Esmée Fairbairn Communities and Collections Fund to Continue and Reopen in Late September
/The Museums Association, which runs the Esmée Fairbairn Communities and Collections Fund, has recently announced that the fund has been renewed for the next three years.
The fund is open to all Museums Association institutional member museums and galleries in the UK and supports work by museums and community organisations to strengthen communities, using collections.
The key points of the 19 August announcement are:
There will continue to be two rounds of funding per year in 2027, 2028 and 2029.
The renewed criteria and guidance will be published and the fund will open for applications in the week commencing 28 September 2026.
The overall purpose of the Communities and Collections Fund will be consistent with 2025-26.
The Fund will still offer core grants and partnership project grants. Additional guidance will make it clearer what the funder is seeking in each type of grant application.
The application processes will remain the same and the grant thresholds have increased with inflation.
The fund supports inclusive and community-led collections work in museums, towards social and climate justice. A list of the June 2026 grant recipients and their projects can be found on the Museums Association website.
Applications are expected to reopen the week of 28 September 2026. For more information, please visit Esmée Fairbairn Communities and Collections Fund - Museums Association
