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Deadline for first-stage applications Wednesday 19 February
Apply NowDo you want to develop an exhibition based on material relating to Jewish heritage and culture?
This funding provides support for institutions across Europe to create engaging, professional and innovative exhibitions relating to Jewish history and Jewish cultural heritage.
We welcome applications from a variety of organisations including museums, universities, public, private and institutional libraries and archives, heritage organisations and cultural institutions as well as not-for profits and other professional organisations.
Please note grants are not available for the acquisition of objects or to commission artworks.
This grant will help you create exhibitions based on Jewish objects and collections. We will fund up to 70% of the total project budget and applications requesting more than this amount will be rejected.
Funding will support new museums to develop their core exhibition or for existing museums to revamp their core exhibition. This may involve preliminary research and planning in conjunction with outside experts or consultants, curatorial costs, purchase of professional equipment, exhibition design and build etc. We do not fund building renovations, new buildings, operational costs or acquisition of objects.
The maximum level of funding that will be considered is for requests up to £75,000 per year for up to 3 years (maximum total of £225,000 over 3 years).
Support is available for a range of institutions that wish to create an exhibition of Jewish interest. This may involve preliminary research and planning, purchase of professional equipment, exhibition design and build and costs of loaning particular items from other institutions. We prefer to receive applications for temporary exhibitions that are not strictly panel-based and have the potential to travel.
The maximum level of funding that will be considered is £75,000.
Funding is available to European institutions to rent and adapt a temporary/travelling exhibition of Jewish interest from another European institution. The exhibition can be one which is currently on display or can be a previous exhibition. There is support to cover loan costs, insurance, transportation, translation, staff visits and design adaptations. We prefer exhibitions that are not strictly panel-based and that fit the specific context of the institution making the application. This grant excludes exhibitions from institutions located in Israel and North America.
The maximum level of funding that will be considered is £75,000.
Preliminary research and planning – this will help you create an exhibition concept and narrative, establish a list of potential objects and other materials to include, conduct preliminary curatorial and design research, and draft a budget and workplan.
Curatorial costs – research around the exhibition, with the help of assistants.
Ensuring the stability of materials – some items may need to be treated or repaired before they are able to be included in an exhibition.
Staff salaries – these projects must be undertaken by professionals with relevant skills and experience. If your organisation doesn’t have this capacity, you will need to hire professional staff to carry out the work.
Purchase of specialist equipment – specialist equipment may include vitrines, monitors, lighting, and other hardware.
Exhibition design and build – costs for designing and building the exhibition which may involve an outside contractor.
Loan costs – the grant can cover the cost of borrowing items from other institutions (shipping and insurance) and/or the rental fee from the institution that originally curated the exhibition.
Translation – translation (labels, catalogue) and other costs to adapt an existing exhibition into a new location.
Printed publication – about the collection or exhibition e.g. catalogue.
Creating digital resources – curated exhibitions that complement an exhibition or exist only online, apps and other digital projects.
Public engagement – support for public programmes that promote the exhibition and engage diverse audiences. We are especially interested in activities aimed at young people and local communities. Support may include speakers’ fees, guest performance fees and travel expenses. This must be proportionate to the total project budget and does not cover catering costs.
We welcome applications from any organisation based in Europe, EU and non-EU states alike, except for Ukraine, Russia and Belarus.
The organisation’s activities must be deemed charitable under UK charity law, and we will require proof of its charitable status. This includes organisations which are either not-for-profit or publicly funded e.g., state or private libraries, archives, museums, research institutes, universities, cultural centres or non-profit organisations. For more information, please consult the UK’s Charity Commission website and its list of Charitable Purposes.
If you are in the process of obtaining charitable status, please be aware that no payments will be made to your organisation until you have achieved this status. Additionally, if your organisation is awarded a grant but fails to secure charitable status within 3 months of having been notified of the award, the grant will be cancelled.
At least 30% of the cost of the project will need to come from other funding sources and we favour proposals that include co-funding from other organisations as well as clear evidence of financial commitments from your own institution (e.g. institutional reserves, money raised from ticket sales etc.)
A maximum of 15% of the total project budget can be attributed to In-kind contributions and allocated costs. Please ensure you identify these on your Project Budget Form under Project Income and use the Budget Explanation section to provide further details eg. breakdown of salaries, volunteer time etc.
In-kind contributions include any materials, goods, services or facilities that you would otherwise have to pay for but that are being provided free of charge or at a reduced rate. This may include:
Allocated costs include expenditure which must be paid for at some point by your organisation and do not qualify as in-kind contributions. This may include:
We support applications for project-related costs so please ensure your project budget fits our criteria.
We support a wide variety of projects at different stages of development, including stand-alone initiatives and new aspects of an existing project. However, we do not fund retroactively. This means we will not consider a request for funding for an activity that has already happened or is scheduled to happen while the application for funding is being considered.
We do not fund the following:
If you are looking for funding for Holocaust museums and memorials or Jewish community libraries please refer to our guidance.
This is a two-stage application process.
If you are successful at the first-stage, you should expect notification via email approximately 3 weeks after the submission deadline inviting you to submit a second-stage application. An invitation to submit a second stage application form does not guarantee funding. If you are unsuccessful, you will also be notified via email around the same time.
For Spring grant rounds, you will receive a final decision in late July. For Autumn grant rounds you will receive a final decision in early January.
If your application is approved, you will receive an official Grant Offer Letter together with an Award Agreement which you will need to e-sign and return with the necessary supporting documentation. See Manage my grant for information about grant requirements.
First stage: Not all supporting documentation is required at the first stage so please check below and on the application form. Don’t upload any additional documentation at this stage as it will not be considered.
Second stage: If you are invited to submit a second-stage application you will be required to submit additional documentation with your application. If the required documentation is not included, your application cannot be considered.
If your application is approved, you will need to submit further supporting documentation once you receive your Grant Letter and Agreement.
Translations: For documents not originally written in English please include an English translation. This does not need to be an official or full translation, but it must be clear and accurate. Documents in a language other than English that are not accompanied by an English translation will not be processed.
Financial summaries: If financial documents are very long, please provide a translation summarising the main income and expenditure included in your financial statements and organisational budget. This document should be no longer than 10 pages.
Please upload your translated/summarised document against the same upload title you use for the original document. This means you may have two documents saved under each upload title.
The strength of your application will be assessed based on the answers to the following questions:
Does your project add to the understanding, documentation, preservation, and / or dissemination of Jewish heritage?
Is your organisation and its staff able to deliver the project?
Is the planning of your project thorough, including sound objectives and evaluation measures?
Does your proposed methodology adhere to internationally recognised standards?
Does the project budget reflect the scope of your project and the local context?
Is the impact of the project measurable and achievable?
You can find answers to the most frequently asked questions here.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you require any further information or advice as you prepare your application.
For queries relating to this grant category please contact: Dr Brigitte Sion. For any technical support please contact info@rothschildfoundation.eu.
Please add the following emails to your contacts/safe senders list to ensure you receive all our communications regarding your application and grant notification: noreply@yourcause.com; adobesign@adobesign.com; message@adobe.com.
Download a copy of the Application Guidance for this grant category
Download the budget form and upload it with your application
View a copy of the Exhibition Support application form
View a copy of the budget form to help you plan
We provide professional development opportunities for people working in Jewish heritage institutions and community organisations, through workshops, seminars and other events.
We plan and implement projects to create, curate and promote freely accessible online resources on Jewish heritage.