Grants

Small grants

Our small grants are awarded as ‘seed funding’ with the aim of enabling projects that might otherwise not be possible without our support. Awards vary according to project but will only exceptionally exceed £6,000 and will generally fall in a range of £1,500-£5,000. We therefore encourage applications that are seeking or have secured other sources of funding.

We welcome applications from any field, including the spheres of arts and culture, humanities and social issues, Japanese language, medicine and health, science, youth and education, and sport. Whatever the subject, projects should bring people in the UK and Japan together in ways that deepen mutual understanding, encourage the exchange of ideas or expertise, or develop lasting collaboration between our two nations.

Is my project suitable?

Applications are accepted for projects in all the fields listed above and you can learn more about the kind of projects we’ve recently supported from our annual reviews.

Our grant money can be used to support activities such as:

  • Festivals, workshops, performances and other events that present aspects of Japan to the UK or the UK to Japan in cultural, scientific, social, sporting and other spheres.
  • Exchanges between the two countries that enable participation and interaction, for instance of schools and sporting groups, artists, artisans, performers, scientists and researchers.
  • Collaborative projects involving UK and Japanese participants that result in new and innovative outputs for public, academic or professional presentation.
  • The teaching and development of Japanese language and cultural studies in schools, and higher education.
  • Academic research, visits and exchange, where these push forward the boundaries of knowledge and understanding or involve collaboration and co-production.

What makes a strong application?

We are particularly interested in projects that can show genuine collaboration between the UK and Japan, especially if these result in new outputs that have clear benefits for people beyond the project itself. You should also be able to demonstrate a realistic plan for delivering your project, with a clear budget and key dates and activities. In addition, we want to understand how support from the Foundation will make a meaningful difference to the project.

In writing your application, remember that our trustees come from a wide range of professional backgrounds. Your opening summary should therefore explain your project in clear, accessible language, while using the rest of the application to provide any specialist or technical detail needed to support your proposal.

How much can I apply for?

Most awards are considered on a case-by-case basis, and we don’t set a formal limit on the amount that can be applied for unless you are applying specifically for support for PhD research or travel costs.
For very small projects it is sometimes the case that our grant funds the whole project, but more normally our grant gives only partial support with applicants demonstrating they have secured, or have realistic plans to secure, additional funding elsewhere.

Funding for travel: UK office

If you are applying in the UK for a grant to cover travel and subsistence in Japan for any purpose including PhD research, we will award up to £2,000 to support travel, accommodation and subsistence per person for a trip of up to and including 13 days. We will award up to £2,500 per person to support a trip of 14 days or more. These limits are consistently applied to projects involving travel for up to two people. For three people or more trustees will often award a lower overall amount with the aim of remaining within the normal range of between £1,500-£5,000 per grant.

The UK office will also consider awards of up to £5,000 specifically for PhD fieldwork visits of six months or more.

Usual funding range

When considering an application for any type of activity it is worth bearing in mind a range of £1,500-£5,000. To justify an award of over £6,000 you will need to make an exceptional and compelling case.

Funding for travel: Japan office

The Japan office will consider awards of up to ¥300,000 for PhD students from Japan wishing to travel to the UK for fieldwork or research.

What we don’t fund

No grants are made:

  • for consumables, salaries, or purchase of materials, nor for capital projects such as the purchase, construction or maintenance of buildings.
  • for student fees, or travel in connection with study for a qualification (excluding PhD students).
  • to support undergraduate or master’s students.
  • for retrospective activity. Any project activity you apply for funding to support must take place after the Foundation’s decision date.

Who can apply?

Applicants must belong to, or provide evidence of support from, an organisation or institution that is willing to receive grant funds.

Applications are not accepted from individuals seeking support for personal projects, though the UK office may consider applications from individuals who can provide proof of organisational support. If successful, grant payments cannot be made to personal bank accounts.

We welcome applications from previous recipients for new projects.

How to apply

We accept applications for small grants to both our UK and Japan offices. Projects originating in the UK should be submitted through the UK office and those originating in Japan through the Japan office. Please submit your application to the office in the country where your organisation is based; the same project cannot be submitted to both offices. As there are different points to the process for each office, these are explained separately below.

Applying to the UK office

Our UK office holds three annual awards meetings, with application deadlines on:

  • 31 March for a decision in May
  • 15 September for a decision in November
  • 15 December for a decision in March

Download the application form for an application in the UK.

All applications to the UK office must be made using this form. Applications from PhD students must also include a letter of support from the PhD supervisor. Application forms and any other enquiries about projects submitted to the UK office must be sent by email to grants@gbsf.org.uk.

Applying to the Japan office

Our Japan office holds two annual awards meetings, with application deadlines on:

  • 28 February for a decision in April
  • 30 September for a decision in November

There is no set report format for applicants to the Japan office. To apply to the Japan office, please email tokyo@gbsf.org.uk for further details. Please do not use the application form linked above for UK applications.

Requirements of grant recipients

We ask four key things of successful applicants:

  • that you make a change request if anything substantial changes in your plans
  • that you acknowledge our support in your own channels (for example, on social media) and use our logo in any publicity material
  • that you actively contribute or collaborate on content for social media channels and/or our website and annual review to explain and publicise the project
  • that you submit a brief post-project report shared with the Foundation within three months of completion.

Download the UK post-project report form.

There is no prescribed final report form for applicants to the Japan Office.

Foundation logo and official channels

Download a zip file of our logos.

Our social channels are X, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Questions and contact information

If you have any questions about eligibility for the awards, or the application process, please consult our FAQS page.

If you cannot find the answer in our FAQS, please contact the relevant office.