Innovate Grant: $1,800 for Artists and Photographers

The Innovate Grant supports visual artists and photographers through small, quarterly grants. Each cycle, it awards $1,800 to one visual artist and $1,800 to one photographer, and names honourable mentions who are featured on its website. The application is deliberately simple, with no statements, proposals or letters of recommendation. The Fall 2026 cycle is open to applicants worldwide, with a $35 fee, and closes on 15 December 2026.

The organisers describe the grants as "small and mighty bursts of financial support" for new work.

What You Can Receive

• $1,800 to one visual artist
• $1,800 to one photographer
• 18 honourable mentions in the Fall 2026 cycle
• Feature profiles and interviews for winners on the Innovate Grant website

Who Can Apply for the Innovate Grant?

Visual artists and photographers aged 18 and over, from anywhere in the world. There are no limits on style or subject, and the grant is open to artists working in many media. You keep all rights to the work you submit.

How to Apply

The application asks only for your grant category, art or photography, and images of your work. Payment of the $35 fee is part of the online application. There is no need to write an artist statement or a project proposal: the organisers believe the work should speak for itself.

Fees

Each application costs $35. The fee is non-refundable and, the organisers say, helps cover administrative costs.

Is It Worth the Fee?

With two grants per cycle, the odds are long, and the fee adds up if you apply every quarter. On the other hand, the application takes little time, and honourable mentions get exposure on the website. Decide whether $1,800 and the visibility are worth $35 for you, and apply when you have a strong, coherent set of images rather than every cycle.

Tips for Applying

Because the decision rests entirely on your images, choose your strongest, most consistent work and photograph it well, with accurate colour and clean framing. Choose the category that fits best: photographers should apply in photography, and artists using photography as one medium among others may fit art better. Look at past recipients on the website to get a sense of the work the jury has chosen.

Past Recipients

Recent winners featured on the website include the artist Steve DeFrank and the photographer Robin Glass. Their profiles and interviews show the range of work the grant supports.

Building Your Submission

Think of your images as a small, curated portfolio. Show work from one series or a consistent body of work, and avoid mixing very different styles in one application. If you make three-dimensional work, include clear views from different angles. Check the image requirements on the application page before uploading, so that nothing is rejected for size or format.

Spreading Your Applications

Because the grant runs four times a year, there is no need to rush a weak application. If your work is changing, it can make sense to wait for a later cycle when you have a stronger, more resolved set of images. Keep track of the deadlines through the organisers' mailing list, and note that each new application needs a new fee.

Things to Consider

• $35 fee per application.
• Two grants per cycle.
• Images only; no statement needed.
• Deadline: 15 December 2026.

Apply for the Grant

Want a simple grant with no proposal to write?

Apply for the Innovate Grant

The application form is on the Innovate Grant website.

Looking for more open calls? Browse all competitions and opportunities on Good Stuff Weekly.

Last verified: November 4, 2026