Fondo para la Creatividad Impulsado por los Jóvenes 2026-2027

The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation is launching the Youth‑Led Creativity Fund 2026‑2027, a grant programme designed to empower young people to create, lead and influence through the arts. Applications will open on 20 July 2026 and will be accepted on a rolling basis, with no fixed closing date. The fund will award 12–16 grants, totalling £2 million, to organisations based in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland that are led by, or for, young people under‑represented in the arts. Eligible applicants include those whose work is led by D/deaf, disabled or neuro‑divergent young people, people from communities experiencing racial inequity, economically disadvantaged youth, LGBT+ youth, migrants or care‑experienced young people, and those living outside major cities. The programme offers not only financial support but also a learning programme and mentorship, co‑designed with the Foundation’s Involving Young People Collective, to build capacity and sustainability. The call is open to organisations, not individuals, and requires an Expression of Interest (EOI) to be submitted via the Foundation’s online form.

Key details:
• Funding: 12–16 grants, £2 million total, no individual grant amount specified.
• Eligibility: Youth‑led or youth‑focused organisations in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, with under‑represented young people at the centre.
• Application: Expression of Interest required; no fee.
• Resources: Learning programme, mentorship, support from the Involving Young People Collective.
• Deadline: Rolling, applications open 20 July 2026.
• Currency: GBP.

Learning programme and mentorship co‑designed with the Involving Young People Collective; organisational capacity building.

Organisations based in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland; led by or for young people under‑represented in the arts (including D/deaf, disabled, neuro‑divergent, racial inequity, economically disadvantaged, LGBT+, migrant or care‑experienced youth); must be youth‑led or youth‑focused.