Arts and culture thrive on international collaboration and exchange. The Four Nations International Fund helps artists and creative practitioners from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales collaborate with each other and with partners around the world.

The fund exists to make international collaboration easier at a time of global challenges like the pandemic, Brexit, rising costs, and climate concerns. We invite artists, cultural professionals and organisations to think about how working more closely across the four UK nations could strengthen their projects.

The fund aims to:

• Support international development opportunities for UK-based artists and organisations
• Encourage collaboration across the four UK nations and with partners in Europe and beyond
• Explore new, fair, and inclusive ways of working together that also consider climate responsibility

We welcome projects that:

• Reduce negative environmental impacts and create positive ones
• Work with cultural practitioners who have experienced displacement or come from areas of conflict

Creative Scotland is administering this fund on behalf of our partners – Arts Council England, Arts Council Northern Ireland, Arts Council Wales/Wales Arts International – therefore, the jurisdiction for this fund will be Scots Law, and standard Creative Scotland processes and procedures will apply.

Delivered in partnership with Arts Council England, Arts Council Northern Ireland and Arts Council of Wales/Wales Arts International and Creative Scotland.

Fund criteria

This fund has four criteria that applications will be assessed against, these are:

• Innovation and Need
• Project Structure
• The Partnership
• The Potential Impact

A detailed explanation of the criteria can be found in the Decision Making Process section.

How much can I apply for?

You can apply for up to £7,500 for projects with partners starting no earlier than 1 May 2026 and finishing by 31 March 2027.

The budget for this third round is £335,000, and we anticipate making 40-50 awards in total across the nations, supporting a range of art forms. We anticipate this fund being highly competitive.

Key Dates

• Applications open: 2pm, Wednesday 14 January 2026
• Deadline to apply: 2pm, Wednesday 25 February 2026
• Decisions issued by: no later than Wednesday 22 April 2026
• Project start date: from 1 May 2026
• Project completion date: by 31 March 2027

Who can apply?

To be eligible, you must:

• Be aged 18 or over
• Have a UK bank account
• Be based in one of the four nations of the UK – England, Northern Ireland, Wales or Scotland
• Be a creative practitioner working in the arts and creative industries or an organisation working in the arts and creative industries
• Have at least one partner in another UK nation and one international partner (both must also work in the arts)

And must have:

• Confirmed commitment from at least one artistic or creative partner (individual or organisation) based in another of the four nations – England, Northern Ireland, Wales or Scotland

and

• Commitment from an international artistic or creative partner (individual or organisation).

The fund prioritises applications from:

• Individual practitioners
• Organisations without regular funding from:
  • Arts Council England National Portfolio
  • Arts Council Wales Arts Portfolio Wales
  • Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding Programme
  • Partnerships that include a regularly funded organisation are still eligible, but you must show the added value that organisation brings.
  • This priority doesn’t apply to organisations funded through Arts Council Northern Ireland’s Annual Funding Programme.

Once registered, complete these steps:

1. Read the guidance
   Before applying, make sure you read the fund guidance and contact us with any questions regarding your eligibility.
2. Apply through the Funding Management System
   Log in and select the Four Nations International Fund application form. Use the Apply Now button to begin your application.
3. Complete the form as instructed
   Use the Review your Progress button at any time to preview the questions and see your progress. You can also save your application and return to it at any time before the deadline.
4. Access support
   If you need access support during the application, please refer to the Access Support section to find out the best way to request this, depending on which UK nation you are based in. This will inform the support team of your requirements, and you will be contacted as soon as possible. Please note that this support is provided by each UK nation separately.
5. Submit by the deadline of 2pm, Wednesday 25 February 2026
   Once submitted, it will not be possible to amend the application, so ensure you thoroughly review and check before submission.

After submission
You’ll receive an automatic email confirming receipt with a reference number.