Location: United States; open to US-based emerging queer/LGBTQ+ designers.

Award: Two USD 10,000 grants (described as the largest cash grant for LGBTQ+ designers in the US). No application fee.

Duration: One-off grant; winners announced at Queer|Art's Annual Party, Fall 2026

Deadline: 14 Aug 2026

The Queer|Art Design Grant is a new initiative from Queer|Art supporting projects that explore queer histories, legacies, and futures while providing visibility and opportunity for emerging LGBTQ+ design talent. AWARDS: two USD 10,000 grants to emerging queer creatives across the design industry, described as the largest cash grant for LGBTQ+ designers in the country. ELIGIBILITY: US-based designers working across a variety of disciplines, including graphic design, architecture and landscape architecture, industrial and product design, fashion, textile and wearables, digital design, service design, furniture and home decor, materials research, interior design, and more. In its inaugural year the grant is judged by a panel of designers, curators, architects, and cultural leaders, including Bex McCharen, Salome Asega, Cristina Grajales, Jaffer Kolb, and Paul Soulellis. The program is the first major initiative under a new partnership between UGG and Queer|Art; Queer|Art board member and creative strategist Fran Tirado serves as Community Curator. Winners will be announced at Queer|Art's Annual Party in Fall 2026. DEADLINE: 14 August 2026. Apply via https://www.queer-art.org/design-grant.

Open call details

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Location: Turin, Italy; in-person residency.

Award: Designer's fee of EUR 1,500 (VAT included); travel and accommodation covered for both phases of the residency; a public transport pass; up to EUR 3,000 (VAT included) for project production; a dedicated 30 sqm workspace within Circolo del Design; plus networking, mentorship from interdisciplinary experts, and technical, logistical and organisational support. No application fee.

Duration: Residency 5 October to 3 December 2026

Deadline: Closed 03 Jul 2026

Earthrise 26 (Design for a Living Planet), the annual cultural initiative by Circolo del Design, will unfold around clay and earthenware, approached not as functional objects but as narrative, spatial and speculative matter. One of the projects featured in the exhibition will be developed through the Earthrise 26 Residency (5 October to 3 December 2026), a unique opportunity for an under-35 international designer to create and experiment within an interdisciplinary context. Under the mentorship of Designregio Kortrijk and BASE Milano among others, the selected resident will collaborate with local designers, artisans and interdisciplinary experts in Turin to produce an original body of work exhibited as part of the Earthrise 26 exhibition. ELIGIBILITY: under 35; a demonstrated international practice through research, collaborations, cultural exchange or mobility within Europe; well-structured project planning with clear goals; thematic relevance aligned with the objectives of Earthrise 2026; and an experimental and/or innovative approach. WHAT IS OFFERED: a designer's fee of EUR 1,500 (VAT included), travel and accommodation for both phases, a public transport pass, up to EUR 3,000 (VAT included) for project production, a dedicated 30 sqm workspace, and mentorship and technical/logistical/organisational support. Organised by Circolo del Design (circolodeldesign.it; contact programma@circolodeldesign.it). Deadline: 3 July 2026; results announced 20 July 2026.

Open call details

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Location: Brooklyn, New York, USA. Exhibition at Van Alen Institute, 28 September to 13 November 2026

Award: USD 3,000 honorarium, plus archival access, curatorial support, mentorship, free materials via Materials for the Arts, professional documentation, and inclusion in the public exhibition. Five projects selected. No application fee.

Duration: Hybrid project check-ins July to November 2026; exhibition 28 September to 13 November 2026

Deadline: Closed 28 Jun 2026

Open Access: Exploring 130 Years of American Design is a request for exhibition proposals that treats the Van Alen Institute archive (thousands of competition boards, jury records, photographs and correspondence) as living material to be questioned and reinterpreted through the lens of open and fair access. Van Alen invites emerging designers and creatives of all disciplines to engage the archive, either responding directly to specific materials (competition prompts, submitted drawings) or thematically. A wide range of media is welcomed, including architectural models, drawings, images, projections, video, photography and writing; direct engagement, interaction and multi-disciplinary collaboration are encouraged. Five projects will be selected and shown together at Van Alen Institute, 28 September to 13 November 2026. ELIGIBILITY: open to emerging creatives across disciplines (architects, artists, designers, filmmakers, photographers, researchers, writers and others); no formal architectural training required. Applicants must be at least 18; be legally authorized to work in the United States OR capable of receiving an artist honorarium (so non-US applicants able to receive an honorarium may apply, though the Brooklyn exhibition and hybrid check-ins make it US-practical); be available for hybrid check-ins July to November 2026; and commit to delivering exhibition-ready work on the project timeline. Collaborative proposals are permitted, though the honorarium may be shared among collaborators. Selected participants receive a USD 3,000 honorarium, archival access and curatorial support, mentorship from Van Alen staff and advisors, free materials through Materials for the Arts, and professional documentation. Supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York State Council on the Arts. Application deadline: 28 June 2026.

Open call details

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Location: United Kingdom

Award: Up to GBP 70,000 per grant (four grants available; award range GBP 60,000-70,000). Total fund GBP 300,000. No application fee.

Duration: Prototype development and second-stage design research

Deadline: Closed 12 Jun 2026

Four grants of up to GBP 70,000 from Future Observatory (the Design Museum's national design research programme) and the AHRC, awarded to UK architecture and design practices for prototype development and second-stage design research in more sustainable supply chains. Open to small-to-medium sized practices across all architecture and design disciplines, including fashion, product design, material research, systems thinking and interdisciplinary practices. Proposals should focus on sustainable supply chains, with particular interest in bioregional, biomaterial and regenerative approaches; relevant themes include retrofit, regenerative materials and systems, circular design, waste reduction and reuse, low-carbon housing, agricultural byproducts, and data-led tools and approaches. ELIGIBILITY: UK-based small-to-medium architecture and design practices. Opens 6 May 2026, 10:00am; closes 12 June 2026, 4:00pm.

Open call details

Want to see more grants? Visit The Grant Desk (https://www.artificialnouveau.com/smalltools/grants/).