V&a Foundation

The V&A Foundation, closely tied to the Victoria and Albert Museum—established in 1852 as the world's leading institution for art, design, and performance—champions creativity's power to enrich lives, foster inclusion, and drive societal benefit through public education, research, scholarship, and access to excellence. Rooted in ideals of widening participation, its values emphasize stewardship of cultural heritage, innovation, community engagement, and diversity, evolving from a Museum of Manufactures to a global family of sites like V&A East, Young V&A, and V&A Dundee, partnering with schools, universities, charities, and cultural bodies for long-term impact.

It funds targeted initiatives advancing understanding, preservation, and enjoyment of art, design, architecture, fashion, theatre, performance, craft, and emerging fields like digital innovation. Supported activities include exhibitions, public programmes, research, collecting, skills development, educational outreach, and creative industries projects benefiting artists, designers, students, communities, and the public—prioritizing public benefit, talent nurturing, cultural participation, and design for social good via prizes (e.g., Parasol Foundation), fellowships (e.g., Design Trust), bursaries (e.g., MA History of Design), research grants, and acquisition funds.

Eligible applicants are UK-registered charities and academic institutions (with some calls open to individuals or global entities, though acquisition grants limit to accredited UK public museums); no geographic or income restrictions apply broadly, but specifics vary by programme. Grants range from £500–£50,000 for acquisitions (up to 50% of costs), £17,000 bursaries, to ~£27,500 fellowships—ring-fenced for projects, not core costs. No unsolicited applications; funding occurs via time-bound open calls (e.g., Parasol Prize: Nov 2024–Jan 2025) or rolling schemes—monitor website for deadlines and tailored processes like online forms or emails. Distinctively, it rejects general support, focusing on excellence-driven, collaborative museum practice to inspire creativity worldwide.