Become a supported institution
Outset Partners is Outset Contemporary Art Fund’s flagship annual fund for international public art institutions. It is managed from the UK.
The Fund enables institutions to pursue ambitious work that might otherwise remain unrealised. Each year Outset Partners awards one Transformative grant of up to £150,000, and up to five Impact grants of between £10,000 and £25,000 each.
There are no prescriptive criteria. Instead, institutions are given the freedom to propose what matters most: to take risks, test new ideas, pioneer new models of working, reach new audiences or reimagine their role within the cultural landscape.
Successful applicants benefit from continued engagement and dialogue throughout the realisation of the project. This ongoing relationship reflects the commitment to the institution and the project beyond funding.
The support is designed to create lasting value – strengthening institutions, enabling artists and ideas to flourish, engaging audiences and creating impact beyond the immediate project.
How it works IN DETAIL:
The Outset Partners fund operates on an annual cycle. Applications open in February, with funding decisions communicated in November for projects beginning from the following calendar year.
Each year, invitations to apply are sent to a growing network of 400+ trusted public art institutions around the world. Around 80 institutions typically apply in each Cycle, with three to six projects receiving support.
Applications are considered collectively by the Partners who assess and vote on funding for projects at every stage of the grant-making process. The process is informed by an independent Research Lead with deep expertise across the art sector.
Support continues after the grant is awarded. We work with awarded institutions as they develop and deliver their projects, building connections and creating opportunities for knowledge exchange.
If your institution would like to be considered for inclusion in the network of invited institutions, contact grants@outset.org.uk
FAQs
Any international public art institution that has been invited to apply. Outset offers an inclusive application process and will provide support as required.
Each year the Fund awards one Transformative grant of up to £150,000, and up to five Impact grants of between £10,000 and £25,000 each.
A full list of recipients can be found here.
Invited institutions receive an email in February of each year outlining the application process, with a link to a short application form (Expression of Interest). Only complete applications will be considered.
Applications open in February of each year for approximately one calendar month. A longlist of applicants is asked to provide additional detail (May). Shortlisted applicants are invited to a virtual interview (July). Funding decisions are communicated to the chosen recipients in November. A public announcement is made at the end of each year.
The judging panel is composed of individual Outset Partners who have an equal vote in the consensus-driven selection process. The deliberation process is supported by an independent Research Lead with deep art sector expertise.
To be eligible to apply, projects must be announced to the public at the end of each year, regardless of their realisation date. Institutions are encouraged to propose projects that will be realised a year (or more) following the application submission. There is no requirement for projects to be completed by a specific date.
The application and feedback process is managed by the Outset UK team: grants@outset.org.uk
