The British Council has launched the 2026 funding round of its Cultural Protection Fund, which will accept applications from eligible organisations for grants of up to £500,000 to help countries protect cultural heritage at risk from conflict and climate change in 17 countries, including Bangladesh.
“We are delighted with the progress made by Bangladesh and UK partners to date with the help of the Cultural Protection Fund and are excited by the new work we are able to fund, which will enable local practitioners to build on their existing skills, connect with other international networks, and lead the future of cultural protection in our communities,” said Stephen Forbes, British Council Country Director Bangladesh.
Expressions of Interest for the Cultural Protection Fund will close Monday, 20 July 2026, at 11:59 pm (Bangladesh time). The applicants have been advised to read the guidelines provided in the official applications for 2026 on the Cultural Protection Fund website and the detailed FAQs before applying.
A webinar session to help regional applicants understand the application criteria and to prepare strong applications has been arranged by the British Council and will take place today, 1 July 2026, from 10 am to 11 am in Bangladesh time.
Projects must ensure cultural heritage at risk is protected in one or more of the following countries: Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.
Organisations can take advantage of grants of up to £500,000. Detailed application guidelines and links to apply are on the British Council’s Cultural Protection Fund website.
For the last 10 years, the Cultural Protection Fund has been supporting projects in the country that contribute to empowering communities and to the protection of heritage linked to history, identity and social cohesion.
Recent projects in Bangladesh have focused on the modernisation of collections care and the celebration of local history at the Varendra Research Museum. This project offered in-depth training for the full museum staff in collections management and in the protection of oral traditions, thereby enhancing the ability of local people to preserve irreplaceable artefacts.
