Deadline: 30-Jun-23
Applications for the Turkey-Armenia Travel Grant Program are now open to everyone who wants to visit the neighbouring country with the purpose of enhancing dialogue and cooperation.
The Travel Grant will support various activities such as partnership building and networking, feasibility visits, cross-border cooperation projects, project preparation meetings, exchange programmes, education and language-learning, academic cooperation, research and dissertation, volunteering in civil society organisations, joint productions in culture and arts, organisation of or participation in meetings, panels, seminars, conferences, workshops, exhibitions, concerts and similar events related to the thematic fields.
Turkey-Armenia Travel Grant, implemented by the Hrant Dink Foundation, will continue to support at least 50 individuals and non-profit civic initiatives from Armenia and Turkey, thanks to the financial assistance of the European Union within the framework of the programme “Support to the Armenia-Turkey Normalisation Process – Rapid Responses” (ATNP-RR) between March 2023 and December 2024, to travel to the neighbouring country for their activities and studies in various thematic fields, by covering their international travel and inter-city transportation costs.
What are the Costs Covered by the Turkey-Armenia Travel Grant?
- The Turkey-Armenia Travel Grant will finance eligible transportation costs that can be documented (plane, train, bus tickets). The Turkey-Armenia Travel Grant will only cover economy class tickets and means of public transport.
- The costs arising from the eligible domestic and international means of transport that will be used during the travel will be directly paid to the relevant airline company or travel agency by the Hrant Dink Foundation. Grantees’ tickets will be delivered by the Hrant Dink Foundation.
- In cases where it is not possible for the Hrant Dink Foundation to directly book and pay for tickets, in particular for inter-city transportation such as Yerevan-Gyumri and Yerevan-Tbilisi travels, the Travel Grant beneficiary may need to pay for these expenditures himself/herself. In such cases, the Travel Grant beneficiary may request reimbursement from the Hrant Dink Foundation. The reimbursement requests may be approved by the Hrant Dink Foundation provided that they fulfil the following criteria:
- The inter-city travel is made in economy class and by means of public transport.
- All legal documents, receipts, invoices certifying the inter-city transportation as well as the Travel Grant Activity Report are submitted by the Travel Grant Beneficiary to the Hrant Dink Foundation latest within ten days after return to the home country
Eligibility Criteria
- Any individual holding citizenship of Armenia or Turkey, any individual legally residing in Armenia or Turkey, any non-profit group, initiative or organisation based/registered in Armenia or Turkey will be eligible to benefit from the Turkey-Armenia Travel Grant. Groups and initiatives without legal entity can also benefit from the Turkey-Armenia Travel Grant.
- Turkey-Armenia Travel Grant primarily targets to support youth initiatives, university students, university clubs, civil society organisations, professional organisations, high school students and teachers, academics, researchers, journalists, doctors, lawyers, publishers, artists, sports clubs, sportsmen and sportswomen, businesses, local authorities, for their travels within the scope of eligible field and type of activities.
- Turkey-Armenia Travel Grant will support eligible actions in various thematic fields such as – but not limited to – civil society, youth and volunteering policies, human rights and democracy, education and training, environment, history, culture and arts, development, gender, medicine, law, technology, sports, regional cooperation and European integration.
- There is no age limit for applicants who would like to receive Turkey-Armenia Travel Grant support. Those who are under the age of 18 – the age of legal maturity in Armenia and Turkey – will be required to submit the approval of their parents or legal custodians along with their application, and during their travels to the neighbouring country they should be accompanied by an adult above 18.
Ineligible
- Trips of profit-making organisations, commercial enterprises, and businesses for the purpose of selling their goods and services, trips by political parties, and touristic and personal visits, including visits for medical reasons will not be eligible.
- Visits by the current and former staff, members and board members of the Hrant Dink Foundation as well as the partner organisation Gyumri ‘‘Youth Initiative Centre’’ NGO (YIC) and the members of the Consortium implementing the programme Support to the Armenia-Turkey Normalisation Process and/or travels from/to the activities of the mentioned organisations will not be eligible.
- Visits by the individuals who have already received the support of the Hrant Dink Foundation for their visits to Armenia and Turkey in the past will not be eligible.
- Individuals who received the support of the Turkey-Armenia Travel Grant in the previous rounds are not eligible. Individuals who received the Travel Grant support in the previous rounds, yet could not realise their travels due to force majeure are eligible to apply by submitting the same or a different application form.
- An individual can benefit from the Turkey-Armenia Travel Grant only once. However, in cases not awarded in the specific selection round, the same individual can apply in subsequent rounds by submitting a different application.
Selection Priorities
In addition to the main selection criterion, applications that comply with the following qualities will be given priority.
- Support for First Time Goers: Priority will be given to individuals who will be travelling to the neighbouring country for the first time.
- Support for Local and Regional Activities: The Turkey-Armenia Travel Grant aims to mobilize individuals and organisations from major provinces as much as local areas. Local actions and travels from/to cities other than Istanbul and Yerevan will be given priority.
- Diversity: Diversity of beneficiaries will be ensured in terms of gender, age, geographical area, thematic area and type of activity.
- Support for Youth: The Turkey-Armenia Travel Grant will be open to all age groups; however young people including high school and university students as well as youth groups will be given priority.
- Support for New Initiatives: The Turkey-Armenia Travel Grant will support both registered civil society organisations that are experienced in certain fields as well as civic initiatives, which do not have legal entity. Civic initiatives and individuals with innovative ideas will be given priority.
- Sustainability and Multiplier Effect: Travels that can reach out to more people, that can have greater impact in the long run, and that can contribute to the initiation of concrete partnership projects between Armenia and Turkey will be given priority.
Selection Criteria
Contribution to the following overall objective will be the main selection criterion:
- “to support civil society efforts towards the normalisation of relations between Turkey and Armenia and towards an open border by enhancing people-to-people contacts, expanding economic and business links, promoting cultural and educational activities and facilitating access to balanced information in both societies”
For more information, visit Hrant Dink Foundation.