Funding Resources for Creative Businesses in Egypt

Plenty of avenues offer grants as a source of funding to creative businesses in Egypt. This article outlines resources and instructions for Egyptians wishing to better understand how to fund their creative business.

Grants for Creative Businesses

What Are Grants?

A grant is an amount of money given to an applicant (individual or organisation) for a specific purpose and is not required to be repaid to the granting body.

Why Apply for Grants?

Not only are grants financially supportive for your creative practice with no financial payback expected, but also, more often than not, grantors publicly announce the list of grantees during every cycle, which can be beneficial in terms of generating publicity for your practice. This does not, however, replace any marketing or publicity efforts you should plan for your creative endeavours.

What Kind of Creative Practices Are Eligible?

The type of practice and its applicant’s status vary depending on the granting organisation and the eligibility criteria for its grants. Therefore, most grant guidelines stress the need for you to read the eligibility criteria carefully before applying.

Generally, grantors for creative practices make grants available to:

1. Cinema and/or filmmaking;
2. Creative training and development;
3. Creative writing, critical writing, and/or literature;
4. Documentary filmmaking;
5. Music events and festivals;
6. Music production, musical practice, and sound art;
7. Performing arts;
8. Visual arts;
9. Support for operational costs, researching and developing, or planning and organising for an artistic or creative organisation;
10. Other grants that cover living expenses, travel, legal support, and/or health expenses for artists facing safety and security risks in the Arab region.

Because this is a non-exhaustive list of creative practices, make sure to carefully research the types of grants available for your type of practice.

Additionally, consider the type of entity you are applying under. Ask yourself: am I applying as an individual, an organisation, or an artistic collective?

Depending on the type of grant and its guidelines, you may be eligible or ineligible to apply for a grant if you are an individual (a person practising art independently), an organisation (a registered company), or a collective (a group of artists coming together for the duration of a creative project).

Note: Sometimes you may be eligible or ineligible to apply for a specific grant when your organisation is registered as a for-profit or not-for-profit organisation. Always make sure to read the eligibility criteria of the grant you are applying for.

How to Apply for a Grant?

The main two things to consider when applying for a grant are:

1. What language is required for the application?

Some grants require that the application be in Arabic only. Some grants keep the application language open to Arabic, English or French. This requirement may affect the second point.

2. Who is writing the grant application?

If you are a skilled writer who has writing experience, you can opt-in to write the grant application yourself. However, if you are applying for a grant for the first time or writing is not your strong suit, make sure to hire a grant writer (كاتب/كاتبة منح(. Grant writers are professional writers who are skilled and practised in writing and applying for grants, which will help when explaining to the evaluators what your creative practices are and what your vision is. If you do not know a grant writer in your professional or social circles, there are a few freelance grant writers available online on Upwork. You may also choose to post a callout for grant writers on your LinkedIn or other professional social media platforms. The main downside of hiring a grant writer is that it can be costly.

Details Needed for Grant Applications:

As mentioned earlier, each grant has a set of guidelines that outline the requirements for the grant application. Make sure to read carefully what the requirements are for the grant you are applying for. With that said, here is a list of the usual details needed for grant applications:

1. A project summary;
2. A detailed project description;
3. A proposed project timeline;
4. A breakdown of the budget for the project (i.e., how do you plan to spend the grant money if offered the grant) and any other funding sources for your project/practice;
5. A statement on how your project engages with the community (i.e., what are the benefits of your project/practice on the Egyptian society, or a subcommunity within Egypt).

Other Things to Keep in Mind:

One more thing to carefully assess with the grant(s) you want to apply for is whether it states in its guidelines the geographical location you must be based. Most grants in the list below are open to Egyptians in and outside of Egypt (or Arabs in or out of the region). Again, read the grant guidelines carefully before applying.

The last thing to keep in mind before applying for a grant is when the deadline is. Most grants have annual or biannual cycles when they put a call out for artists to apply for their grants. Stay aware of the grant(s) you are eligible for and prepare ahead of the deadline.

Organisations Offering Grants for Creative Practices:

1. Arab Fund for Arts and Culture
2. Mawred Culture Resource
3. Mophradat
4. Institut Francais D’Égypte
5. European Union National Institutes for Culture
6. A M Qattan Foundation (For Palestinians in Egypt or other Arab countries, but some grants may be available to nationals of other Arab countries)
7. Fanak Fund
8. British Council’s International Collaboration Grant
9. Misk Art Institute

Last, Beware of Scams!

No grantor will require a payment to apply for a grant. No grant will require your financial information during the grant application process. Financial information will only need to be provided to the grantor if you are selected as a grantee to transfer the grant money.

Bibliography

“A M Qattan Foundation.” A M Qattan Foundation, 2024, qattanfoundation.org/en. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

“AFAC Programs.” Arabculturefund.org, Arab Fund for Arts and Culture, 2024, www.arabculturefund.org/Programs/#Programs. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

“Fanak Fund.” Fanakfund.org, Fanak Fund, 2024, fanakfund.org/candidacy/?lang=en. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

“Grant Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 2024, www.britannica.com/dictionary/grant. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

“Grants.” Miskartinstitute.org, Misk Art Institute, 2023, miskartinstitute.org/en/grants. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

“Grants – EUNIC Open Call for Grants.” Eunicegypt.org, European Union National Institutes for Culture, 2023, www.eunicegypt.org/grants. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

“Grants and Calls for Projects.” Institut Français D’Égypte, 30 Dec. 2024, www.ifegypte.com/en/studies-programs/grants-and-calls-for-projects/#/. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

“International Collaboration Grants.” British Council Arts, 18 Dec. 2024, arts.britishcouncil.org/projects/international-collaboration-grants. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

“Mawred Network.” Mawred Culture Resource, 25 Apr. 2024, mawred.org/mawred-community. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.