OPEN CALL 2025 – IMPORTANT DATES:

• May 5th – June 6th, 2025 – Open call submission window
• June 16th – July 25th, 2025 – Review of applications by jury
• July 31st, 2025 – Contacting of successful applicants 
• August 9th, 2025 – Announcement of results 
• August 18th, 2025 – Commence disbursal of funds

[ ten-der ] definition: 

1. gentle, loving, or kind;
2. something offered especially money, as in payment.

The Fresh Milk Art Platform, partnering once again with the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) and the additional support of the Panta Rhea Foundation and the Clara Lionel Foundation, is excited to launch the second edition of TENDER: A Caribbean Arts Regranting Initiative.

The ethos of this programme is centred on generosity, faith, and care; Fresh Milk has always had an unwavering belief in the talent and potential of artists from this region, and as an artist-led space, we are intimately familiar with the range of challenges involved in maintaining a practice. These nineteen (19) unrestricted grants will be awarded to eligible creatives, who can use the funds as they see fit. Whether it is towards creating new work, acquiring materials, research and development, designing new or continuing existing programmes, pursuing further studies, exhibition preparation or production, participating in artist residencies, or any general living expenses; this tender gesture signifies an appreciation for the recipients’ commitment to the arts and culture in the Caribbean.

Along with financial support, the work of each successful grantee will be promoted widely through Fresh Milk and the NCF’s local and regional networks in the form of a featured page on our website, extensive social media coverage, and an interview with the recipient discussing their practice. In this way, we also hope to strengthen artists’ networks, further contributing to a sense of community and the public archiving of Caribbean creativity.

Fresh Milk is interested in supporting experimental contemporary visual art, and curatorial and research-based practices that explore structure, content, and expanded exhibition approaches in new ways. The grants will fall into the following categories:

SIX (6) grants valued at USD $1,500.00 each, which will be awarded to:

• THREE (3) Barbados-based recent visual arts graduates;
• THREE (3) Caribbean-based recent visual arts graduates.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

• Artists must have completed a BFA or equivalent degree within the last 6 years (2020-2025);
• Artists must be currently living and practising in the Caribbean; 
• Artists’ work can span any discipline/media of contemporary visual arts practice (painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, mixed media, sculpture, installation, video, new media, experimental audiovisual art, performance art, interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary);
• Artists must demonstrate a high standard of work in keeping with their level of experience, and a commitment to the continued development of their practice;
• Artists must not be previous recipients of a TENDER Grant.

FIVE (5) grants valued at USD $2,500.00 each, which will be awarded to:

• TWO (2) Barbados-based emerging visual artists;
• THREE (3) Caribbean-based emerging visual artists.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

• Artists must have been living and practising in the Caribbean between 7 – 12 years;
• Artists’ work can span any discipline/media of contemporary visual arts practice (painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, mixed media, sculpture, installation, video, new media, experimental audiovisual art, performance art, interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary);
• Artists must demonstrate a high standard of work and professional endeavours (participation in exhibitions, residencies, workshops, programming etc.) in keeping with their level of experience;
• Artists must not be previous recipients of a TENDER Grant.

FOUR (4) grants valued at USD $3,500.00 each, which will be awarded to:

• TWO (2) Barbados-based mid-career visual artists;
• TWO (2) Caribbean-based mid-career visual artists.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

• Artists must have been living and practising in the Caribbean between 13 – 19 years;
• Artists’ work can span any discipline/media of contemporary visual arts practice (painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, mixed media, sculpture, installation, video, new media, experimental audiovisual art, performance art, interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary);
• Artists must demonstrate a high standard of work and professional endeavours (participation in exhibitions, residencies, workshops, programming etc.) in keeping with their level of experience;
• Artists must not be previous recipients of a TENDER Grant.

TWO (2) grants valued at USD $3,500.00 each, which will be awarded to:

• ONE (1) Barbados-based visual arts organisation/curator/art historian/writer/researcher;
• ONE (1) Caribbean-based visual arts organisation/curator/art historian/writer/researcher.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

ARTS ORGANISATIONS

• Organisations must have been operating within the Caribbean for a minimum of 3 years;
• Organisations must be independent/non-governmental;
• Organisations need not be registered charities/non-profits but must be able to demonstrate best practices in terms of governance and operations management;
• Organisations must demonstrate a clear commitment to their mission and vision as it relates to contemporary Caribbean art and give examples of their work in alignment with this;
• Organisation must not have previously received a TENDER Grant.

CURATORS & ART HISTORIANS/WRITERS/RESEARCHERS

• Practitioners must have been living and working in the Caribbean for a minimum of 7 years;
• Practitioners must give examples of their work (whether through exhibitions, published written work, or research) demonstrating their commitment to exploring and showcasing contemporary Caribbean art practices;
• Practitioners must not be previous recipients of a TENDER Grant.

TWO (2) grants valued at USD $7,500.00 each, which will be awarded to:

• ONE (1) established Barbados-based visual artist;
• ONE (1) established Caribbean-based visual artists.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

• Artists must have been living and practising in the Caribbean for a minimum of 20 years;
• Artists’ work can span any discipline/media of contemporary visual arts practice (painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, mixed media, sculpture, installation, video, new media, experimental audiovisual art, performance art, interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary);
• Artists must demonstrate a high standard of work and professional endeavours (participation in exhibitions, residencies, workshops, programming etc.) in keeping with their long and influential careers;
• Artists must not be previous recipients of a TENDER Grant.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

ALL applications must be submitted through the official Google Form provided (any submissions sent by email or in hard copy will not be eligible for review).

The APPLICATION FORM includes the following:

FOR VISUAL ARTISTS:

• Submission of a brief bio (250 words maximum); 
• Submission of an artist statement, providing an overview of your practice to help contextualise the artworks shared for review (250 words maximum);
• Submission of an up-to-date CV (2 pages maximum);
• 5-8 clearly labelled samples of work that best showcase your practice (accepted file formats include JPEG, PNG, GIF, MP4, MP3, DOC, DOCX and PDF. In the case of video works, YouTube or Vimeo links may be provided, along with passwords if applicable). Document files should not exceed 10 MB. Image/audio/video files should not exceed 100MB.

FOR ARTS ORGANISATIONS:

• Submission of an overview of the organisation, including its mission, vision, key personnel, and a brief history of the work it has done in the Caribbean (500 words maximum); 
• Submission of a list of the organisation’s projects/programming and any notable accolades achieved (2 pages maximum);
• 5-8 clearly labelled samples of work that best showcase the organisation’s output (accepted file formats include JPEG, PNG, GIF, MP4, MP3, DOC, DOCX, and PDF. In the case of video works, YouTube or Vimeo links may be provided, along with passwords if applicable). Document files should not exceed 10 MB. Image/audio/video files should not exceed 100MB.

FOR CURATORS:

• Submission of a brief bio (250 words maximum); 
• Submission of a statement outlining main curatorial interests and concerns (250 words maximum);
• Submission of an up-to-date CV (2 pages maximum);
• 5-8 clearly labelled samples of work that best showcase your curatorial output (accepted file formats include JPEG, PNG, GIF, MP4, MP3, DOC, DOCX, and PDF. In the case of video works, YouTube or Vimeo links may be provided, along with passwords if applicable). Document files should not exceed 10 MB. Image/audio/video files should not exceed 100MB.

FOR ART HISTORIANS/WRITERS/RESEARCHERS:

• Submission of a brief bio (250 words maximum); 
• Submission of a statement outlining main areas of writing/research (250 words maximum);
• Submission of an up-to-date CV (2 pages maximum);
• 3-5 clearly labelled samples of written work, no more than 2500 words each (accepted file formats include DOC, DOCX, and PDF). Document files should not exceed 10 MB.

All applicants will also be asked for a brief statement on why the receipt of this grant would be timely for their practice. Those fitting the above criteria and based in the following countries may apply:

Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Curaçao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, Saba, St. Barthelemy, St. Eustatius, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Saint Martin, Sint Maarten, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos Islands, US Virgin Islands. 

Have another question about TENDER 2025?

Check out our FAQ Guide to see if it gives you clarity, and email us at freshmilkbarbados@gmail.com for any additional queries.

SELECTION PROCESS:

Applications will be independently reviewed by a 3-member jury comprising one Barbadian, one Caribbean, and one international jury member, each of whom will be an expert in their field and familiar with contemporary art practice in the Caribbean. Only applications that meet all eligibility requirements will go forward to the jury. The jurors will assign scores to each segment of the applicants’ submissions, and a jury meeting will be held once scores have been collated. The jury’s decision will be final, and a jury report will be released publicly when successful applicants are announced. Neither the jury members nor the Fresh Milk Team will be able to offer feedback on individual applications.

JURY MEMBERS:

• Versia Harris, Visual artist and Tutor in the BFA Studio Art programme at Barbados Community College;
• Monique Nouh-Chaia Sookdewsing, Managing Director of Readytex Art Gallery, Suriname;
• Tatiana Flores, Curator and Professor in Art History at the University of Virginia’s College of Arts and Sciences, USA.

About Fresh Milk:

Fresh Milk is an artist-led, non-profit organisation founded in 2011 and based in Barbados. It is a platform which supports excellence in the visual arts through residencies and programmes that provide Caribbean artists with opportunities for development, fostering a thriving art community. Fresh Milk offers professional support to artists from the Caribbean and further afield and seeks to stimulate critical thinking in contemporary visual art. Its goal is to nurture artists, raise regional awareness about contemporary arts and provide Caribbean artists with opportunities for growth, excellence and success.

About the NCF:

The National Cultural Foundation (NCF) is a statutory body established by an Act of Parliament in 1983. Its mandate is to oversee the cultural landscape of Barbados. The NCF’s role revolves around the preservation of our cultural heritage and promotion of all forms of art and culture, both tangible and intangible through developmental and commercial programmes and products. The functional spectrum ranges from, generating cultural awareness at the grassroots level to promoting cultural exchanges at an international level. In its developmental role, the Foundation uses culture as a tool for national development, fostering and supporting the various art forms and new cultural products. In its commercial role, the Foundation is responsible for the promotion, production and hosting of cultural festivals and associated events.

About the Panta Rhea Foundation:

Mission: To catalyze a just and sustainable world through food sovereignty, community power building, and grassroots liberation around the globe.

The Panta Rhea Foundation (PRF) was established in 2001 as a private foundation devoted to researching issues and analyzing the operations, goals and potential of organizations committed to building a more just and sustainable world. The Foundation advises individual donors and other charitable entities on grantmaking strategies and specific grants.

We believe that lasting, authentic change must come from the grassroots; from the organized efforts of people and organizations to enliven the social imagination and envision a better future, to experiment with new ideas, and to hold elected leaders and corporations accountable to the communities they serve.

Our foundation name, Panta Rhea, is inspired by Ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus. It roughly translates to “You never step into the same river twice” or “All things change, all things flow”—suggesting both inherent constancy and change as a fundamental of life itself.

About the Clara Lionel Foundation:

The Clara Lionel Foundation (CLF) was founded in 2012 by Robyn “Rihanna” Fenty in honor of her grandparents, Clara and Lionel Braithwaite. CLF supports and funds climate resilience and climate justice projects in the U.S. and Caribbean. The foundation’s five key pillars are: Climate Solutions; Women’s Entrepreneurship; Health Access and Equity; Future Generations; and Arts and Culture.

The CLF actively supports arts initiatives that preserve cultural heritage and foster community engagement in the regions we fund. We invest in community-led organizations that promote asset creation, long-term sustainability, and innovative climate solutions through arts practices.