Culture Helps Solidarity - Second call for proposals for collaboration grants

Culture Helps Solodarity - Open Call for Collaboration grants

Second Round, September - November 2026

Culture Helps Solidarity supports arts and culture professionals from Ukraine to sustain creativity, resilience, and community connection during and after the war. Running until 2028, the project combines three grant schemes - individual grants, thematic project grants, and collaboration grants - with a rich programme of mentoring, learning, and peer exchange. The project is co-funded through the Creative Europe programme and implemented by the European Cultural Foundation (Amsterdam), an independent foundation fostering European belonging through culture; together with Insha Osvita (Kyiv), a Ukrainian NGO and professional learning community developing educational and cultural programmes; zusa (Berlin), an international NGO fostering collaboration and collective learning for social and cultural change; and the VETERANKA Movement (Kyiv), Ukraine's leading community of women veterans advocating for women's rights, leadership, and reintegration.

This open call is the second and final call for proposals for collaboration grants. At least 15 international projects will be awarded. Culture Helps Solidarity will continue to open Calls for thematic project grants and individual care grants also in 2027.

What are we looking for?

This call for proposals seeks to support collaborative projects between at least two organisations based, respectively, in Ukraine and Creative Europe countries (which include the 27 EU member states and more countries participating in Creative Europe) that work with culture to improve access to cultural participation and support the integration of displaced Ukrainians, both inside Ukraine and across Creative Europe countries, or refugees into their host communities - with particular attention to vulnerable groups, veterans, and their mental well-being. The call prioritises partnerships between Ukrainian-led organisations, whether based in Ukraine or operating in exile, and non-Ukrainian organisations, especially from neighboring Creative Europe countries.

Through these collaborations, the call aims to foster:

• cross-border networking, the exchange of professional experience and good practices,
• stronger capacities for intercultural dialogue and mental health support, and
• the professional development of cultural managers,

while highlighting a culture of solidarity in shaping a European future for Ukraine.

What do we offer?

The Fund makes grants available in two amounts:

• up to €20.000 for partnerships of two organisations;
• up to €30.000 for partnerships of three or more organisations.

Grants will be awarded across these two available funding categories. Applicants must clearly indicate in their applications the grant amount for which they are applying.

Grants can cover a large variety of costs including production costs, marketing and advertising costs, rental and running costs for studios and cultural venues, IT, communication and production tools and materials, and - upon special request and where appropriate (e.g. when lost/destroyed) - purchase of other goods, means, or services necessary for the implementation and execution of the project.

Grants can also be used to cover travel costs, expert fees, artists' honoraria, legal services, staff- and operational costs. However, these amounts must all be proportionate and justifiable.

Although co-financing is not mandatory, it is recommended that the grant is used to cover a maximum of 80% of the total project budget.

The project timeline may be up to 12 months. Activities related to the project may not take place before the start date (1 February 2027).

Important notice: Applicants should take into consideration some procedural and administrative time required for contracting procedures when planning the starting date for their project. Although our grantmaking team will do their best to respect the published schedule, delays may occur due to handling unforeseeable contracting requirements. Applicants are therefore encouraged to plan their intended project start dates with sufficient flexibility in mind.

The submission deadline for proposals is Tuesday, 10th November 2026, 13:00 Amsterdam time/ 14:00 Kyiv time.

Eligibility criteria:

• Applications must be submitted in English and must include a complete application form and budget;
• Applicants must be above 18 years old and must demonstrate a sufficient level of English to work and communicate effectively in English;
• The call is open to collaborations of at least two organisations, with the lead applicant submitting the proposal, and entering into a grant agreement in case the proposal is selected;
• At least one partner must be a civic, public or private1 organisation with a legal status in Ukraine, active in Ukraine or in exile and operating in the cultural, creative or civil sector;
• In addition, at least one partner must be a civic, public or private organisation with a legal status and active in one of the Creative Europe countries (which include the 27 EU member states and more countries participating in Creative Europe), and operating in the cultural, creative or civil sector;
• At least one partner must be a cultural organisation and/or actively working on the integration of displaced Ukrainians both inside Ukraine and across Creative Europe countries, or refugees from Ukraine into their new living environments and professional realities and communities - veterans in particular;
• The proposed project must not receive funding from any other Creative Europe scheme;
• Proposals submitted by political parties will not be considered;
• Strictly humanitarian initiatives or individual requests for cost-of living support will not be considered.

Selection criteria and process:

• Relevance to the overall theme and objectives of the call - Does the project work with arts and culture to improve access to cultural participation and support the integration of displaced Ukrainians, both inside Ukraine and/or Creative Europe countries, or refugees into host communities? Does it have a particular focus on vulnerable groups, veterans and their mental well-being through culture?
• Quality of partnership - Does the proposal convincingly demonstrate the partners’ capacities, complementarities between organisations and motivation to collaborate?
• Authenticity and experimentation - Does the proposal and the partnership constellation demonstrate a genuine and innovative approach to the call’s objectives? This includes exploring new forms of cultural collaboration, audience engagement, intercultural dialogue, or activities that contribute to mental well-being, while bringing together partners whose complementary skills, experience, and networks create meaningful cross-border learning and exchange.
• Feasibility and implementation potential - Does the proposal demonstrate a convincing feasibility and implementation potential, including a balanced and realistic budget?
• Impact - Does the proposal demonstrate how it will have a positive impact on the communities addressed? Does it demonstrate a vision for the partnership beyond the project period, and how it will contribute to building long-term cultural relations between the Ukraine and Creative Europe countries and to the broader issues of the European integration of Ukraine?
• Sustainability - Does the proposal embody a convincing understanding of environmental sustainability, fair and green transition and the ecological impact of war in particular?

Following an eligibility check, applications will be assessed by a team of internal and external experts from a wide range of geographic, cultural and professional areas. At least 15 international projects will be awarded.

As part of the grant, awarded partnerships will receive one-on-one mentoring support, participate in community calls as well as an in-person networking meeting. These in-kind support activities are an integral part of the grant, participation in them is therefore compulsory.

Timeline

1 September 2026 call for proposals open

15 September 2026 info session & matchmaking event

10 November 2026 call closed

End of January 2027 proposals assessed and selected

1 February 2027 earliest starting date for selected projects 2

Summer 2027 in-person networking event (date TBC)

31 January 2028 end date of selected projects

29 February 2028 submission deadline for final reports

How to apply?

More information, useful tips, and the application form (which includes the budget section and budget form) are available at: https://culture-of-solidarity-fund.grantplatform.com/

Applicants are strongly encouraged to develop their proposals through human expertise, critical thinking, and artistic or professional judgment. Proposals that rely primarily on AI-generated content or concepts are discouraged and may be given lower priority in the assessment process.

Should you have further questions, please contact us at chs@culturalfoundation.eu.

The “Culture Helps Solidarity / Культура допомагає: Солідарність” is a project co-funded by the EU Creative Europe Programme and implemented by the European Cultural Foundation (NL), Insha Osvita (UA), zusa (DE) and VETERANKA Movement (UA).

1 Private organisations must have a non-commercial status and must be able to prove the project’s charitable status.

2 Important notice: Applicants should take into consideration some procedural and administrative time required for contracting procedures when planning the starting date for their project. Although our grantmaking team will do their best to respect the published schedule, delays may occur due to handling unforeseeable contracting requirements. Applicants are therefore encouraged to plan their intended project start dates with sufficient flexibility in mind.