Photography Bursary for Designer-Makers

Derbyshire Makes is pleased to announce the launch of the Create Growth Photography Bursary, supporting Derby and Derbyshire-based designer-makers to strengthen their brand and promote their products through high-quality professional photography.

The bursary offers funding of up to £800* towards the cost of professional product photography and is open to Designer-Maker businesses based in Derby or Derbyshire who have been trading for more than one year and have an established product range.

This is the second year of the bursary, following a successful first round in 2025 which supported 14 Designer-Maker businesses and 7 photographers, resulting in hundreds of new product images used across websites, social media, press features and promotional materials – including one business featured in Elle Decoration.

You can read more about the previous bursary and the businesses involved on the Derbyshire Makes and Create Growth pages.

Applying for the bursary

To apply:

Visit the Arts Derbyshire Designer Maker Business Support – Photography Bursary page to learn more about the photographers signed up to the scheme and choose the best fit for your business.

Once you have selected a photographer, you can access and complete the application form and monitoring form via the Arts Derbyshire page.

Deadline for applications:
4 February 2026

Businesses informed of the decision:
By 12 February 2026

If you have any questions or would like to discuss your eligibility, please contact:
projects@artsderbyshire.org.uk

*If the chosen photographer’s fee exceeds £800, any additional costs will need to be discussed directly between the designer-maker and photographer, with the designer-maker responsible for covering those additional costs.