Grants for Cultural Heritage Projects

The European Heritage Hub Small Grants Scheme is an EU-funded grant programme implemented with the support of the ALIPH Foundation. The programme aims to strengthen the role of heritage stakeholders and civil society organisations in EU candidate and neighbouring countries.

The programme is open to civil society organisations from 11 neighbouring countries of the European Union, including Ukraine.

The main objectives of the programme are:

• building the capacity of civil society;
• strengthening the role of cultural heritage in the green, digital, and social transitions;
• reinforcing democracy, the rule of law, and other fundamental rights and values;
• promoting peace and stability through enhanced intercultural and interreligious dialogue and reconciliation.

The grant programme is open to civil society organisations and non-profit organisations that meet the eligibility requirements. The programme also encourages cross-border projects between the eligible participating countries.

Key eligibility and participation requirements include:

• only civil society and non-profit organisations are eligible to apply;
• partnership applications are permitted, with one lead applicant responsible for project implementation and financial management;
• the lead applicant must have legal status and a bank account in one of the eligible countries;
• eligible applicants may be based in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Ukraine.

Projects should fall within the thematic scope of the call, including:

• emergency preparedness for cultural heritage;
• preservation and restoration of cultural heritage;
• support for cross-border cooperation;
• capacity building, advocacy, and knowledge sharing.

Project implementation period:

• projects may already be underway at the time of application or start after selection, but grants are not awarded retrospectively;
• projects must be completed or sufficiently advanced by 31 August 2027 to allow for reporting.

The European Heritage Hub Small Grants Scheme provides a flexible funding mechanism for cultural heritage projects through small grants.

Key funding conditions include:

• two grant categories are available:
  • up to EUR 10,000;
  • EUR 10,000–25,000;
• co-financing is not mandatory, but may be provided through the applicant's own resources or contributions from other donors and must be declared in the project budget;
• double funding of the same activity is not permitted;
• the project budget must be realistic, cost-effective, and properly justified.

Eligible costs may include:

• personnel costs;
• travel, accommodation, and subsistence costs;
• other goods and services required for project implementation.

Examples of ineligible costs include:

• subcontracting;
• indirect costs;
• financial support to third parties;
• the purchase of technical equipment (including laptops, PCs, and mobile phones);
• the purchase of land or buildings, debt repayment, penalties, currency exchange losses, and other non-eligible expenditures.

Grant payments are made in two instalments:

• 80% upon signature of the grant agreement;
• 20% after approval of the final technical and financial reports.

The grant programme supports projects through three regional strands, each with its own thematic priorities.

For Ukraine and Moldova, the programme supports projects focused on capacity-building and pilot initiatives that strengthen emergency preparedness, recovery, and the resilience of the cultural heritage sector.

Supported activities include:

• preparatory actions for emergency response and recovery;
• pilot and small-scale preparedness initiatives;
• heritage documentation, knowledge management, and digital readiness;
• organisational capacity-building, including the use of digital tools;
• community engagement and the promotion of social cohesion.

The programme also supports other regional priorities related to reconciliation, cross-border cooperation, heritage protection, and strengthening the capacity of civil society organisations.

Applications to the grant programme are submitted through the Good Grants platform in two consecutive stages.

Application process:

1. Step 1 – Eligibility Assessment (deadline: 7 September 2026):
   • complete and submit the Eligibility Assessment form;
   • this stage verifies the applicant's legal status, financial capacity, and project eligibility;
   • only applicants who successfully pass this stage will be invited to submit a full proposal.
2. Step 2 – Full Application (deadline: 20 September 2026):
   • submit the full project proposal and budget through the regional online application form;
   • applications must be submitted in English;
   • only applications submitted via the Good Grants platform will be considered.

Additional information:

• applications may be resubmitted only once and only upon request to provide additional information or revised content;
• organisations that are part of the European Heritage Hub consortium or hold a governance role within it are not eligible to apply;
• by submitting an application, applicants agree to the processing and sharing of their data in accordance with the Europa Nostra Privacy Policy.

Applications are assessed using a comprehensive set of criteria that consider project quality, relevance to the call objectives, and expected impact. The selection process consists of several consecutive stages.

Key evaluation criteria include:

• project relevance, including the clarity of objectives, rationale, expected results, and alignment with the objectives of the call;
• the project's European dimension, including cross-border cooperation, contribution to European integration, and shared cultural heritage;
• contribution to the green, digital, and social transitions, as well as the promotion of cultural heritage;
• the project's potential to strengthen peace, stability, intercultural and interreligious dialogue;
• expected impact, sustainability of results, quality of communication and dissemination, and potential for replication;
• the adequacy and cost-effectiveness of the proposed budget.

Selection process:

• eligibility assessment;
• pre-selection by regional experts;
• final selection by the Selection Committee, which determines the projects to be funded.

Following the final decision, applicants are notified by email, and selected projects proceed to the grant agreement stage.

Applicants are required to complete a two-stage application process through the Good Grants platform and provide documents demonstrating compliance with the programme requirements.

Required document checklist:

Step 1 – Eligibility Assessment:

• information on the legal status of the organisation;
• date of establishment;
• information on board members and senior management;
• organisation registration number;
• articles of association/by-laws;
• annual budget (current year);
• VAT exemption status;
• information on previous experience with similar grants;
• description of financial flows;
• bank details (accounts, currencies, authorised signatories);
• information on currency conversion practices.

For grants between EUR 10,000 and EUR 25,000, applicants must additionally provide:

• annual report (previous financial year);
• detailed financial management procedures;
• fund transfer mechanisms to third parties;
• cash management and reconciliation policies;
• financial monitoring and accounting systems;
• delegation of authority and payment procedures.

Step 2 – Full Application:

• full project proposal;
• budget form.

Grant recipients are required to submit technical and financial reports in accordance with the provisions of the grant agreement upon completion of the project.

Key reporting requirements include:

• final technical and financial reports must be submitted within two months after project completion and no later than 31 August 2027;
• the financial report must include a complete record of project expenditure together with supporting documents, including bank statements, invoices, receipts, and other relevant evidence;
• the technical report should describe the activities implemented, the results achieved, any deviations from the original plan, and their impact;
• reporting templates will be provided to the selected grant recipients in due course.