Briefly
Program description
The competition is being held as part of the “Cultural Horizons” program, which is implemented by the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation—the winner of a special call for proposals under the EU’s “Creative Europe” program—in partnership with Cultural Vistas GmbH. The goal of the competition is to support cross-sectoral and cross-border partnerships between Ukrainian and European organizations, develop new cultural ecosystems, and scale up innovative approaches to the creation, distribution, and promotion of cultural products. The call for proposals supports the use of digital technologies (AR/VR, artificial intelligence, big data), inclusivity, sustainable development, cultural entrepreneurship, and international cooperation.
Main Information
Eligibility
Financing
The competition supports international cooperation projects only in the fields of culture, arts and creative industries. The applicant must be a resident of Ukraine, while at least one partner must be a non-resident organisation registered in a European Union country.
Key funding parameters include:
- a total competition budget of UAH 19,108,000 (€400,000);
- a minimum grant amount of UAH 500,000 (€10,000);
- a maximum grant amount of UAH 1,000,000 (€20,000).
Co-financing is not mandatory. However, where projects receive the same evaluation score, preference will be given to proposals that provide co-financing of at least 5% of the total project budget.
The Fund accepts co-financing in monetary form from sources permitted under Ukrainian legislation. Such contributions may be provided by the applicant, project partners or other legal entities and individuals.
Partnership contributions may include financial, communication, technical, organisational or other forms of support that help achieve the project’s objectives and expected results.
Допустимі витрати:
- винагорода членам команди та соціальні внески
- відрядження працівників
- обладнання та нематеріальні активи
- оренда приміщень, техніки, обладнання, транспорту
- витрати учасників заходів
- матеріальні витрати
- поліграфічні та видавничі послуги
- послуги з просування
- створення вебресурсів
- придбання навчальних та інформаційних матеріалів
- переклад
- інші витрати, включно з роялті.
Недопустимі витрати:
- витрати, не пов’язані з проєктом
- посередницькі послуги
- підготовка заявки
- утримання організацій
- курсові різниці
- капітальні ремонти та будівельні роботи
- мобільні телефони та побутова техніка
- аудиторські послуги за рахунок гранту
- харчування учасників проєкту
- субгрантинг і премії
- інші витрати, заборонені Інструкцією
Supported Activities
The “Innovative Cultural Products” grant lot supports projects aimed at developing the cultural sector through innovative, interdisciplinary and digital approaches. Particular attention is given to modern technologies, partnership development and increasing the competitiveness of cultural products.
Supported activities include:
- Digital transformation of cultural products and processes, including the use of AR/VR technologies, artificial intelligence, data analytics and other digital tools.
- Creation and scaling of contemporary cultural content through cross-media formats and innovative audience engagement methods.
- Development and implementation of innovative practices in the cultural and creative sectors.
- Projects focused on improving accessibility of cultural products for different audiences, including people with disabilities and vulnerable groups.
- Promotion of Ukrainian cultural products at national and international levels, including cultural diplomacy and international cooperation.
- Support for cross-sectoral and cross-border partnerships involving culture, IT, education, urban development, environmental and other sectors.
- Adaptation and implementation of advanced European cultural practices and approaches.
Priority areas also include sustainable development and environmental responsibility, as well as inclusion, gender equality and broader access to cultural products and services.
Roadmap
The grant competition starts on 11 June 2026. Electronic application packages may be submitted until 14 August 2026, 18:00 Kyiv time. During the same period, the programme provides information activities and online consultations for applicants.
Key programme stages include:
- by 18 August 2026 — publication of the register of received applications;
- 17–31 August 2026 — technical eligibility review of projects;
- by 2 September 2026 — notification of applicants on technical review results;
- by 4 September 2026 — publication of the list of projects that passed technical screening;
- no later than 2 September to 12 November 2026 — expert assessment of projects;
- by 17 November 2026 — notification of applicants on expert evaluation results;
- by 19 November 2026 — publication of the project ranking list.
Following the assessment stage, expert council approvals and negotiation procedures take place from 16 November to 31 December 2026.
Grant agreements and the publication of the list of winning projects are expected by 26 February 2027.
Project implementation begins from the date of grant agreement signature, but not earlier than 31 January 2027, and continues until 30 July 2027, including reporting requirements.ф
How to Apply
To participate in the programme, the applicant must submit the application package electronically through the Fund’s official website and sign it using a digital signature.
Key application steps include:
- Create a personal online account on the Fund’s website or log in to an existing account.
- Select the relevant programme, competition lot and project type.
- Complete the project application form online.
- Upload the budget file in Excel format using the Fund’s approved template.
- Attach all required supporting documents in the designated sections.
- Review all information, complete the required fields and apply the digital signature.
- Click “Submit” to send the application package to the Fund.
After submission, the system generates a confirmation message and assigns a project registration number. Applicants can then monitor the status of their application through their online account.
When preparing the budget, applicants are encouraged to complete all required sections and provide detailed justifications for planned expenditures. All costs should be reasonable, justified and directly related to project implementation.
Evaluation Criteria
After passing the technical review stage, each application package is submitted to the relevant Fund Expert Council for evaluation. Assessments are conducted in accordance with the programme’s established evaluation methodology and requirements.
Applicants are prohibited from contacting experts during the assessment process or attempting to influence their decisions.
Key features of the scoring system include:
- each project is evaluated independently by five experts;
- the maximum score from a single expert is 100 points;
- the highest and lowest scores are excluded from the final calculation;
- the final ranking score is based on the remaining three evaluations;
- the maximum possible project score is 300 points.
Following the assessment, applicants receive their ranking score by email and can access expert comments and evaluation results through their personal online account.
A final competition ranking is prepared after all applications have been assessed. Projects with the highest scores and within the available programme budget may proceed to the negotiation stage.
Decisions of the Expert Councils are final and are not subject to review, except in cases related to conflict-of-interest procedures.
Required Documents
To participate in the competition, applicants must submit a complete application package that includes the following documents:
- A project application form completed and submitted electronically through the Fund’s website.
- A project work plan prepared using the prescribed Excel template.
- A project budget completed using the official Excel budget form available on the Fund’s website.
- An extract from the Unified State Register (USR) containing the full set of registration details, generated within the required timeframe and submitted in PDF format.
For projects involving an international partner, the following additional documents are required:
- a document confirming the registration of the partner organization outside Ukraine (registry extract or equivalent registration document);
- a Ukrainian translation of the registration document (except for documents issued in English);
- a letter or protocol of intent for cooperation between the partners.
All documents provided by the international partner must be uploaded in PDF format and submitted in accordance with the competition requirements.
Updates / Announcements
An information campaign, including online consultations, will be conducted from 11 June 2026 to 14 August 2026.
Reporting and Compliance
After receiving funding, the grantee is required to ensure proper project implementation, participate in monitoring activities, and submit a final report to the Fund no later than the project completion date.
The final report must include:
- a narrative report describing project implementation and results achieved;
- a financial report on the receipt and use of funds, together with bank statements;
- supporting materials confirming the cultural and artistic activities delivered;
- an independent auditor’s report, submitted as a separate document.
Final reporting documents must be submitted both in hard copy to the Fund and electronically through the applicant’s online account. All materials should be properly numbered, bound and certified in accordance with the established requirements.
As part of compliance oversight, the Fund conducts project monitoring, verifies compliance with grant agreement obligations, assesses project results, resource efficiency and adherence to programme requirements. Monitoring visits and requests for additional information may be carried out when necessary.
Before submitting the final report, the grantee must complete a final monitoring questionnaire covering project results and outcomes.
The Fund reserves the right to request additional supporting documentation if inconsistencies or potential misuse of funds are identified. Failure to submit a final report supported by an independent auditor may result in the project being considered not implemented.
Grantees are also required to retain records and supporting documentation related to project implementation and grant expenditure for at least 5 years after project completion for potential audits, inspections or reviews.
Legal Terms
Project implementation under the grant programme is governed by the regulatory framework of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation and the applicable legislation of Ukraine.
The programme is based on the following key documents:
- Law of Ukraine “On the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation”;
- Regulations of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation;
- Procedure for project selection and implementation monitoring;
- Regulations on the Expert Councils of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation;
- Expert Evaluation Methodology;
- Procedure for reporting conflicts of interest during project selection and funding processes;
- Procedure for monitoring compliance with obligations by funding recipients;
- Guidance materials on preparing application documentation.
Applicants and grant recipients are expected to comply with these requirements throughout the entire project cycle, including application submission, project implementation, reporting and monitoring. Particular emphasis is placed on transparent procedures, conflict-of-interest prevention, and proper use of grant funding.