Funding for Cultural Innovation and Regional Development (Ukraine)

The Ukrainian Cultural Foundation’s “Culture. Regions” program supports initiatives that strengthen local cultural life and promote reintegration in frontline and deoccupied regions. Grants fund projects ranging from cultural residencies and exhibitions to digital heritage products, with funding amounts up to 1 million UAH and tailored support for local government bodies, legal entities, and individual entrepreneurs.

Overview

The Ukrainian Cultural Foundation’s “Culture. Regions” program provides financial support for initiatives that enhance local cultural life, preserve heritage, and facilitate cultural reintegration in deoccupied and frontline regions. The program aims to stimulate creative industries, foster cross-sector collaboration, and promote sustainable cultural ecosystems.

Program Objectives

• Increase community capacity to create innovative and competitive cultural content for local and global audiences

• Support local cultural products that highlight regional heritage, stimulate creativity, and attract tourism

• Preserve, develop, and represent intangible cultural heritage using modern formats and digital tools

• Develop cross-sectoral collaborations to create impactful initiatives attractive for private investment and sustainable growth

• Support cultural and artistic projects that reinstate cultural life in deoccupied and frontline regions

• Preserve and modernize cultural heritage through digitalization and sustainable cultural development

Program Structure

The program consists of two main LOTs:

LOT 1 – Local Culture

• Target applicants: Local government bodies outside regional centers and Kyiv, legal entities, and individual entrepreneurs registered in smaller settlements for at least one year with relevant cultural experience

• Funding range: 500,000 to 1,000,000 UAH

• Co-financing requirement: Minimum 10% of the project budget

LOT 2 – Reintegration through Culture

• Target applicants: Legal entities and individual entrepreneurs in frontline and deoccupied regions (Donetsk, Luhansk, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhia, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Kherson, Chernihiv) with at least one year of relevant experience

• Funding range: 300,000 to 1,000,000 UAH

• Co-financing: Not required

Eligible Projects and Activities

Projects may cover a broad range of cultural and artistic activities, including:

• Residencies for artists and cultural practitioners

• Art exhibitions, both online and offline

• Mobile cultural events: Cinemas, libraries, performances, exhibitions

• Expos and interactive projects using VR/AR, multimedia, and other modern technologies

• Interactive excursions: Audio guides, 3D tours

• Creation of art objects, performances, and creative spaces

• Digital cultural products: 3D models, multimedia holograms, AR/VR/MR products, digital catalogs, collections, interactive mapping of cultural objects

Objectives and Expected Impact

The program is designed to:

• Strengthen local creative ecosystems and cultural industries

• Preserve and digitally modernize regional cultural heritage

• Promote cultural reintegration and activation of local creative hubs

• Support sustainable, high-quality cultural initiatives with community and economic benefits

Conclusion

The “Culture. Regions” program by the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation provides targeted support for cultural and artistic projects that reinforce local identity, preserve heritage, and contribute to reintegration in frontline and deoccupied regions. By funding innovative, digitally-enabled, and community-rooted initiatives, the program fosters long-term cultural growth and resilience across Ukraine.