Deloitte Photo Grant 2026

Deloitte Photo Grant 2026 places a substantial production opportunity at the center of this year’s open call. The 2026 edition focuses on “Proximities”, a theme that looks at the distances shaping contemporary life: physical, social, economic, and technological. For photographers searching through free to enter photography competitions, this is one of the more clearly defined calls on the calendar: a project-based application for photographers under 35, with a €25,000 award for the selected proposal.

The open call is international in scope and asks entrants to submit a project idea tied to the 2026 theme, along with a portfolio of up to 10 images, a CV, a profile photo, and a reference letter from a photography professional. Submissions open on March 10, 2026, and the deadline is June 14, 2026. Entry is free. The selected project receives financial support for production, a mention within the exhibition dedicated to the nomination winner, and a future exhibition of the completed work at the next edition of the award. That combination of funding and exhibition context gives the Deloitte Photo Grant a strong place among online photography contests aimed at emerging image-makers.

Founded in 2023 and developed by Deloitte Italy with the patronage of Fondazione Deloitte and in association with Still Love, the grant is framed as support for contemporary photographic production. For applicants, the key point is simple: this is not a single-image competition but a call for a developed idea, judged by an international panel and intended to move from proposal to exhibition.

Prizes

The open call section of Deloitte Photo Grant 2026 awards one winning project idea. The emphasis is on production support and public presentation.

• The selected open call winner receives €25,000 toward the execution of the proposed project.
• The winning project is also given a mention within the exhibition dedicated to the winner of the nomination section.
• Once completed, the resulting work becomes an exhibition of up to 30 works at the next edition of the award.
• The exhibition prints and installation materials are produced in Italy according to the artist’s specifications, in collaboration with artistic director Denis Curti.

Beyond the cash support, the structure matters: the award is designed to help move an idea into a finished body of work and then into a public exhibition setting. That makes the opportunity broader than a standard prize-only competition.

Categories or Themes

Deloitte Photo Grant 2026 does not divide the open call into separate categories. Instead, the edition is built around a single curatorial theme: Proximities.

The theme asks applicants to reflect on new forms of distance in the present moment, including economic polarization, technological mediation, and social fragmentation. The call describes photography as a way to observe how bodies move through space, how communities retreat or remain connected, and how everyday relationships persist or fade under contemporary pressure.

Even with that clear conceptual frame, the visual approach is not narrowly restricted. Images may address any topic, territory, people, or situation, provided the submission remains consistent with the theme.

Dates and Entry Fees

The timeline for the open call is straightforward, with one application deadline and one jury decision date.

Entry is free of charge. That places the Deloitte Photo Grant among notable free to enter photography competitions for younger photographers working on project-based submissions rather than standalone images.

How to Enter

Applicants must complete the form on the contest website and submit one project idea related to “Proximities”. The application must include a project description of up to 1,500 characters, a budget estimate of up to 1,500 characters, a portfolio of up to 10 images, a CV in PDF format, a profile photo, and a signed reference letter in PDF format from a curator, gallery owner, photo editor, museum director, or another leading figure in photography.

The uploaded images may relate directly to the proposed project or to other work that demonstrates the applicant’s visual practice. Each photographer may enter only once and submit only one project idea.

About the Jury

The 2026 jury is made up of international figures from photography and the wider image culture, with Denis Curti serving as jury president. The panel listed for the 2026 edition includes:

• Guido Borsani, Fondazione Deloitte
• Barbara Čeferin, founder and director Galerija Fotografija
• Carlus Idun- Taiwah, photographer and winner of the 2025 edition of the Deloitte Photo Grant
• Sunyoung KIM, Museum Hanmi senior curator
• Kasia Sagatowska, gallery director of Jednostka Gallery di Varsavia
• Bernardino Castro, Centro Portuguese de Fotografia
• Alec Soth, photographer based in Minneapolis
• Suzanne Cotter, director of Museum of Contemporary Art Australia
• Bruce Gilden, American photographer

Entries are evaluated on consistency with the theme, originality, and photographic quality. The open call winner is selected through jury scoring and final deliberation.

Why Enter Deloitte Photo Grant 2026?

Deloitte Photo Grant stands out because it is built around production, not just selection. The open call winner is not simply awarded visibility: the winning proposal receives funding, is developed into a finished body of work, and is then presented as an exhibition in the following edition. For photographers keeping track of photography contest deadlines, that kind of long-form structure is worth noting.

There is also a specific institutional context behind the award. The project is promoted by Deloitte Italy under the patronage of Fondazione Deloitte and developed with Still Love, with the exhibition framework tied to Milan. Combined with an international jury and an open call that accepts applicants without geographical restrictions, the contest offers both funding and a pathway to public presentation in a setting connected to contemporary photographic culture.

Rules and Copyright

This section about the rules and image rights of the Deloitte Photo Grant 2026 has been generated automatically. If you are interested in participating in this contest we suggest you review the complete rules provided by the contest.

Rules

The open call is open to amateur and professional photographers who are under 35 at the time of submission and are of legal age. There are no geographical or academic restrictions mentioned for participation.

The submitted project must be unpublished. The regulations state that photographs must not have been published, awarded in other competitions, or presented publicly at other events. Each entrant may submit only one project.

Applications are checked in advance for eligibility and completeness. The contest may exclude work considered offensive, contrary to morality, or in violation of third-party rights. AI-generated images are accepted when their use is explicitly stated in the accompanying text.

Copyright and Image Usage

Copyright remains with the authors. At the same time, Still Love and Deloitte retain the right to use submitted images for communication related to the initiative in digital and printed media, and for the production of the catalogue.

Exhibition prints are marked as exhibition prints and are not intended as commercial editions. For the open call winner, up to 30 prints may be produced for exhibition, and those prints may later circulate in further presentations in Italy or abroad or be used at Deloitte venues. After the exhibition, they remain part of the Deloitte archive.

The regulations also state that two images from the final winning open call project will remain the property of Deloitte and enter its private collection once the project has been completed.

For more information and to participate in the contest, visit: the official website.