Crafting Futures India-UK collaboration scheme

We will award a total of three grants of up to £15,000 each. All three grants will be awarded to projects highlighting collaborations between India and the UK.  Your projects will need to be delivered in India between Jan 2022 and December 2022. The grant will be disbursed to the lead applicant based in India. We are looking for projects that explore a hybrid way of working between digital and face to face with a larger emphasis on digital engagements. Scope for travel and physical engagements should be considered within the COVID-19 protocol of the place of delivery.

*Indian applicants and their UK partner should ensure that they are eligible to receive the grant and have the required registration/approvals in compliance with with their respective country laws.  Indian applicants have to comply with applicable FCRA regulations to receive the grant, including but not limited to an FCRA registration/FCRA prior permission, bank account  as per FCRA requirement etc. As the grant will be awarded to the applicant which is compliant to the local laws, appropriate arrangement/agreement should be drawn amongst the application partners to ensure that the funds are disbursed to the other also in compliance of the applicable laws. 

We are looking for projects that specifically focus on recovery post the COVID-19 pandemic and which will develop and strengthen the craft sector in India and provide models of practice and collaboration which will sustain the craft sector globally while enhancing or creating new networks between the UK and India.

Proposals must:

• Be co-developed and delivered by one partner who is based in India and one who is based in the UK. Your application must show enough information evidencing how the project will be truly collaborative and mutual as well as indicating how craft communities in India will benefit from the project and that it is locally relevant. The geographical areas of project delivery must be within India only. The beneficiaries of the grant (Artisans, Craftspeople, etc) should be residing within India at the time of project delivery. 
• Explore hybrid models of working between online and face to face platforms taking into consideration movement and travel during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Outline what success would look like.
• Indicate the learning goals of each collaborator.
• Include project outputs.

We seek project outputs that can be shared broadly with a wide range of audiences. Examples of project types include but are not limited to:

• Virtual residencies, exhibitions, showcases, or conferences
• Online archives, E-commerce platforms
• Creative collaborations
• Online craft skills and education
• Mixed, augmented, and virtual reality projects
• Film, guide, learning kit, or toolkit 

1. The collaboration grant is open to craft collectives, organisations, institutions, NGOs, social enterprises or companies, or any recognised body with an interest in and knowledge of crafts. Examples of organisations that can apply:

• Private consortiums, partnerships, collectives, companies
• Associations/Cooperatives/Unions of artisans/Craft Council 
• Government bodies/Ministry  
• SMEs or independent organisations in the craft sector 
• Universities, educational institutes and technical or vocational schools with art or design specialisations 
• NGOs/Non-Profits/Charities
• Museums or other cultural heritage bodies  
• Media platforms (traditional and/or digital)  

2. The lead collaborator must be based in India. The lead collaborator will submit the application, will be contracted and responsible for leading communications and disseminating the grant to all collaborators.

3. The funding must be split between the collaborators to reflect the levels of engagement by both partners. [Suggested splits: (70/30), (60/40) with a higher percentage going towards project development on-ground in India].

4. It is crucial that applicants evidence mutuality, true collaboration, and a focus on the programme being delivered mutually across India with equal involvement and inputs by both partners rather than one of the collaborators being the lead expert.

5. Applications must be a partnership between at least one UK collaborator and one (or more) collaborator(s) based in India.

*Indian applicants and their UK partner should ensure that they are eligible to receive the grant and have the required registration/approvals in compliance with with their respective country laws.  Indian applicants have to comply with applicable FCRA regulations to receive the grant, including but not limited to an FCRA registration/FCRA prior permission, bank account  as per FCRA requirement etc. As the grant will be awarded to the applicant which is compliant to the local laws, appropriate arrangement/agreement should be drawn amongst the application partners to ensure that the funds are disbursed to the other also in compliance of the applicable laws.

Complete the following online application form which includes details on your proposal, approach, financial breakdown and proposed outputs; information about you and your collaborator and what you will both learn; and why you would benefit from being awarded the grant.

Application form

1. Applicants can refer to the FAQs and templates given in the 'Downloads' section below to work on their proposals.

2. Please note, the application form does not support saving the information prior to submission. It is advisable to use the 'Sample application form' given in the 'Downloads' section below to gather the information requested in the form.

3. Applicants can attend our briefing sessions on either of the following days to gain a better understanding and insight into what we are looking for:

• Tuesday 7th September at 3:00 pm (IST)
• Tuesday 5th October at 3:00 pm (IST)

Register for the briefing session