Prix de Photographie Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière — international €30,000 grant for a documentary photography project
This grant is designed for photographers who are already working on documentary projects and wish to realise a major personal series with international support. The Prix de Photographie Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière is one of France’s leading photography grants for professional documentary photographers working with social, cultural and research-based subjects.
The programme is organised by the Académie des beaux-arts in collaboration with the Fondation Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière and supports large-scale authorial photography projects with no restrictions on subject matter or artistic approach. The winner receives €30,000 to carry out the project, two years to work on the series, and a solo exhibition at the Institut de France in Paris.
It is particularly important that the grant has an international scope. Photographers from various countries working in France are eligible to apply, and there are no age restrictions for the competition.
Who is this grant for
The programme is particularly suited to:
— documentary photographers and creators of long-term projects;
— photographers with an established practice;
— creators of social, cultural and research-based series;
— photographers developing a distinct personal visual language;
— those who wish to develop a major independent project and break into the international professional scene.
The organisers are specifically looking for original, authorial projects, rather than commercial shoots or collections of individual photographs.
What the winner receives
The grant includes:
— €30,000 in funding;
— a two-year period to work on the project;
— a solo exhibition at the Institut de France;
— the opportunity to present the project within one of France’s leading art institutions.
The funding is paid in two instalments:
— €15,000 following the award ceremony;
— a further €15,000 following an interim presentation of the project to the jury.
What you need to apply
In the first stage, you must prepare:
— up to 15 photographs from your series;
— a project description and a personal statement;
— a brief project summary;
— a work plan;
— a CV;
— supporting documents confirming the applicant’s professional experience.
The first stage of the application process takes place entirely online via the Académie des beaux-arts platform.
Following the preliminary selection, finalists must also submit printed materials and photographs for consideration by the jury.
Why this grant is considered one of the most important in France
Many photography competitions offer only brief exposure for a project or a cash prize. The Prix Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière is different — it is a programme specifically designed to support long-term, in-depth work on an authorial documentary series.
Over more than 15 years, the grant has supported a wide variety of projects — from social research and reportage to personal visual stories.
For photographers, this is an opportunity not only to receive funding, but also to enter France’s professional art scene and the international photography community.
The deadline for applications is 15 June 2026.
