1st Photobook Grants 2026

The 1st Photobook Grants is a French photobook program initiated by the Eyes Wide Open association, the cultural production entity of The Eyes label. The program is supported by France's Ministry of Culture and SAIF (Société des Auteurs des arts visuels et de l'Image Fixe). The 2026 cycle is the fourth edition.

The program is unusually targeted: each cycle awards three separate €5,000 grants in three category-specific tracks. The Global South grant is reserved for photographers from Africa, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, Latin America, or the Middle East. The SAIF grant is reserved for French photographers or photographers residing in France. The third grant is open to female photographers of any nationality.

All three grants share the same project requirement: photographers who have never previously published a monograph. The grant supports the production of a first photobook, with the structural requirement that applicants must partner with an independent French publisher and submit a letter of commitment from that publisher with their application — making this as much a publisher-photographer matchmaking program as a cash grant.

Submission is free. Applicants submit a single PDF (maximum 25 MB) via Google Form. The 2026 application window runs February 17 through May 17, with winners announced in June 2026. Books must be published by November 30, 2027 — a 17-month production window from announcement.