Open Call for Proposals within Culture and Creativity for the Western Balkans

Deadline: 31-Mar-23

Applications are now open for the joint project ‘Culture and Creativity for the Western Balkans’ (CC4WBs) implemented by UNESCO, the British Council and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), aims at a broad participatory approach across all categories of sectoral stakeholders.

This systemic and people-centred approach to development is intended to deeply embed progress across the sector, while ensuring ownership and engagement as key requirements for sustainability. In line with the enlargement perspective for EU engagement with the Western Balkans, this joint programme will promote intercultural dialogue and enhance the socio-economic impact of the cultural and creative sector in the Western Balkans. Through a multi-sectorial approach targeting public authorities, the private sector and civil society organisations in culture, the joint programme will:

• improve the performance of the cultural and creative sector in the Western Balkans;
• strengthen the cultural cooperation within and with the Western Balkans and
• enhance inclusive cultural heritage for local development. The ultimate beneficiaries will be citizens in the Western Balkans.

Thematic Windows

This Open Call for Proposals is organised around four thematic windows for applicants to choose from. Applicants are required to indicate the Thematic Window they are applying for, including the specific LOT under the thematic window, if applicable.

• Thematic Window 1: Improved local cultural spaces through improved public-private partnerships
  • Applicants are invited to prepare proposals to steer local creativity, cultural entrepreneurship and the sustainable use of cultural heritage, and to promote the cultural and creative valorisation of public spaces, thus contributing to local community development, including youth and women.
  • This thematic window promotes:
    • the regeneration of fringe urban and peri-urban areas (with a special focus on those lacking cultural infrastructures and opportunities) as accessible spaces for cultural productions, activities and exchanges;
    • the regeneration and/or enhancement of public spaces in historic urban areas, leveraging urban heritage as a social, cultural and economic asset for the development of cities, including activities to support integrated/inclusive management, participatory planning and co-decision.
  • Proposals under this thematic window may include, inter alia, the establishment of creative labs in visual arts, sustainable architecture and design, performing arts workshops and seminars, publishing projects, artistic residencies, art galleries and/or street-art sites, music venues, recording studios, etc.
• Thematic Window 2: Artists, media professionals, and cultural operators mobilised, connected and enabled to promote the diversity of cultural expressions in and from the Western Balkans
  • LOT 1: Applicants are invited to prepare proposals aiming at improving capacities of media professionals and content creators covering arts and culture to counter disinformation and misinformation, thereby strengthening freedom of expression and free, independent and pluralistic media. This concerns equipping media professionals and content creators with knowledge and skills for the digital age, notably fact-checking and data journalism resulting in new and innovative media content creation. Individual micro-grants for the most successful individual media content proposals by media professionals and content creators should be planned and budgeted in the proposal.
  • LOT 2: Applicants are invited to submit proposals for the development of a ‘Creative Gate’, a digital portal aiming to promote and facilitate cooperation with and between cultural and creative industry (CCI) professionals across the WBs. The Creative Gate portal will consist of three components. One component will be a registration-based network supporting CCI professionals in increasing their visibility and connection with the labour market, providing opportunities for greater mobility, cooperation and co-production. The second component will serve as a section of the website dedicated to sharing content with the aim to enhance opportunities of reach, visibility and audience engagement through promoting CCI work around the WBs. This will also serve as a platform for participants of other CC4WBs programme strands to share produced content with wider audiences in the region.
• Thematic Window 3: Regional networking, cooperation and promotion for enhanced cultural production and access
  • LOT 1: Applicants are invited to submit proposals for any, combination thereof or similar initiatives, as per the below:
    • Inter-city festivals, arts competitions, cultural events and regional cooperation for research and development on culture and creativity for sustainable development. Cultural events are preferably to be held on a rotating basis in different venues within WBs IPA Beneficiaries and EU Member States.
    • Stimulating regional cooperation on specific topics (e.g. culture and creativity for social innovation), involving partners from different cities, or creating opportunities for exchanges with and among the Creative Cities, in cooperation with the UNESCO Creative Cities from the WBs and from the EU.
    • Developing Joint branding for the Western Balkans’ CCS – which would advance the branding and benefit all WBs IPA Beneficiaries.
    • Artistic residencies from any type of art or cultural expression within the Western Balkans or with EU countries aiming to support the mobility of artists and cultural operators.
  • LOT 2: Applicants may apply for grant schemes on sectoral development through proposing sustainable, self manageable Culture and Creativity Learning Labs focused on the topics of business planning, management, community engagement, communication, advocacy, fundraising, production management and technical skills, and artistic and curatorial practice
  • LOT 3: Applicants may apply for the grant scheme for artistic co-productions that aims to support regional co-productions addressing emerging societal challenges in the region, and to stimulate the development of regional content and circulation. Applicants are encouraged to develop and promote ideas and awareness of global relevance in artistic and cultural production. Types of co-productions may include:
    • Development and promotion of new pieces of collaborative art within the region, such as film and music releases, written publications, visual arts, design, etc.
    • Collaborative showcases of contemporary arts across different art forms such as visual arts, design and architecture exhibitions, classical or contemporary music performances, fashion shows, theatre performances, art fairs, etc.
• Thematic Window 4: Protecting and leveraging cultural heritage for sustainable development
  • Applicants are invited to prepare small-scale cultural heritage projects to boost local participation and community engagement for sustainable development and to support the definition, improvement, or implementation of inclusive and sustainable management systems and plans for heritage sites. The following domains may be covered: projects to develop new management plans for cultural heritage or improve existing ones through people-centred, participatory approaches; enhancement of physical and cultural accessibility; development of sustainable and culturally-sensitive tourism; creation or improvement of visitor/information centres; enhancement of heritage interpretation competence and services; digital solutions for cultural heritage; development of heritage-based creative industries including, whenever relevant, the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage.
  • Proposals should include at least one job-shadowing position for students or young professionals, with a specific budget allocation.
  • Applicants who are based and operate in the same areas targeted by the proposed activities, including local administrations, public bodies and institutions, CSOs and the private sector, are encouraged. Applicants are encouraged to include at least one local authority and one CSO, while the participation of a private business as an associate will be considered an additional asset.

Funding Information

• Total value of funds allocated for this Call for Proposal will not exceed 1,128,000.00 EUR
• Financial threshold I – up to 5,000 EUR No co-financing required.
• Financial threshold II – from 5,001 to 30,000 EUR With minimum 10% of co-financing required.
• Financial threshold III – from 30,001 to 50,000 EUR With minimum 15% of co-financing required.
• Financial threshold IV – from 50,001 to 80,000 EUR With minimum 20% of co-financing required.
• Project duration:
  • The proposal should be prepared according to the principle of best value for money. The duration of the Project shall be a maximum of eighteen (18) months from the date of the contract’s signature. Quality projects of short duration shall have a minimum duration of three (3) months to allow for proper preparation, implementation and reporting.

Eligibility Criteria

• Lead Applicants
  • Participation in this Open Call for Proposals is open on equal grounds to:
    • Public institutions (museums, galleries, theatres, institutes for the protection of cultural and natural heritage, universities, cultural institutions, research institutes, tourism offices and others, in accordance with the legislation), local governments (municipalities/cities) from the Western Balkans IPA Beneficiaries.
    • Civil society organisations (CSOs): foundations and non-profit organisations, registered in one or more of the WBs IPA Beneficiaries
      • Upon award of the grant, the Lead Applicant will sign a contract or partnership agreement with the partner institutions/organisations. In the application phase, the Lead Applicant and its partner/s are only required to submit a Partnership Statement, not an agreement.
      • The Lead Applicant is accountable to the donor for the total amount of funds and the implementation of all activities, including those activities and resources implemented by its partner(s). In the implementation of the activities, all project implementation rules apply to the Lead Applicant and the partner organisation(s) alike.
      • The Lead Applicant must be an organisation/institution established in one of the WBs IPA Beneficiaries, before 1 December 2020.
• Partner/s
  • Project partners must be other public institutions (see non-exhaustive list above) and/or civil society organisations (CSOs) from a WBs IPA Beneficiary different from the Lead Applicant’s one. Partner organisations/institutions implement part of the project’s activities and receive part of the project’s funding accordingly.
  • Partnerships can be of different types; that is, between Public Institutions, between CSOs, or between a combination of CSOs and Public Institutions. The Proposal must clearly define which activities will be implemented by the Lead Applicant and by the partner(s), as well as state their responsibilities in the implementation of project activities. The project budget must clearly state the amount of funds to be implemented by the Lead Applicant and the partner organisation(s) respectively.
  • Partner/s must be organisations/institutions established in one of the WBs IPA Beneficiaries, before 1 December 2020.
• Associates
  • Associates are those businesses, organisations and institutions contributing to the implementation of project activities, but which do not benefit from the transfer of a part of the project’s funds disbursed through this Open Call for Proposals, meaning that they cannot be held responsible for the implementation of project activities. In case associates’ engagement is necessary, their role should be clearly explained in the project proposal.

Criteria

• Partnership: All submitted project proposals must include at least two Western Balkans IPA Beneficiaries, that is, involve the Lead Applicant and at least one partner organisation/institution from another IPA Beneficiary of the Western Balkans region.
• Proposals must contain information on all partners involved in project implementation, as well as a clear description of the nature of the partnership and obligations of the Lead Applicant and respective partner/s. The partner/s take part in the project design and implementation. The Lead Applicant is responsible for the transfer of the funds assigned to partner/s. The Lead Applicant is accountable to the donor for the total amount of funds and the implementation of all activities, including those activities and resources implemented by its partner/s.

For more information, visit UNESCO.