The Henri Cartier-Bresson International Award rewards "a photographer who has already completed a significant body of work, a talented photographer in the emerging phase of his or her career, with an approach close to that of documentary", says the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation.

The €35,000 cash prize must be used to carry out a project that would otherwise be hard to accomplish within the normal conditions of his or her activity.

While all photographers can enter the contest, they should be nominated by a photography institution. "The range of potential institutions is broad and has no geographical boundaries: museums, photographic societies, photo agencies, art schools, universities, galleries, magazines, festivals, publishers," say the organisers.

Entries will be accepted from 01 March to 15 April, with the winner announced in June. Eighteen months later, the winning photographer will present an exhibition of his or her work at the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation in Paris.

In 2011, the Henri Cartier-Bresson International Award went to photographer Vanessa Winship.

For more details about the award and to download the application form, visit the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation website.