International

Collaboration
Grants
Application
Toolkit
2024-2025

www.britishcouncil.org
Support
hints & tips
Contents
1 Introduction
2 What are the International
Collaboration Grants (ICG)
3 Eligibility
4 Key Themes & Terms
5 Writing a project budget
6 Safeguarding & Working with people at risk
7 Assessment
8 Model application answers
9 Submitting your application
10 Access & support for writing your application
11 Key tips & learnings from 2021-2023 applications

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Get
started
1 Introduction
This toolkit has been designed to provide applicants to the
British Council’s International Collaboration Grants programme
2024-2025 with additional material to support their applications.
It includes some useful descriptions of terms and some handy
hints and tips, and don’t forget to look at the full list of FAQs.

www.britishcouncil.org/arts/international-collaboration-grants-faqs

2 What are the International

Collaboration Grants (ICG)
We are delighted to launch the second round of the International
Collaboration Grants (ICG). This £1million programme of grants aims
to support UK arts and culture organisations to connect with their
international peers, and to make and develop creative artwork to
encourage new international collaborations and innovative ways
of working.
Grants of £25-75k are now available to UK and international organisations and
you can fnd a list of eligible countries below. We are looking for applications that
demonstrate genuine international collaboration and clear benefts to individual
artists and international collaborators to create new arts projects.
3 Eligibility
Before making your application, please ensure you have read the
full list of FAQs www.britishcouncil.org/arts/international-collaboration
-grants-faqs and that you can answer ‘yes’ to the following eligibility questions:
Is the collaboration between a UK (England, Northern Ireland,
Scotland or Wales) organisation and an organisation from an
eligible country/territory? *(see link below)
Is the size of the grant you have requested within the threshold
of £25,00 – £75,000? The total project budget may include
funding from other sources

Is this an arts project? **(see list below)

Eligible Countries
To see a full list of eligible countries, please visit:
www.britishcouncil.org/arts/international-collaboration-grants

Why isn’t my country

or territory eligible?
For the International Collaboration Grants, we are focused on certain
countries where we have the capacity to fully support this project.
We hope to be able to offer the programme, or similar work, in other
countries in the near future and we recommend you keep an eye on
our Arts Opportunities page for other opportunities that may come up.

** Proposed projects must be projects for the arts, cultural

or creative sector(s) within any of the following art forms:
Film
Creative technology (incl games, immersive, mixed, augmented and virtual reality)
Literature
Visual Arts
Theatre and dance (including circus)
Architecture, design and fashion (including craft)
Music

We also welcome proposals for:

Cross-art form projects
Projects with themes relevant to the creative economy
Cross-disciplinary art projects (e.g., art and science, art and technology)
The scope of a project might be simply to collaborate on a piece of art,
a flm, piece of writing or music, or could include any of the following:
Residencies

Exhibitions, festivals, showcases, performances, screening programmes

Projects which focus on or include digital innovation (such as projects
which combine art with technology in a new or different way)
Conferences, panels and talks
Creative use of archives
Research and development of future project ideas

Although this is not a fund focusing on professional development, the outcome doesn’t
strictly need to be a completed artistic outcome. The development of skills can be part
of a project with the primary outcomes being the support of creative and artistic work.
The delivery of projects can be digital, face-to-face or a hybrid blend of both.
4 Key Themes & Terms
To support you in your application this section provides further
information on the key terms and themes within the application form.

What do we mean by ‘collaborator’?

The ICG application form asks you to fll in details for the UK
and the International ‘collaborators’ who will be designing
and delivering your project.
By ‘collaborator’ we mean the UK and international organisations who are
applying together to deliver and manage your project. They will be the two
main collaborators who are contracted, and the organisations to whom
the grant payments will be made. Remember - to be eligible to apply, you
need to have a UK collaborator and at least one international collaborator
from the list of eligible countries working together to develop, design and
implement the project. One collaborator must be UK based.

What do we mean by
‘International Collaboration’?
Applications must show a genuine commitment to international
collaboration. You should be able to demonstrate how all collaborators
will share knowledge, resources and experience to reach a communal
and mutually benefcial goal. Take time to explore how you will work
together across differing cultural and professional contexts.

A further note on collaboration

Collaboration should be at the heart of every ICG
application. Before you apply, here’s a checklist
of things you should consider.
Have you developed your project idea in discussion with your collaborators?
Have you consulted your collaborators about the application?
Have they read it through, and do they consent to everything proposed?
How will you work with your collaborators to administer the project?
Who’s writing the application? How will you share the task of writing reports for
the British Council on your impact and progress, if you’re successfully funded?
Will you take time to get to know all the team members who will be working on
the project within your collaborating organisation(s)? Do you know who will be
responsible for what? Make sure you give all staff time to understand how things
work in the organisations involved
How will you administer fnances and budget tracking?
It’s also important to acknowledge there are cultural differences
that can affect how collaboration works. Have you discussed
the following with your collaborator(s)?
Differing professional cultures and their impact on time-management,
administration and communication. We all have different preferred approaches
to communication. Discussing this together can really help build a strong and
effective collaboration!
Differing approaches to administration
Is there anything that can be put in place to support with any language barriers,
such as translation and/or interpreters?
Are there any access needs which could support how you work together?
There is more information on this in section 10
What are your preferred modes of communication – emails, calls, direct
messages? It’s important to be clear about this to manage expectations and work
harmoniously together! If you foresee problems with communicating digitally due
to poor Wi-Fi connections, have you factored the cost of Wi-Fi boosters into your
budget, for example?
National and/or religious holidays that may impact scheduling and delivery
How will you approach making decisions together?

When working in collaboration to deliver a project,

as well as building lasting relationships, there are
some key points and principles to remember.

KEY TERMS

Respect
Approach each other as equals from the beginning of the working relationship.
Seek active input to frame activity planning. Work together and support each
other to overcome challenges and celebrate successes

Trust
Take time to build purposeful, lasting relationships

Integrated
Create integrated programming opportunities and ensure the work serves
the communities connected to each collaborator

Invest
Allocate adequate resources to build and sustain successful partnership working

Innovation
Demonstrate new forms of content, new methods of delivery, new design
processes, or new approaches to your audience. Work in a new country
or with a new collaborator
5 Writing a project budget
What is a project budget?
A project budget is the total anticipated costs needed to complete a
project. It is not a static document and might change as your project
progresses. That said, a project budget helps you keep on track and
be realistic with your project scale and spending.

Why do you need a

project budget?
Creating a well-researched project budget for your ICG project will
enable you to clearly anticipate the needs of your proposed project and
manage expectations of what is achievable with the time and resources
you have available.
It will also enable you to identify risks and prepare for changes
as they arise. A strong project budget will help you to:
Communicate with stakeholders about when, and how much, money is needed
Control and limit project costs
Measure performance and unforeseen changes

Predict and manage expenditure /cash fow; how much and when you are spending
Generate value for money statements. Comparing your spending with your
project impact will help you communicate the effectiveness of your work
Effectively manage future projects with a replicable template
How to create a
budget for a project?
The frst step is mapping out the headings shown in the table below.
You may want to use Excel for your budget as its formulas and other
features which can be helpful. Here are some examples of heading
types you might consider when creating your project budget:

Heading types Description

SN Serial Number, helps provide numerical reference

to each cost heading

Particulars Describes the cost in a few words, often we group costs

that are related, for example: Venue for workshop can
cover all costs associated with using the space

Units How many units are required?

This is paired with Unit Type and Unit Cost

Unit Type Here we categorise the units by defnition (e.g. person, day, hours,
pieces, grams) anything to specify the unit of measurement being
used. At times, some costs are diffcult to detail in units in such
cases we use “lump-sum” as a unit type and use 1 unit lump-sum,
which communicates a pre-determined amount that is not
dependent on the unit

Unit Cost The cost of individual units, which can then be multiplied by
the number of units required to create a total cost for this
budget line

Total Cost This is the fnal column where we multiple the number in the
Units column with the Unit Cost column to generate a total cost

Notes You can always add a notes column to further describe

the cost if necessary
An example of a budget table for an
international, collaborative arts project
Below is an imagined, example budget for a project connecting fve
UK-based visual artists with fve visual artists, based Nigeria. For this
example, the project involves the fve UK artists fying to Lagos and
staying for four days and three nights to attend a collaborative workshop.
The workshop will be led by a local facilitator across the four days and will involve public
engagement on the fnal day. Two of the artists’ work focuses on a community with
protected characteristics. Two of the British artists are Deaf and require a British Sign
Language (BSL) interpreter with them. A ‘Zine about the project will be created ahead of
the public showing, including some works by the artists.

The total estimated cost of the project is: £79,995 with an additional
£8,000 (10%) allocated for contingency funds, totalling £88,000.
The table below shows the projected expenditure to best deliver the project.

SN Particulars Units Unit type Unit Cost Total Notes

1 Oil paint 10 Piece £100 £1,000 50ml paint tubes

2 Canvas 20 Piece £50 £1,000 x20 60cmx60cm

canvases sourced
in Lagos
3 Volunteers 8 People £150 £1,200 x4 volunteers
over x4 days
4 Publication 100 Piece £100 £10,000 Print cost of 500 zines

5 Artist Fees 60 Days £350 £21,000 x10 artists working for

4 days each, + 2 travel
days each
6 Facilitator Fee 4 Days £250 £1,000 Experienced facilitator
for 4 days
7 Training 1 Day(s) £400 £400 Safeguarding training
for facilitator
8 WIFI booster 4 Days £150 £600 x4 Days of WIFI
booster for venue
9 Venue Charge 4 Days £4,000 £16,000 In-kind (see section on
in-kind costs below)
10 Refreshments / 4 Lump sum £350 £1,400 Coffee and biscuits for
catering per day x16 people attending
workshop (10 artists,
1 facilitator,
3 members of staff,
2 BSL interpreters)
11 Access Costs 12 Days £350 £4,200 x2 British Sign
Language interpreters
for 4 days’ workshop
+ 2 travel days
SN Particulars Units Unit type Unit Cost Total Notes
12 Translation 5 Hours £150 £650 Translator costs for
workshop materials
13 Visa Costs 10 Lump sum £150 £1,500 x10 VISA fees for
participating artists
14 Flights 10 Tickets £800 £8,000 Return fights (UK-
Lagos) with baggage
for 5 UK artists, 2
BSL interpreters and
3 members of UK
collaborator staff
15 Trains 5 Tickets £35 £175 Return trains to Lagos
for x5 Nigerian artists
16 Taxis/transfers 1 Lump sum £TBC £250 Estimated allocation
for taxis and transfer
fees during workshop
17 Bank transfer 6 Bank fees £30 £180 Bank transfer for x5
fees Lagos artist fees and
x1 facilitator
18 Accommodation 48 Nights £150 £7,200 Hotel rooms for
x5 UK artists, x5
Nigerian artists, x2
BSL interpreters, x3
members of staff, x1
facilitator in Lagos
(price inc. VAT and
city tax) for x3 nights
19 Shipping 5 Piece £80 £400 Shipping costs of
x5 Canvases to UK
from Lagos
20 Artist Per Diems 64 Person £35 £2,240 Daily per-diems for
x10 artists, x2 BSL
interpreters, x3
members of staff, x1
facilitator across 4
days in Lagos (covering
3 meals a day)
21 Promotion 4 Paid posts £150 £600 Social media posts to
publicise workshop
and public activity
22 Videographer/ 5 Days £200 £1,000 Videographer/
editor editor to document 4
day workshop and edit
5-minute flm
23 Contingency 1 Lump sum 10% total £8,000 10% of total £80,000
budget (see section
on contingency costs
below)
What if I don’t know my costs yet?
Sometimes, we don’t know how much certain elements of the budget
will cost when we write our budgets. However, it’s still important that
we estimate and anticipate these costs and ensure there is contingency
planning in place for unforeseen expenses. This is particularly
important for international projects where global-socio-economic
changes, and natural disasters, can have a big impact on budgets.
If you don’t know what your costs will be on writing your budget,
try the following steps:

Use historical/market data you can always ask vendors for rates
and ask experienced people around you
Round out fgures to the nearest 00s for budget lines where prices
can fuctuate, for example air tickets for international travel
Contingency can be one of the headings. Most projects keep
around 5-10% of the total budget to cover any contingency costs
Keep overhead costs to a minimum – up to 25% of the budget can
be allocated for organisational overheads. You can see a list of eligible
overhead costs in our FAQs: www.britishcouncil.org/arts/
international-collaboration-grants-faqs

Please note that allocations for staffng posts to deliver the project
should be included as a separate line and should not be included in
your overheads for the ICG budget.
What are some other common cost
headings in an arts project budget?
To help you plan your budget, below are some common cost
headings that you will want to consider together with advice
for international projects.

Heading Description Unit Type

Venue Space for conducting activities Days, hours, month etc.

Training costs For example the cost of training exist- Hourly rate for
ing or project staff in safeguarding if professional training
the project is working with participants
at risk
Materials Newly produced materials e.g., maga- Cost per page/unit
zine or information brochures – usually for printing
involves a design and printing fee Cost per hour/day
This could also refer to art materials to for designer
be used within the project e.g. paint Cost per unit of material
Professional fees Fees for contracted artists, facilitators, Usually day rate
designers, specialists etc., relating to or lump sum
the project
Management/Coordination Cost of managing/coordinating project Usually a percentage
(e.g. new staff positions to deliver the of the budget, between
project or additional hours for existing 10 - 20%. Could be
staff to deliver the project) overheads (existing staff)
or project-based hires
Accommodation E.g. Hotel rooms Cost per night (check VAT
and city tax) - often an
estimate
Travel & transportation Train/rail/fuel for participants, Either Per Diem cost,
or shipping costs for materials/items or total cost per trip
per person – often
an estimate
Visibility Material Production of public facing assets for Includes many different
project promotion types of cost so this is
usually a lumpsum
Social Media Promotion Cost of promoting work or project on Usually a lump sum
social platforms
Subsistence/per diems Daily allowance for food and drink when Cost per person per day
travelling to a different country (usually 2-3 meals a day)
Documentation Photography/videography Can be days, if scope not
known use Lump sum
Translation and access Translator or sign-language Cost per day for
translators or sign
language providers
Heading Description Unit Type
Bank charges Bank charges for making international Usually a single fee per
transfers to pay artists or collaborators transaction, and variable
on banking provider and
location
Access Costs For example: costs relating to making Can be a day rate
the project accessible to d/Deaf, hard for sign-language
of hearing, or blind audiences (e.g., interpreters or an
relevant sign language interpreters), accessibility expert.
or costs associated with making venues Or it could be costs
more accessible, or providing transport associated with
for disabled participants/collaborators. material items/
It may also be costs for a support alterations to make
worker to support a collaborator a building more
or participant who requires this. accessible for your
project or ensuring
transport which is
suitable for disabled
participants
Evaluation Cost for evaluating the impact Usually, a day rate for
and success of your project an external evaluation
consultant
Overheads Equipment or overheads costs Up to 25% of the budget
for your organisation, such as new can be allocated for
online subscriptions, computers organisational overheads).
or additional rent Please note that
allocations for staffng
posts to deliver the
project should be
included as a separate
line outside of the
overheads.
Safeguarding It is important to think about This could be a lump sum
safeguarding at the beginning of fee of a daily rate
your planning. Costs could include a
specialist consultants for guidance
and support if you are working with
vulnerable adults or groups, in the
planning or delivery of your project
Wellbeing support Where projects address more Usually day rate
challenging subjects you may want or lump sum
to include costs for a specialist to
support the team or participants’
Contingency A sum of money to cover unexpected Usually 10% of the
costs associated with the effective total project cost
delivery of the project ICG has a limit of
15% contingency
(see contingency
section below)
Income
Your project may also beneft from additional income
such as funding from other sources, ticket sales or in-kind
support. This should also be refected in your budget.

What is in-kind support?

In-kind means non-fnancial support provided to a project.
It demonstrates the credibility and viability of a project, via the
committed investment of existing collaborators and supporters
In-kind support can be put into a separate column/row or in the notes section
If there are multiple lines of in-kind support, it might be a good idea to total it
at the end, so that your prospective funder understands your ask more clearly
Co-production is different than in-kind support but equally important to refect
in your budget
You might be working with multiple funders. It is a good idea to mention
the contributions of each funder in your budget
Budgets table can easily be adapted with more columns e.g., ‘Source of Funds’

How do I manage and update

my budget during the project?
Update costs as they are spent
Record actuals in a new column to see if your planning has been effective,
this also helps track any variance
Develop an expenditure plan by combining your activities timeline
with your budget

Special considerations for an ICG

budget: International Collaboration
Ensure you are paying artists fairly and equally across all the countries
involved. It may be that the average pay for an artist working on a project
is lower in some countries but it is important to ensure any artists working
on your project are paid equally, wherever they are based in the world
Think about per diems if your project includes travel to different
countries. If you’re asking artists/participants to travel abroad, have
you ensured that their per diems are enough to ensure that they can
participate according to the cost of living in each country they are asked
to travel to? Together with your collaborators, discuss what is reasonable
in the contexts in which you are working
Your budget needs to refect how the project funding will be split,
managed and spent across the organisations involved in the project
in an equitable way
For an ICG project, you should ensure that your project budget directly addresses
the costs associated with international collaboration. Have you considered the
following?

1 Translation costs – if you are working across nations with different languages, have you
factored in the cost to ensure that all participants and audiences can fully understand
and engage with the work?
2 Flight / Travel / Visa costs – have you factored in the cost of artist/participant travel,
and the possible impacts on costs to travel?
3 International Bank transfer fees – you may need to transfer funds between collaborators.
This can cost more than expected and so make sure to discuss this with your collaborator
and check with your bank to include this in your budget. International transfers can also
take longer than expected to factor this into your timeline.
4 The cost of safeguarding vulnerable participants, artists and audience members if you
are working with people at risk or in contested spaces with limited freedom of expression

Access costs
Have you factored access costs into your budget? Are you working
with participants who might require support workers? If so, is this
covered in the travel line of your budget? Will you require translators
or materials that are translated into multiple languages or dialects?
And will you need sign-language interpretation or captioning?

Accessibility in venues
We also acknowledge that in some places, accessibility is more
diffcult to measure and attain. You can share details of this from
your country context(s) within your application/budget if you feel
it is relevant to your proposed project.
Be sure to include any costs relating to access in your budget,
and research them thoroughly.

International travel risk factors

Have you got contingency plans in your timeline and budget in place if,
for example, there is a natural disaster or political situation that prevents
or delays travel?
VISA applications – have you considered the time management cost for
VISA applications, and a contingency plan should any VISA applications
be denied? This could impact your project and your timeline so it is good
to factor this in at the start
What is a contingency budget
and what should it cover?
A contingency budget is a percentage of your overall budget.
We suggest between 10-15% for ICG projects, which exists as
a safety-net to cover unforeseen project costs. Particularly
when you are working internationally, you should ensure that
a contingency budget could consider the following:
Unforeseen and additional costs associated with protecting artists
and/or participants at risk
Unforeseen and additional costs associated with VISA application costs
Unforeseen and additional costs associated with natural disaster or confict
Unforeseen and additional costs associated with changes in country Infation
Unforeseen and additional costs associated with rising
travel/shipping costs

Discuss the above together as collaborators as it’s important your budget is rigorously
planned so that you can cover all your projected costs with the amount you are
requesting and any additional income you have secured.
6 Safeguarding & working with
people at risk and in areas where
freedom of expression is limited
6.1 Safeguarding
The British Council is committed to safeguarding children
and adults and to upholding their rights through our
safeguarding policy and procedures and in accordance with
relevant legislation, international articles and conventions
and established best practises.
As part of that commitment we require that all staff, and those we work with,
including partners and suppliers, operate within our Safeguarding Policy which
articulates our approach to protecting children and adults from abuse and
harm and promoting their wellbeing.
It is important to think about safeguarding for both adults and children in your
project. By children, we mean any person under the age of 18. Adults are
aged 18 + and they may be an adult who is at risk, by which we mean someone
who is unable to protect themselves against signifcant harm or exploitation
due to a change in their circumstances including a change in mental or
physical health, learning or physical impairments, and/or impacted by disasters
or conficts. However it is good to think about all adults as anyone who can
potentially become at risk and unable to protect themselves from abuse and
harm for any number of reasons.
The British Council Arts programmes work primarily with people over the
age of 18. Through our programmes, we also work with organisations
whose primary audience are young people under the age of 18. Within the
International Collaboration grants, while there is not a restriction on under
18s being involved in projects, the main aim and intent of the fund is to
support professional artists and their If your project does include audiences or
participants who are under 18, we ask you to share details and relevant checks
(i.e. DBS www.gov.uk/government/organisations/disclosure-and-barring-
service/about ) and please declare this in the application form.
Within the British Council we have robust systems and procedures in place
to both prevent incidents (covering, for example, the safer recruitment of
appropriate staff, training and support given so that staff can work safely,
and standards regarding the way in which we carry out activities) together
with responsive actions necessary to address situations where we receive
reports that a child or an adult may have been harmed.
As part of the International Collaboration Grants successful applicants will
have a safeguarding webinar briefng shortly after signing the contracts. This
briefngs will run through safeguarding, what you can put in place as well
as resources and guidance and how we can help you in the delivery of your
project in this, so you have the tools in place to help you. We will also provide
you with a safeguarding resource pack which contains examples of our best
practises and links to external sources of safeguarding support that can
be accessed for information and advice and help with developing a robust
safeguarding policy and framework.

For applicants to the ICG grants it is important to think through safeguarding

from the beginning and planning of your projects. It can infuence the way you
plan and design your project as well as, your budgets, and identifying any
risks and steps you will take to address these risks, and you may want to
reference these within your application in these sections. These may change
and develop as you refne your plan further after application and in delivery,
but thinking about it from the beginning is an important frst step.

Some good areas to consider which might impact

your approach to safeguarding are below:
Who will your project work with as organisations, professionals and audiences?
Are they adults, young people 18+ and over or 18 and under?
Will you be working with any artists, collaborators, audience members
or other participants who are or may be based in or from a confict
environment or to participants who are actively in confict
Will your project include working with specifc religious communities,
marginalised communities, LGBTQI+, adults who may consider themselves to
be at risk due to various factors such as physical or mental health disability,
humanitarian disaster, confict or discriminatory practices of any kind?
Are there any specifc social, cultural, economic or political challenges
impacting on the communities your project will work with, and are there any
safeguarding implications and risk mitigation measures you will want to think
through for this?
What type of delivery platform will your project utilise? Will it be face to face,
online, or a mix of both? Will it include travel or residencies?
What costs might you want to consider and include in your budget to
support your safeguarding work within your project?
Are there any risks you want to include in your risk assessment at this
point of planning. Do you have a Safeguarding policy that also includes a
safeguarding incident reporting and management plan in place? If you don’t
worry we will be running a briefng session for all successful grantees that will
provide information on accessing support for developing or strengthening
your safeguarding policy and procedures, and we will also share best practice
examples from the British Council’s safeguarding work.

Remember you don’t have to have all the answers at this stage but it may
be helpful as you design your project, budget and think about risks you will
want to avoid. We will provide support for successful grantees as you start
your ICG in our webinar and with resources.
6.2 Working with people at risk
and in areas where freedom
of expression is limited
Some individuals – particularly those with protected characteristics
– can be placed at signifcant risk by engaging in certain activities
in certain social and political contexts.
If your project involves working with vulnerable artists, collaborators, audience
members or other participants, you need to ensure that your application
addresses your approach to ensuring they are safe, protected and supported
throughout the process. You may need to plan and budget for a specialist to
advise or support and this may infuence how you plan to deliver the project.
If you are planning to work in particularly sensitive socio-political contexts – for
example, countries with limited freedom of expression, contested spaces – or
with artists who have protected characteristics – for example, members of the
LGBTQI+ community – can you demonstrate that your project team has the
expertise and experience to ensure the well-being and protection of everyone
involved? If not, have you considered or factored in expert support, advice
or guidance, which is included in your budget? Have you considered how you
will approach sensitive subjects within different cultural and country contexts?
For example, if your project deals with a subject or area which is sensitive
within your country, or your collaborator countries, what steps might you take
to ensure the safety of your collaborators, participants and audiences? It is
important that your budget, project plan and risk log include provisions for
supporting participants’ well-being and safety.

Please note that successfully funded projects which aim to work with
people at risk and/or in contexts with limited freedom of expression
can attend a workshop provided by British Council in Spring 2024
on this subject.
7 Assessment
Each application will be assessed and scored against three key criteria:
The project: artistic activity and Innovation, legacy: 40%
Delivery: project plan, working in collaboration and positive
contribution: 30%
Diversity, Inclusion, Sustainability: 30%
Remember: we will be assessing the content of your answers,
not the quality of English used.

Assessment criteria 1
The Project Artistic Activity, Innovation, Project Legacy 40%

Assessors will be looking at the project proposal and if it is of a high

artistic/creative quality and if it is experimental and or innovative in its
approach. Is the project outline and what the project aims to achieve clear,
and who is the intended audience?
Please provide:
Evidence of artistic quality and beneft to individual artists/creatives
Clear project outline and evidence of developed discussions between collaborators
In-kind means non-fnancial support provided to a project, if relevant
Evidence of how project will incorporate innovation*
Evidence of who the intended audiences are
Evidence of how the project might continue after this year of delivery

*Please note, by innovation we mean that the project demonstrates new

forms of content, new methods of delivery, new design processes, or that
the project approaches audiences in a new way, or working in a new
country with a new collaborator.

Assessment criteria 2
Project plan, Colloration, positive contribution 30%

Assessors will want to see the following explanations about your project proposal.
Please provide:
How it has been planned and resourced and that it has considered
reasonable risks and mitigations
How the collaborators will market the project
How you will work together as collaborators
How your project will bring a positive contribution to the countries
you are working in
Assessors will look for evidence of:
How the collaborators will work together in a way which factors in equality
within the partnerships
The mutual and equal beneft to both UK and international countries and
territories and that it demonstrates shared use of the budget between
the UK and international collaborators
A realistic of project plan – in terms of timescale and budget – and
evidence of the collaborator’s ability to deliver, based on their track record.
Consideration of risks and solid plans on how collaborators will reduce risks
– including those related to the countries they are working in – , and plans for
marketing and promotion of the project
An equitable approach to collaborative working, e.g. how the collaborators will
work together, what each will contribute and beneft from their relationship, that
consideration has been made on international working, such as culture, time zones,
different environments. How do the collaborators know each other? How will they
support each other, how will the budget be split between collaborators? What each
collaborator will bring to the project, and how will this beneft all collaborators and
how the collaboration might continue beyond this project.

Projects demonstrate that they are making a positive contribution to the cultural
development of the international collaborator’s country / territory which could
support social and economic development to the country involved, such as: skill
sharing with audiences or collaborators; capacity building; promotion of international
profle; providing platforms to underrepresented groups or artists or practices.

Assessment criteria 3
Diversity, Inclusivity and Sustainability 30%

As an international cultural relations organisation, British Council works towards

mainstreaming our EDI principles and practices across all our work strands.
This includes how we engage with our stakeholders, participants and partners.
We will be assessing how projects address and consider Diversity, Inclusion,
and Environmental sustainability.

We are committed to:

Continuing to nurture creativity, innovation and fexibility
Spotting new opportunities to work with others, and to fnd inclusive
approaches and sources of support which facilitate meaningful
participation and other benefts
Remaining relevant and dynamic to achieve greater reach, impact
and sustainability, through engaging with a diversity of partners,
perspectives, needs, abilities and opportunities
Continuing to engage with our arts and culture stakeholders,
participants, and partners with a constructive approach to global
environmental challenges. This is underpinned by our own ethical
operations to reduce our environmental footprint
You can read our full EDI Policy here:
www.britishcouncil.org/about-us/our-values/equality-diversity-inclusion

You can read our full Environmental Global Policy here:

www.britishcouncil.org/about-us/how-we-work/policies/environment

We ask our grantees to align with the British Council’s inclusive approach,
and commitment to reducing our environmental footprint and we will be
assessing how project proposals (and delivery) address and realise this.

Assessors will ask:

1. How your project might address specifc themes around diversity, inclusion
and/or environmental sustainability, and what considerations you are taking
to incorporate these themes safely and inclusively. For example, if you are
working with disabled practitioners, have you considered and budgeted
for their specifc needs to deliver the proposed activity in the venues and
spaces you plan to work within?
2. Have you taken into consideration the need for specialists, consultants, or
advisory roles, which could support the delivery and approach to addressing
themes of diversity, inclusion and /or environmental sustainability –
particularly if your organisation lacks expertise in these areas?
3. If your project proposes to look at confict or work in areas affected by
confict, have you considered how you will protect the mental well-being of
practitioners and participants?
4. Have you considered how the project will be delivered with inclusion
in mind? For example, have you considered transport, venues*, online
access, and sign language interpreters for your activity and accompanying
marketing materials as required?
5. How you are considering environmental sustainability within your project,
factoring in things like sustainable travel and the materials you might use to
deliver the activity?

Gender

In many locations women and girls face barriers to progression including within
the Arts, Culture and Creative sectors. The British Council are committed to
ensuring our work contributes to furthering gender equality. It is also a legal
requirement of UK Government’s Offcial Development Assistance (ODA) funding
that gender equality is considered.

In the Equality, Diversity and EDI section of your application you will need to
set out how your project considers gender equality. This can be in a number of
ways – through creating opportunities for the artists, employees/staff involved
in the project, the audiences targeted and through the themes addressed by
the project. Projects could seek to raise the profle of women artists and their
work, enhance women’s’ leadership, address gender related themes through the
collaboration and challenging gender norms.
Assessors will also check that the proposal budget includes, where needed,
costs for access and any additional support for working with different groups
or, specialists where needed.

Assessors will also consider whether there is evidence of:

Recognition of potential risks in relation to diversity and inclusion
Planning around environmental sustainability within delivery of the
project. How will the project reduce potential environmental carbon
footprint in delivery?

* We acknowledge that it is not always possible to have provision of accessible

venues, but you can describe what access means in your country context,
and what a good standard of access might mean in your country.
8 Example application responses
To help new applicants we have brought together some examples
of high scoring answers from the 2021-2022 applications, with
explanations about why assessors rated them so highly which
can be seen below:

Example question 1
How does your proposal address equality,
diversity, inclusion, or environmental sustainability?

Model answer: Anonymous Organisation

“Our project’s subject matter is empathy, and creating greater understanding between
people: equality, diversity, inclusion, environmental sustainability are therefore central.
The Creative Team is diverse across protected characteristics. Our team includes an
experienced theatre-maker and director, one of whom is a queer artist, and the other has
worked with Deaf communities in the past. All artists have agency in the project. Working
with an Empathy Designer is an exciting and artistic way to embed equality and inclusion
into the project’s core. Inclusivity will be insured by employing two Inclusion Consultants
whose role will be advocating arts in disabled and LGBTQI+ communities. Diversity will be
a major criteria for commissioning young artists (ethnicity, gender, dis possess huge talent,
helping ensure access to our sector. The young people/audience that we work with will
also be diverse (Deaf, religious orthodox, sexuality, gender). Carefully and sensitively
bringing such diverse groups together to interact in itself develops empathy and
encourages inclusive attitudes. Emphasis on international digital collaboration, plus
localised, in person artistic activity means a low project carbon footprint. Where artists
do need to travel (within their country/region) this will be done via train, not car.”

This is a great answer that succinctly addresses how equality, diversity,

inclusion and environmental sustainability will be addressed in both the
development and delivery of the project. The answer demonstrates how
equality, diversity and inclusion are embedded in the creative idea,
and will inform how the creative process will unfold.
Example question 2
Legacy plans: How do you plan for the project
and collaboration to develop into the future?

Model answer: From Birds Eye View (Now “Reclaim The Frame”)
The legacy for the project will be through the partnerships created - and through
maintaining a channel of communication post-project (e.g., a Slack channel and / or
twice annual get-togethers on zoom) for facilitating opportunities, connections and
further projects as they arise. Maintaining contact will also help us to track the progress
and success of things started by the project (e.g. a curated programme which goes on
to tour elsewhere) and to continue to talk about how our collective learnings are being
embedded into our respective organisations.
Bringing other individuals and organisations with the same vision/objectives into the fold
where relevant will also help to make our voice all the louder where we come together
to raise visibility about a challenge that our industry/flmmakers faces. The legacy for
the artists involved will be through visibility of their work, internationally, and hopefully
beyond the countries directly participating. The legacy for the curators involved will be
the international connections and cultural learnings. The project will hopefully create a
model that could go deeper and further, within our respective countries and beyond,
and for Birds’ Eye View could inform how Reclaim the Frame’s Super Infuencer structure
rolls out - in the UK and abroad.

This answer demonstrates thorough, forward thinking about how the impact
of the project can be maintained in the future, for all the collaborators,
communities and audiences involved – as well as looking towards fnding
new audiences with further touring. The answer shows how the project
will become the catalyst for further international collaborative working,
by creating a new and innovative model of working.
9 Submitting your
application on Submittable
Submissions for ICG can be made via the British
Council’s application portal: Submittable. If you’re
feeling a bit unsure about how to use Submittable,
we’ve created a very simple video walk through
with accompanying British Sign Language.

Both the link to apply via Submittable and our

walk -through video, are available here:
www.britishcouncil.org/arts/international-collaboration-grants

10 Access Support for

writing your application
If you identify as disabled, you are welcome to submit your answers
to certain questions (where marked in the text) via a video format.
For video submissions, please submit a different video for each answer and
share a private YouTube link within the associated response box. Videos will not
be assessed on quality, but we ask that we can clearly see and hear the speaker.
Submissions can be in British Sign Language. Please note videos should all be
within the maximum time indicated after each question.
Applicants can also apply to us for additional funding for access costs to support
them to complete their application, through the application form. To do this, tick
YES in the question ‘Collaborators who require additional access costs to support
them to complete this application are able to request additional access funds.
Would you like to apply for this support?’ and upload your invoice for this
directly in the application form.
Please also note that applications will not
be assessed on quality of written English.
11 Some fnal key tips
for your application
We made a feedback video after the 2021 ICG application process,
outlining some common mistakes and issues with unsuccessful
applications. You can watch the video using this link:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_C8CCA3YE8

Here’s an overview of the most relevant key points in the video.

Make sure you can clearly and succinctly describe what your project is.
If someone asked you for a two-sentence description of your project,
what would you say?
Make sure that your project closely aligns with the ICG assessment criteria
Collaboration is at the heart of the ICG programme. There should be equitable
beneft for all the collaborators involved and the delivery of the project
should be shared
Don’t be vague and don’t underestimate on your budget. There’s no advantage
in trying to shave off costs to bring your budget under a certain amount. Tell us
what you think it will cost to deliver the best version of your project. The jury will
assess whether this seems like value for money, and a fair and equitable use of
budget between the collaborators involved
Make sure the practicalities of international collaborative working
have been factored into your budget
Pay your artists properly! Make sure artists are paid equitably and fairly,
in line with other roles in the project, and that artists are paid equally across
all the countries represented in your application
Be wary of missing information. Make sure you double check your application
is complete before you submit. Have you included your budget and all your
supporting documents? We can only assess what’s there
If you’re planning to work in countries with limited freedom of expression,
contested spaces, and/or with participants at risk, can you demonstrate
your project team has the expertise and experience to ensure the well-being
and protection of everyone involved? And do you have space in your budget
to ensure this happens?
Successful ICG projects match ambitious artistic creative and collaborative
goals with well researched audience numbers and robust legacy plans.

We hope this toolkit has helped you. GOOD LUCK

in preparing your application – we look forward
to reading it!