Societal resilience through culture: Barrier-Free Society (Lot 2)

The Ukrainian Cultural Foundation, in partnership with the British Council, has opened the call for applications for inclusive programmes.

The initiative is implemented within the framework of the Agreement on the One Hundred Years Partnership between Ukraine and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Objectives of the programme “Societal Resilience through Culture”:

• to promote the creation of an inclusive cultural and artistic space in which everyone can engage in creative activities;

• to ensure access to culture for people with limited mobility and persons with disabilities, including those who have suffered injuries or losses due to the war, through the adaptation of artworks, films, theatrical productions, and cultural events into accessible formats;

• to support the implementation of inclusive and trauma-informed practices that contribute to mental recovery and the strengthening of society’s internal resilience;

• to promote the creation of a barrier-free living environment in the cultural, educational, and social spheres for people with limited mobility, older persons, families with young children, persons with disabilities, and all those in need of support;

• to foster a culture of respect and acceptance, overcoming stereotypes and prejudice through the support of artistic initiatives that raise public awareness of inclusion and humanity;

• to contribute to the preservation, development, and representation of the cultural heritage of the Indigenous Peoples of Ukraine;

• to stimulate the development of cross-sector partnerships and support competitive projects with the potential to attract non-governmental investment and achieve sustainable development.

The objective of Lot 2 is to create sustainable opportunities for self-realisation of persons with disabilities and to develop inclusive creativity, cultural resilience, and barrier-free access to culture.

Eligible costs:

➫ remuneration for team members and related social contributions;
➫ costs related to business trips of permanent staff of the applicant organisation;
➫ equipment and intangible assets;
➫ rental-related costs (premises, machinery, equipment and tools, stage and production equipment, transport, etc.);
➫ expenses of project participants who take part in cultural, educational, and other activities and do not receive salaries and/or remuneration;
➫ material costs;
➫ printing services;
➫ publishing services;
➫ promotion services;
➫ website development services;
➫ purchase of methodological, educational, and informational materials, including those on electronic media;
➫ translation services;
➫ other costs, including payments under licensing agreements for non-exclusive rights to use intellectual property objects (royalties).

Ineligible costs:

➫ purchase of goods, works, or services not related to project implementation;
➫ payment for intermediary services;
➫ implementation of projects aimed at generating profit, except for projects related to film production;
➫ payment for goods, works, or services that have been or will be financed from other sources before or after the signing of the Agreement (double financing);
➫ costs related to the preparation of the project application;
➫ costs for the maintenance of enterprises, institutions, or organisations, including those participating in the project (except for costs directly related to project implementation);
➫ losses resulting from exchange rate differences;
➫ expenses (procurement of goods, works, or services) incurred between related parties where such relationships may affect the terms or economic outcomes of their activities or the activities of the persons they represent (except for remuneration of team members);
➫ costs for services related to the development of design and cost-estimate documentation, as well as capital repairs and construction works;
➫ purchase of fixed assets with a value exceeding UAH 50,000.00 (excluding VAT) per unit;
➫ purchase of mobile phones and household appliances;
➫ costs for audit services covered by the grant funds;
➫ costs for the acquisition of intangible assets;
➫ costs for catering for project participants;
➫ other costs incurred not in accordance with the intended purpose.

Priority Areas:

• Creating a barrier-free cultural environment by implementing inclusive and trauma-informed cultural and artistic practices aimed at ensuring physical, informational, communicational, and mental accessibility of culture.

• Supporting mental recovery and social integration of people with disabilities, individuals with combat-related and civilian injuries through participation in cultural and artistic processes.

• Institutional transformation of cultural organizations toward accessibility: adapting spaces, programmes, working formats, and engaging people with disabilities in professional activities.

• Development of inclusive cultural products and services that can be replicated, scaled, or used as models for other institutions.

Sectors in which projects may be implemented:

• Audiovisual arts

• Visual arts

• Auditory arts

• Performing and stage arts

• Cultural heritage

• Literature

• Cultural and creative industries (cross-sectoral projects)

Types of supported activities:

• Inclusive artistic practices that ensure access for people with disabilities to participate as audience members, participants, or professionals.

• Trauma-informed cultural events (exhibitions, performances, screenings, happenings) aimed at mental recovery and safe interaction with audiences.

• Adaptation of cultural spaces and formats (physical, sensory, informational accessibility).

• Inclusive artistic, educational, and awareness-raising initiatives that foster a culture of barrier-free access.

• Digital solutions for accessing culture, designed for people with various forms of disabilities.

• Application period: 21 November 2025 – 19 January 2026 (until 18:00 Kyiv time)

• Technical selection: 20 January 2026 – 23 January 2026

• Expert evaluation: 26 January 2026 – 13 February 2026

• Negotiation procedures: 16 February 2026 – 6 March 2026

• Contract signing: 10 March 2026 – 27 March 2026

• Project implementation: from the date of contract signing, but not earlier than 1 May 2026 – 1 October 2026

• Reporting submission: by 1 October 2026 (inclusive)

Applications are submitted exclusively in electronic form via the Foundation’s official website. The submitted application package must be signed with the applicant’s qualified electronic digital signature (EDS).

To submit an application, the applicant must create a personal online account. If such an account has already been created, it may be used.

After creating the account, you will be automatically redirected to the main page of the website to:
→ select the relevant call for proposals
→ select the Lot
→ select the project type

After completing these three steps, a “Submit Application” button will appear on the right side of the screen — click it to start filling in the application form.

The application may be completed gradually. For this purpose, please use the “Save” button. At the end of the application form, there are dedicated fields for uploading the budget and mandatory documents.

Once all application fields are completed, the budget and mandatory documents are uploaded, apply your electronic digital signature in the designated field and click the “Submit” button.

After the application package has been submitted to the Foundation, no changes can be made.

After submission, the applicant receives an email confirmation of successful application submission, including the project number assigned by the system, which can be used to track the status of the application review.

• the evaluation is carried out by experts of the relevant Expert Council of the Foundation;

• the project is assessed in parallel by five experts (a maximum of 100 points from each expert);

• the ranking score is calculated excluding the highest and the lowest scores;

• the overall maximum score within the programme is 300 points;

• applicants are prohibited from contacting experts during the evaluation process or attempting to influence decisions.