Deadline: 1-Jun-23
Applications are now open for the Visegrad+ Grants to support projects which contribute to the democratization and transformation processes in selected countries of the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia) and the Eastern Partnership regions (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine).
Focus Areas
- Culture and Common Identity
- Projects creating/presenting common audiovisual, literary, and other contemporary art products to new audiences
- Projects reflecting on common historical and cultural heritage as well as cultural diversity by joint research and knowledge-sharing activities
- Projects establishing and fostering cooperation among municipalities, regions, and local groups through common cultural activities
- Education and Capacity Building
- Projects strengthening professional networks of educational institutions and supporting mobility of students, researchers, and educators to share best practices
- Projects improving hard and soft skills for the 21st century through formal and non-formal educational methods
- Innovation, R&D, Entrepreneurship
- Projects aiming to build up new business and cluster networks for SMEs, startups, and research institutions within and outside the V4
- Projects tackling economic challenges and improving the ecosystem for businesses and social enterprises through joint lobbying, common policy solutions and exchange of best practices
- Projects dealing with innovation, new technologies and scientific research on regional and cross-sectoral levels
- Democratic Values and the Media
- Projects promoting active participation of citizens in democratic decision-making processes and fostering democratic debate
- Projects promoting transparency and the fight against corruption by supporting knowledge-exchange and capacity-building of whistleblowers, investigative journalists, and watchdogs
- Projects improving media and information literacy, and increasing resilience towards biased reporting, disinformation, and propaganda
- Projects aiming for better media coverage of relevant topics in the V4 region and increased access to information
- Public Policy and Institutional Partnership
- Projects connecting the expert communities to find joint solutions to common policy challenges
- Projects promoting active lobbying for policy change and good governance and connecting relevant stakeholders with decision-makers
- Regional Development, Environment and Tourism
- Projects offering new solutions and activities to the fight against climate change and raising awareness of environmental protection within and outside the V4 region
- Projects aiming at sustainable tourism development on the local and regional levels by combining international expertise and shared know-how
- Projects aiming at finding and sharing innovative solutions in local and regional infrastructure development, urban planning, land revitalization and agriculture
- Social Development
- Projects promoting an inclusive mindset in society and addressing protection and empowerment of minorities
- Projects improving intergenerational dialogue and the social care infrastructure to tackle common demographic and public health challenges
- Projects promoting a healthy and active lifestyle and reduction of addictive substance abuse.
Conditions
- Projects must develop meaningful cooperation and ensure active involvement of at least 3 V4 countries and 1 entity from the EaP region or the Western Balkans countries at minimum, regardless of the applicant
- Visegrad+ Grants should be implemented in the EaP or WBs region, and/or have a strong impact on local communities in at least one of those countries
- Maximum duration of project implementation is 18 months
- Grants cover up to 100% of project budget with maximum 15% of the requested sum for overheads
- Projects must clearly address one of the objectives of the program´s seven focus areas
- Please note that simply having a project partner/applicant from the EaP or WB region does not automatically make an application qualify for a Visegrad+ Grant!
Eligibility Criteria
- Consortium of organizations of which 3 or more are based in different Visegrad countries
- All types of non-governmental, civil society organizations (CSOs); municipalities and local governments; schools, higher education institutions; research and scientific bodies and public institutions are eligible as lead partner (applicant) and partners in the consortia
- Market actors, e.g., companies – especially innovation and startuprelated actors – with a legal entity are also eligible, but only if their Visegrad project is of nonprofit character
Ineligibility Criteria
- Institutions directly under state administration (ministries, government agencies, embassies, state-funded cultural institutes, state-owned companies)
- Natural persons (individual citizens)
- Private entrepreneurs with/without a legal entity
For more information, International Visegrad Fund.