Grants for International Cultural Cooperation Projects

The program is being implemented as part of the ZMINA: Rebuilding project, which supports Ukrainian artists and cultural practitioners who were forced to leave Ukraine due to the full-scale war. The call for proposals aims to support the international presentation of the results of collaborative projects between Ukrainian artists in exile and cultural organizations from countries participating in the Creative Europe program. Support is provided to projects that promote the professional integration of Ukrainian artists, international cooperation, and the dissemination of Ukrainian culture in Europe.

The programme is open to organisations working in the fields of arts and culture that are registered in countries participating in the Creative Europe programme. For Ukraine, applicants must be registered in territories under the effective control of the Government of Ukraine.

Each project must involve at least two partner organisations from two different countries, one of which must be Ukraine. All partners share equal rights and joint responsibility for the accuracy of submitted information and subsequent reporting. Partnerships are expected to demonstrate genuine exchange, balanced participation, and equal value from each partner.

To pass the technical eligibility review, applications must meet the following requirements:

• all required attachments are submitted in the prescribed formats;
• supporting documents comply with the standard templates provided for the competition;
• all uploaded files are readable and suitable for printing;
• all project partners meet the programme’s eligibility requirements;
• the application form is completed in full;
• the requested grant amount does not exceed the maximum allowed;
• co-financing requirements are fulfilled;
• the project duration and start date comply with the competition rules.

Eligible and admissible applications are forwarded to two independent experts for evaluation.

The grant programme has a total available budget of €950,000 and is expected to support 19–25 projects.

The grant amount is up to €50,000 per project and may cover up to 90% of the total project budget. Applicants are required to provide at least 10% co-financing in cash and reflect it in their accounting records.

Key funding conditions include:

• 70% of the grant is paid after the grant agreement is signed, while the remaining 30% is disbursed after submission and approval of the final report.
• Double funding from European Union sources is not permitted.
• All project expenses must be incurred after the grant agreement has been signed and within the project implementation period.
• Compliance with EU branding and visibility requirements is mandatory.

Eligible costs may include artists’ working time, international and local travel, accommodation, visa expenses, transportation of equipment, materials, services, communication activities, and administrative costs. Fixed-rate categories include:

• artists’ working time — €75 per person/day;
• international travel — €350 per round trip;
• local travel — €65 per round trip;
• accommodation and per diem — €75 per night.

Management and administration costs may not exceed 20% of the total project budget.

The grant programme supports projects focused on the creation and presentation of jointly developed artistic and cultural works that explore the theme of resilience in any arts or cultural sector, excluding the audiovisual sector.

Supported activities may include:

• Public presentation events (hybrid or online formats are accepted in Ukraine).
• Preparation, rehearsals, and production activities related to presentations.
• Travel for organisational, rehearsal, and presentation purposes.

Projects are expected to include:

• At least 6 public presentation events.
• A minimum of 3 presentation events in each of at least two countries, one of which must be Ukraine.
• Presentation of outcomes created through international collaborative work.

Eligible costs include expenses necessary for project implementation, including the presentation of artistic and cultural works and travel related to organisational, creative, rehearsal, and presentation activities.

All project expenses must be incurred after the grant agreement has been signed and during the official project implementation period.

The grant programme is implemented through several application rounds. The competition was launched on 15 June 2026.

Key stages include:

• Round 1 deadline — 14 September 2026, 23:59 (Kyiv time).
• Round 2 deadline — 14 December 2026, 23:59 (Kyiv time).
• Round 3 deadline — 15 March 2027, 23:59 (Kyiv time).
• Round 4 deadline — 14 June 2027, 23:59 (Kyiv time).
• Final round deadline — 14 October 2027, 23:59 (Kyiv time).

Following each application round:

• technical and expert evaluation takes place one month after the deadline;
• results are announced two months after the deadline;
• grant agreements are signed two months after the respective round deadline.

Projects may be implemented for up to 7 months. The earliest possible project start date is after the grant agreement has been signed.

To participate in the grant programme, applicants must submit their application through the IZOLYATSIA online platform.

Key steps:

1. Prepare the project application in accordance with the competition requirements.
2. Submit the application via the IZOLYATSIA online platform.
3. Submit the application no later than 23:59 (Kyiv time) on the final day of the relevant application round.
4. Ensure that the application is submitted on behalf of the consortium by one designated representative (the lead applicant).
5. Prepare and submit all application materials in English.

Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered within the respective selection round.

Applications are assessed against three main areas: relevance, quality, and project impact.

Relevance

• The extent to which the proposed project aligns with the objectives of the competition.

Quality

• The quality of the partnership and the balanced contribution of each partner.
• Consideration of cross-cutting themes, including the digital dimension, environmental sustainability, inclusion, and accessibility.
• The scale of audience engagement, including the expected audience size and number of presentation events.

Impact

• The sustainability of the project beyond the grant period, including plans for future presentations, showcases, or continued use of project results.

Assessment Process

Applications are first reviewed for technical eligibility by the ZMINA:Resilience team to verify compliance with all formal and eligibility requirements.

Eligible proposals are then evaluated by two independent experts, who assign scores. Applications are ranked based on their average score.

The final selection is made by the Selection Committee, taking into account geographical, sectoral, and thematic diversity within the available competition budget.

Project budgets are also reviewed for cost-effectiveness and justification and may be adjusted before the grant agreement is signed.

To participate in the grant programme, applicants must prepare and submit a complete application package through the competition platform.

The required application package includes:

• Application form and budget, completed directly on the platform.
• Supporting documents demonstrating the capacity, eligibility, and admissibility of each partner, submitted in PDF format.

Supporting documents include:

• A scanned copy of the signed Letter of Guarantee, completed and signed by the head of the organisation.
• Registration documents of the organisation.
  • For organisations from Creative Europe countries (excluding Ukraine), national registration documents with an English translation if the original document is in another language.
  • For organisations from Ukraine, a full extract from the Unified State Register issued after the announcement of the competition.
• A valid statute or equivalent governing document (where required for a legal entity).
  • For organisations from Creative Europe countries (excluding Ukraine), an English translation is required if the original document is in another language.
  • For organisations from Ukraine, the document may be submitted in its original language.

All supporting documents must be uploaded as separate files for each project partner in accordance with the platform requirements.

The competition operates on a rolling admissions basis for 16 months.

Application rounds are held every 3–4 months in accordance with the indicative schedule.

Within the grant programme, all documents and information submitted by applicants to the ZMINA:Resilience team are considered official and must be accurate and reliable.

Key requirements include:

• The application form, budget, letter of guarantee, and all supporting documents must contain truthful, current, and well-founded information.
• Submitted information must not be misleading, inaccurate, unfounded, or distort factual circumstances.
• Applicants are responsible for the accuracy and reliability of all information provided.

If false, inaccurate, misleading, or unsupported information is identified, project support may be terminated at any stage of the project lifecycle.