The Ukrainian Cultural Foundation has started accepting applications for the ‘Innovative Cultural Products’ call under the ‘Cultural Horizons’ programme, co-funded by the European Union. The submission deadline is August 14, at 18:00.
Guidelines for Applicants:
- Before submitting an application, you must carefully read the Guidelines for Applicants and use them as a practical guide at all stages of participation in the programme: from filling out the application form to reporting on project results. Templates of all necessary documents are provided at the end of the guidelines.
Priorities of the call:
- Digital transformation – using digital technologies to create, distribute, and promote cultural products; developing digital competencies of artists and cultural practitioners; expanding access to cultural practices through digital solutions; integrating the best European digitalization practices.
- Sustainable development and environmental responsibility – minimizing the environmental footprint of projects, promoting sustainable practices in the cultural sector, and integrating sustainability principles into product content.
- Inclusion and gender equality – including representatives of vulnerable and underrepresented groups and ensuring the accessibility of cultural products.
- Support and scaling of contemporary cultural content using digital technologies, cross-media formats, and modern methods of audience engagement.
- Support for cross-sectoral partnerships between representatives of culture, IT, education, urban planning, ecology, and the social sphere to create sustainable cultural ecosystems.
- Promotion of Ukrainian cultural products at national and international levels, with an emphasis on cultural diplomacy, national identity branding, cultural mobility, internationalization, and creating new opportunities for exporting creative content.
Who can apply:
- Legal entities of all forms of ownership and individual entrepreneurs (FOPs), each registered on the territory of Ukraine in accordance with current Ukrainian legislation for at least 1 year as of the date of the Competition (LOT) announcement (with the exception of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine), and possessing relevant experience in the field of culture.
- Please note! The call only supports international cooperation projects: the applicant must be a resident of Ukraine, and at least one partner must be an organization registered in a European Union country.
Funding amount:
- Total call budget: UAH 19,108,000 (€400,000);
- Minimum grant amount (cannot be less): UAH 500,000 (€10,000);
- Maximum grant amount (cannot exceed): UAH 1,000,000 (€20,000).
Eligible project types:
- Audio content (podcasts, audio recordings, audiobooks);
- Art objects (sculptures, installations, interactive objects);
- Exhibitions and expositions;
- Video content (video art, short films, video projects, web formats);
- Decorative and applied arts;
- Inclusive cultural products with accessibility elements (subtitles, sign language interpretation, audio descriptions, tactile solutions);
- Interactive digital cultural products and platforms;
- Installations (including multimedia and site-specific);
- Media art and digital art projects;
- Performances (theatrical, choreographic, interdisciplinary);
- Public art events (screenings, presentations and other);
- Handicrafts and folk art products;
- 3D models and digital visualizations of objects;
- VR/AR art projects;
- Projects combining several sectors into a single coherent concept.
Things to keep in mind:
- The cultural product must be created through an international partnership with organizations registered in European Union countries.
- The language of implementation for all projects is the state language (Ukrainian); supporting materials in foreign languages must be accompanied by a Ukrainian translation.
- Co-financing is not mandatory. However, in case of equal scores, preference will be given to projects with co-financing of at least 5% of the total project amount.
- The total share of expenses for team member remuneration and author fees (honorariums) for non-team members (including the Single Social Contribution / ESV) cannot exceed 50% of the total expenses funded by the grant.
- Verification of the final report by an independent auditor’s report is mandatory; audit services cannot be paid for using the grant funds.
How to apply:
- Review the competition guidelines, which outline the timeline, application selection procedure, and answers to frequently asked questions.
- Register on the UCF website as an applicant.
- Select the ‘Cultural Horizons’ programme, the ‘Innovative Cultural Products’ LOT, and the competition type, fill out the application, and sign it with an e-signature.
- A step-by-step guide on ‘How to submit an application?’ is available at the link.
- A toolkit on what to do if the application fails the technical selection is available at the link.
Ukrainian Cultural Foundation is a state investor in the development of culture and creative industries. The institution was established in 2017 under the ‘On the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation’ law. Project support is provided on a competitive basis across seven sectors: auditory arts, visual arts, audiovisual arts, cultural heritage, literature, performing and stage arts, and cultural and creative industries. Over nine years of operation, UCF has supported 3,207 projects that continue to shape society. The total investment amounts to nearly UAH 2.5 billion, reaching an audience of over 50 million people. Follow the UCF on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Cultural Horizons is an international project by the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation and Cultural Vistas (Germany), combining grant support, mentorship, and professional exchange between Ukraine and EU countries. It contributes to strengthening Ukraine’s cultural sector and social cohesion by supporting partnership-based initiatives, as well as expanding access to cultural practices for Ukrainians affected by the war. The initiative is co-funded by the European Union. However, the views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
