Cultural Protection Fund opens new round of grant funding of up to £500k for South Asia

Thursday 02 July 2026

The British Council's Cultural Protection Fund (CPF) is pleased to announce a new round of grant funding in 17 countries, including Nepal, to primarily protect cultural heritage at risk from conflict and climate change.

The Cultural Protection Fund is now in its tenth year and has supported work in Nepal to empower communities and safeguard heritage that connects people to history, identity, and each other.

Recent projects in Nepal supported under this fund,

Preservation and revival of Maithil women’s wall painting and sculpting arts, Janakpur Women’s Development Centre. Grant Award: £50,000
Towards Protecting the Cultural Heritage in the High Himalayas of the Shey Phoksundo National Park of Dolpo-ICOMOS Nepal, Grant Award: £36,908
Safeguarding the Kusunda (The Ban Rajas) Language and Culture for Future Generations, Archive Nepal, Grant Award: £45,963
Preservation of Indigenous Food Heritage in Nepal -National Indigenous Women’s Federation (NIWF), Grant Award: £50,000

Rustom Mody, Country Director Nepal at British Council, said: “Cultural heritage carries the stories, traditions and identity of our communities, and protecting it is vital for future generations. With grants of up to £500k, we aim to support individuals and institutions working to preserve cultural heritage, while strengthening their skills, building international connections, and enabling them to play a leading role in shaping the future of cultural protection.”

Critical Dates for Applicants

The Expressions of Interest for CPF close on Monday 20 July 2026 at 23:59 BST.  Applicants are strongly advised to consult the official 2026 application guidance and comprehensive FAQs, available on the Cultural Protection Fund website, prior to submission.

Funding & Eligibility

Projects must protect cultural heritage at risk in one or more of the following countries:

South Asia: Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan
MENA: Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia or Yemen
East Africa: Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania or Uganda Organisations can apply for grants of up to £500k. For the full application guidelines and links to apply, visit the British Council’s Cultural Protection Fund website.

Notes to Editor

About the Cultural Protection Fund

The Cultural Protection Fund is the UK’s main international response to the protection of at-risk cultural heritage. Led by the British Council in partnership with the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), the Cultural Protection Fund has supported 160 projects in 20 countries since 2016—ensuring that heritage continues to empower communities, even in the face of the world’s toughest challenges.

About the British Council

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. We do this through our work in arts and culture, education and the English language. We work with people in over 200 countries and territories and are on the ground in more than 100 countries. In 2022–23 we reached 600 million people.