itself as sitting between a startup and an R&D lab, with nonprofit governance keeping incentives aligned to teaching and learning rather than growth.

  27. Secure AI Futures Lab: Scientific Communicator (India, hybrid)

    Secure AI Futures Lab (SAFL), a SteadRise project (formerly Impact Academy) · India, at SAFL's Secure AI Hubs. Hybrid, with a remote-first first month. · Deadline: Rolling / undated · Award: INR 80,000 to 200,000 per month, all-inclusive. Internship level: INR 50,000 to 100,000 per month. A senior version of the role is available for people with significant relevant experience. No application fee.

    A science communication and information-design role at SAFL, South Asia's first research and capacity-building lab for navigating powerful AI, whose foundational work is supported by Schmidt Sciences and the Future of Life Institute among others. THE ROLE: turn the lab's research into clear writing and visuals for funders, partners, policymakers and the public. You read technical and policy work on AI and explain it in plain language without losing the substance. NOTE THAT A LARGE PART OF THIS ROLE IS VISUAL: building slide decks and visual maps that show what the lab works on and how the parts fit together, used for fundraising and partner updates. You work closely with the research and leadership team. WHAT THEY WANT: ideally 2 to 5 years of relevant experience, though the posting says a strong body of work can stand in for years. You do not need to be a known voice in the field; you do need to write clearly, learn their research quickly and care about getting it right. WHAT YOU WOULD BE EXPLAINING: technical AI governance and policy (evaluation standards, incident reporting, logging and provenance, attribution, liability), AI security and alignment research including the security of India's digital public infrastructure, and the societal and economic impacts of AI on labour, growth and public finances in India and other developing economies. HONEST WARNING FROM THE POSTING: 'The work is demanding, and we mean that plainly.' You will often be the first person to put new research into words a non-expert can follow, priorities shift as the field shifts, and the work goes straight to funders, government partners and the public. Not a role with fixed scope or settled routine. DEADLINE: none published; rolling.

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