Bourses du 1er livre photo — €5,000 grant for a first photobook, including a category for women photographers
Sometimes the next step in a photographer’s career is not an exhibition or a publication, but a book. It is a format in which the work is structured as a sequence, gains coherence, and begins to exist as an independent statement.
BOURSES DU 1ER LIVRE PHOTO is a grant programme for photographers who are preparing their first photobook in collaboration with an independent French publisher. It supports not individual images, but a complete publishing project — from concept to print.
What you get out of taking part
The programme supports three projects, each of which receives a grant of €5,000 to produce a book.
The end result is not merely participation, but a published photobook with a print run of 500 copies, which is distributed professionally.
The work is carried out in collaboration with a publisher, so participation provides experience of engaging with a real publishing infrastructure — from concept to the final book.
How the categories are structured
Grants are awarded across three separate categories:
— for photographers from France or residing in France
— ffor women photographers of any nationality
— for photographers from countries in the ‘Global South’ (Africa, Latin America, South-East Asia, the Middle East)
For international artists, this means that participation is possible through a specific category, rather than via a universal open call.
How to apply
Applications are submitted online as a single PDF file containing a full description of the project.
It is important to note that it is not only the visual aspect that is assessed, but also the book’s concept as a cohesive project:
— the project’s concept and structure
— the selection of images
— the text content
— the participants’ biographies
— the budget and production plan
— the project implementation schedule (up to 15 months)
This format is closer to a publishing process than to a traditional competition.
The publisher as part of the application
A mandatory requirement is the involvement of an independent French publisher willing to work on the project. A letter of intent is required for submission, rather than a final contract.
If you do not yet have contact with a publisher, this becomes a separate stage in preparing your application. The organisers provide a list of French publishers whom you can contact to discuss the project.
In practice, this means that the artist establishes contact with a publisher in advance: they send the project, discuss the book’s format, and receive confirmation of the collaboration.
Who is it for
The programme is aimed at photographers who have not yet published a book with a publisher and who approach their project as a cohesive whole.
It is suitable for those who:
— already think in terms of series rather than individual images
— want to move into the book format
— are ready to work on editing, structure and production
It can also serve as a step towards entering the international publishing scene.
Key conditions
The grant covers the entire project cycle:
— the book must be completed within 15 months
— the minimum print run is 500 copies
— the project must be carried out in collaboration with a publisher
— following publication, copies must be provided to the grant organisers.
The grant must be used exclusively for the production of the book.
The deadline for applications is 17 May 2026 (by 6.00 pm).
The results are announced in June 2026.
The book is due to be published by November 2027.
