“European Local Culture” Contest by the UCF

The competition is implemented by the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation under the Cultural Horizons Programme, supported by the European Union in partnership with Cultural Vistas gGmbH (Germany). The lot aims to strengthen international cooperation between Ukrainian communities and partners from EU Member States through joint cultural projects, development of local cultural infrastructure, creation of new cultural products, promotion of intercultural dialogue, professional exchange, and integration of Ukraine's cultural sector into the European cultural space. Projects must be implemented jointly with at least one partner organization from an EU Member State.

Under the grant programme, eligible applicants may include local self-government authorities, legal entities of any form of ownership, and individual entrepreneurs that meet the established registration and experience requirements.

Key eligibility criteria include:

• Local self-government authorities of settlements (excluding regional centres and the city of Kyiv) registered in Ukraine (excluding temporarily occupied territories) must have been registered for at least 6 months and demonstrate relevant experience in the field of culture.
• Legal entities of all ownership forms and individual entrepreneurs must be registered in Ukraine (excluding temporarily occupied territories, regional centres, and the city of Kyiv), have been registered for at least 1 year before the launch of the competitive selection, and possess relevant experience in the cultural sector.
• Territorial eligibility is determined in accordance with the current official list of territories where hostilities are taking place or which are temporarily occupied.

The competition supports projects aimed at strengthening local cultural ecosystems, creating new cultural products, and promoting cultural heritage within a European context. Supported initiatives are expected to foster cultural diversity, strengthen community cohesion, and expand access to cultural participation, including for internally displaced persons.

Key supported activities and project types include:

• Development of new cultural products, strengthening local cultural capacity, and integrating modern digital, innovative, and traditional cultural practices.
• Projects in the fields of audio and visual arts, cultural heritage, literature, performing arts, and cross-sectoral cultural and creative industries.
• Support for cultural products developed through international partnerships with organisations registered in European Union Member States.
• Eligible project outputs may include public art installations, exhibitions, performances, museum displays, interactive and virtual tours, digital cultural heritage maps, creative spaces, artist residencies, mobile cultural initiatives, and digital cultural products, including those using AR/VR technologies.
• Projects are also expected to reflect EU priorities related to digital transformation, sustainable development, environmental responsibility, inclusion, and gender equality.

The grant programme follows a defined competition timeline covering the selection process and project implementation. Applications may be submitted from 1 July to 4 September 2026 (18:00 Kyiv time). During the same period, an information campaign, including online consultations for applicants, will be conducted.

The subsequent stages of the competition include:

• By 7 September 2026 – publication of the register of received applications.
• 8–20 September 2026 – technical compliance review of project proposals.
• By 21 September 2026 – notification of applicants on the technical selection results and publication of the list of technically eligible projects.
• 9 September – 19 November 2026 – expert evaluation of project proposals.
• By 26 November 2026 – applicants receive their evaluation scores.
• By 27 November 2026 – publication of the ranked list of projects.
• 30 November 2026 – 3 February 2027 – approval of expert recommendations and negotiation procedures.
• By 15 March 2027 – signing of Grant Agreements and publication of the list of selected projects.
• Project implementation starts after the Grant Agreement is signed, but not earlier than 15 February 2027, and must be completed by 15 August 2027, including the submission of required reports.

After successfully passing the technical compliance review, project applications are submitted for expert evaluation by the relevant Foundation Expert Councils. The assessment is conducted in accordance with the applicable regulations and the Foundation’s expert evaluation methodology. During the evaluation period, applicants are prohibited from contacting experts or attempting to influence their decisions.

Key features of the scoring system include:

• Each application is independently assessed by three experts from the relevant Expert Council.
• Each expert may award up to 100 points, allowing a project proposal to receive a maximum of 300 points.
• Once the evaluation is completed, applicants can access the experts’ comments and awarded scores through their personal online account.
• Project rankings are established based on the expert evaluation results, and funding is allocated according to the ranking and the available competition budget.
• Projects selected for the next stage enter the negotiation process, during which applicants must address the experts’ comments. Full consideration of these remarks is a mandatory requirement before the Grant Agreement can be signed.

Applicants must submit a complete set of mandatory documents through the Foundation's official website. All documents must comply with the required formats and submission requirements.

Application document checklist:

• Completed project application, submitted electronically through the Foundation's website.
• Project work plan prepared using the official template (Microsoft Excel format).
• Project budget completed in the Foundation's prescribed format.
• An extract from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, Individual Entrepreneurs and Public Formations (PDF), generated within the timeframe specified by the competition.
• Where applicable, international partners must provide documents confirming their legal registration in their respective country. Documents issued in English do not require translation and must be uploaded in PDF format.

Following the award of funding, the grantee must ensure proper monitoring of project implementation, comply with the Grant Agreement, and submit all required reports in accordance with the Foundation's requirements. The Foundation carries out continuous monitoring of the project, including verification of activities, achieved results, use of grant funds, and compliance with visibility obligations.

Key post-award requirements include:

• Maintain internal monitoring of project implementation, document project results, and collect evidence supporting performance indicators.
• Submit a final reporting package, including a narrative project implementation report, a financial report on the use of grant funds, and an independent auditor's report, where required under the Grant Agreement.
• Provide supporting materials demonstrating project implementation, such as communication materials, publications, statistical data, event programmes, printed products, and other project outputs.
• The final report must be submitted no later than the project completion date through the applicant's online account and in paper form to the Foundation.
• If violations of the Grant Agreement or improper use of funds are identified, the Foundation may terminate the Grant Agreement and require the return of grant funds.
• Supporting financial and project documentation must be retained for 5 years to facilitate audits, reviews, evaluations, and other verification procedures.

The grant programme is implemented in accordance with the regulatory framework of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation and the applicable legislation of Ukraine. Applicants are required to comply with the established procedures governing competitive selection, project implementation, expert evaluation, monitoring, and reporting.

Key legal and regulatory provisions include:

• The competition is governed by the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation's regulations, including procedures for competitive selection, expert councils, evaluation methodology, monitoring of grant implementation, and conflict-of-interest management.
• Cross-sectoral projects may combine several cultural sectors into a single integrated project concept.
• Public and large-scale events require mandatory approval from the relevant military administrations and must be supported by confirmation of adequate shelter capacity for the planned number of participants.
• The programme is implemented jointly by the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation and Cultural Vistas and is co-funded by the European Union. However, responsibility for the content of funded projects rests solely with their authors.
• The organiser notes that the overall competition budget may be adjusted due to exchange rate fluctuations or budget reallocations between programmes, while the minimum and maximum grant amounts are determined by the competition conditions.