Spark-plasma-sintering (SPS) has been applied to BaYiO(3) to prepare dense ceramics consisting of submicrometre-sized powder. Relatively dense (typically 97% of the theoretical X-ray density) pellets with an average grain size remaining similar to that of the starting powder, approximately 0.6 mu m, were obtained by the SPS process. Fixed frequency (1 kHz) measurements show the room temperature permittivity of SPS ceramics to be relatively high, approximately 3500, and at least double the value of conventionally sintered ceramics, approximately 1500. Alternating current (a.c.) impedance spectroscopy measurements show that SPS is an effective process to reduce the influence of intergranular (grain boundary) effects on the permittivity and direct current (d.c.) resistance characteristics of BaTiO3 ceramics substantially.