The Visegrad+ Grants is offering grants to support projects which contribute to the democratization and transformation processes in selected countries of the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia) and the Eastern Partnership regions (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine).
Objectives
To apply for Visegrad+ Grants, your project must address one of the objectives of the grant program from the seven focus areas eligible for funding.
Culture and Common Identity
Projects creating/presenting common audiovisual, literary, and other contemporary art products to new audiences
Projects reflecting on common historical and cultural heritage as well as cultural diversity by joint research and knowledge-sharing activities
Projects establishing and fostering cooperation among municipalities, regions, and local groups through common cultural activities
Education and Capacity Building
Projects strengthening professional networks of educational institutions and supporting mobility of students, researchers, and educators to share best practices
Projects improving hard and soft skills for the 21st century through formal and non-formal educational methods
Innovation, R&D, Entrepreneurship
Projects aiming to build up new business and cluster networks for SMEs, startups, and research institutions within and outside the V4
Projects tackling economic challenges and improving the ecosystem for businesses and social enterprises through joint lobbying, common policy solutions and exchange of best practices
Projects dealing with innovation, new technologies and scientific research on regional and cross-sectoral levels
Democratic Values and the Media
Projects promoting active participation of citizens in democratic decision-making processes and fostering democratic debate
Projects promoting transparency and the fight against corruption by supporting knowledge-exchange and capacity-building of whistleblowers, investigative journalists, and watchdogs
Projects improving media and information literacy, and increasing resilience towards biased reporting, disinformation, and propaganda
Projects aiming for better media coverage of relevant topics in the V4 region and increased access to information
Public Policy and Institutional Partnership
Projects connecting the expert communities to find joint solutions to common policy challenges
Projects promoting active lobbying for policy change and good governance and connecting relevant stakeholders with decision-makers
Regional Development, Environment and Tourism
Projects offering new solutions and activities to the fight against climate change and raising awareness of environmental protection within and outside the V4 region
Projects aiming at sustainable tourism development on the local and regional levels by combining international expertise and shared know-how
Projects aiming at finding and sharing innovative solutions in local and regional infrastructure development, urban planning, land revitalization and agriculture
Social Development
Projects promoting an inclusive mindset in society and addressing protection and empowerment of minorities
Projects improving intergenerational dialogue and the social care infrastructure to tackle common demographic and public health challenges
Projects promoting a healthy and active lifestyle and reduction of addictive substance abuse.
Who can apply?
Consortia of organizations of which 2 or more (depending on the grant scheme) are based in different Visegrad countries
All types of non-governmental, civil society organizations (CSOs); municipalities and local governments; schools, higher education institutions; research and scientific bodies and public institutions are eligible as lead partner (applicant) and partners in the consortia.
Market actors, e.g., companies – especially innovation and startup-related actors – with a legal entity are also eligible, but only if their Visegrad project is of nonprofit character
Eligibility Criteria
Any non-governmental, legal entity from any country can apply for support if they fulfil the partnership criteria. The Fund’s main targets are civil society organizations (CSOs), public educational, cultural, research and scientific institutions, municipalities, and local governments, but market actors, e.g., companies – especially innovation and startup-related ones – are also eligible, if their project is of non-profit character.
Natural persons (individual citizens) or institutions of state administration directly subordinated to the state and its bodies, e.g., ministries, government and state agencies, embassies, etc. can neither apply nor be valid project partners. Private entrepreneurs are not eligible to apply or be partners.
Subjects that possess full or partial independence from state administration and possess self-governance (such as universities, academic, artistic, social, educational, cultural, research and/or science organizations, municipalities, and local governments, etc.) can apply for the Fund’s support.
If the applicant is a research or higher education institution with several organizational units (e.g., universities, academies of science, etc.), they are obliged to indicate the name of the smallest possible organizational unit (institute, department, etc.) entrusted with the project’s implementation. Without this information, the application will not be considered eligible. When choosing the appropriate unit, make sure that they are entitled, according to their internal rules, to independently apply for project funding.
Should an overlapping larger unit (e.g. a faculty of the university) have a running grant in the same grant scheme that the applicant wishes to apply for, it is the responsibility of the applicant to make sure that the running project is administered by a separate subunit (e.g. the applicant is a department under a faculty which already has a running project – a clear separation of subunits will be necessary to make the new proposal eligible).
Ineligible
Institutions directly under state administration (ministries, government agencies, embassies, state-funded cultural institutes, state-owned companies)
Natural persons (individual citizens)
Private entrepreneurs with/without a legal entity
Conditions
Projects must develop meaningful cooperation and ensure the active involvement of at least 3 V4 countries and 1 entity from the Eastern Partnership region (EaP) or the Western Balkans countries (WB) at minimum (3xV4 + 1xEaP/WB format). However, if the applicant is from one of the EaP or WB countries, it is enough to involve two V4 countries in the project consortium, if another EaP/WB country is also involved (2xV4 + 2xEaP/WB format).
Exception from the partnership rules for Ukrainian entities:
applicants can apply for the first 2024 call by Feb 1, 2024
with 2 partners from a different V4 country each without involving another country from the EaP or WB region (1xUA + 2xV4 format)
applicants can apply for the second 2024 call by June 1, 2024
with 2 partners from a different V4 country each without involving another country from the EaP or WB region (1xUA + 2xV4 format)
Visegrad+ Grants should be implemented in the EaP or WBs region, and/or have a strong impact on local communities in at least one of those countries
Maximum duration of project implementation is 18 months
Grants cover up to 100% of project budget with maximum 15% of the requested sum for overheads
Projects must clearly address one of the objectives of the program´s seven focus areas
Please note that simply having a project partner/applicant from the EaP or WB region does not automatically make an application qualify for a Visegrad+ Grant!
