The Commonwealth Foundation
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1966
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
The Commonwealth Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Commonwealth Foundation
- Website
- https://commonwealthfoundation.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1966
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Commonwealth Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Literary Awards and Cultural Foundation Services
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), International Affairs (9721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)
Keywords
Where The Commonwealth Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
The Commonwealth Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
The Commonwealth Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Commonwealth Foundation operates the annual Commonwealth Short Story Prize, a literary competition that invites short story submissions from writers across Commonwealth nations, selects regional and overall winners through judging panels, and coordinates the publication of winning entries through publishing partners. The Foundation also engages in promotional and authenticity-verification activities tied to the prize.
Product overview
The Commonwealth Foundation operates a single flagship literary prize program—the Commonwealth Short Story Prize—awarding winning short stories from writers across Commonwealth nations. The Foundation manages the selection process, regional judging panels, and coordinates with publishing partners for winning entries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Commonwealth Short Story Prize An annual international literary prize for short fiction open to writers from Commonwealth nations, with regional and overall winners selected through regional judging panels and winning entries published via publishing partners (historically Granta, 2012–2026).
Companies that use The Commonwealth Foundation
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
The Commonwealth Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Commonwealth Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- GrantacoreGranta, a prominent British literary magazine, served as the publishing partner for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize from 2012 to 2026 (14 years). The partnership ended in June 2026 after Granta's board cited concerns over editorial integrity regarding AI use allegations against winning entries. Granta stated it would no longer engage in external publishing partnerships where it lacks editorial control.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
The Commonwealth Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Poetry Foundation: The Poetry Foundation is a US-based literary foundation that publishes Poetry magazine and supports poets and poetry. It is comparable as a literary foundation that runs a flagship publication and a prize ecosystem serving an international writer community.
- The Royal Literary Fund: The Royal Literary Fund is a UK charity that provides grants and pensions to authors in financial need. It is comparable as a UK-based literary charity that supports writers through direct financial assistance, sitting within the broader UK literary establishment.
- PEN International: PEN International is a London-based worldwide association of writers that promotes literature and freedom of expression. It is comparable as a UK-headquartered international literary organization with a global footprint overlapping many of the same regions the Commonwealth Foundation serves.
- Booker Prize Foundation: The Booker Prize Foundation administers the Booker Prize, the most prominent English-language literary prize. It is directly comparable as a non-profit foundation that runs an annual international literary prize conferring prestige and visibility on winning authors.
- English PEN: English PEN is the UK branch of PEN International and runs grants, awards, and programs supporting writers, including persecuted and at-risk writers. It is comparable as a UK literary non-profit that distributes grants and recognition to writers globally.
- The Caine Prize for African Writing: The Caine Prize for African Writing is an annual literary prize for short fiction by African writers. It is comparable as a regional international short story prize, similar in format and mission to the Commonwealth Short Story Prize, though narrower in geographic scope.
- The Royal Society of Literature: A UK-based literary charity that supports writers and literary culture through awards, fellowships, and events. It is comparable as a UK charitable organization dedicated to promoting literature and supporting writers at various career stages.
Broad incumbents
- Arts Council England: Arts Council England is a public body that funds and supports arts and cultural organizations across England. It is comparable as a major arts funding organization in the UK, though its scope, scale, and funding model are substantially broader than the Commonwealth Foundation's.
- National Book Foundation: The National Book Foundation administers the National Book Awards in the United States. It is comparable as a literary foundation running a prestigious annual prize program, though its scope is broader and US-focused rather than Commonwealth-focused.
- PEN America: PEN America is the US branch of PEN International, a larger literary and free expression organization. It is comparable as a sister literary organization promoting writers and free expression, with a primary US focus but a mission that overlaps with the Commonwealth Foundation.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
The Commonwealth Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceThe Commonwealth Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Commonwealth Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
The Commonwealth Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Commonwealth Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Commonwealth Foundation
What does The Commonwealth Foundation do?
The Commonwealth Foundation operates the annual Commonwealth Short Story Prize, a literary competition that invites short story submissions from writers across Commonwealth nations, selects regional and overall winners through judging panels, and coordinates the publication of winning entries through publishing partners. The Foundation also engages in promotional and authenticity-verification activities tied to the prize.
Is The Commonwealth Foundation a public or private company?
The Commonwealth Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Commonwealth Foundation founded?
The Commonwealth Foundation was founded in 1966. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Commonwealth Foundation based?
The Commonwealth Foundation is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
Who are The Commonwealth Foundation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Poetry Foundation, The Royal Literary Fund, PEN International, Booker Prize Foundation, English PEN, The Caine Prize for African Writing and The Royal Society of Literature. Broad incumbents are Arts Council England, National Book Foundation and PEN America.
Does The Commonwealth Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Commonwealth Foundation.
What industry is The Commonwealth Foundation in?
The Commonwealth Foundation's product category is Literary Awards and Cultural Foundation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAJ, Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations, with a secondary code of EDADAHAC, Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts. Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 2741.