Applications Invited for Visegrad+ Grants Program 2020

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About the Organization:

Visegrad Fund is an international donor organization, established in 2000 by the governments of the Visegrad Group countries—Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia to promote regional cooperation in the Visegrad region (V4) as well as between the V4 region and other countries, especially in the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership regions. Their vision is that grants, scholarships and residencies will become the catalyst for the advancement of innovative ideas in Central and Eastern Europe.

Visegrad+ Grants

The International Visegrad Fund is inviting applications for its Visegrad+ Grants Program to support projects which contribute to the democratization and transformation processes in selected countries and regions, especially non-EU member states in the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership countries.

Objectives

To apply for Visegrad+ Grants, your project must address one of the objectives of the grant program from one of seven focus areas eligible for funding.

Culture and Common Identity

• Increased awareness of cultural diversity and cross-border intercultural dialogue
• Increased awareness of common heritage, including history and contemporary art
• Increased promotion of common identity and heritage inside and outside of the V4 region
• Larger volume of common cultural productions reaching out to new audiences

Education and Capacity Building

• Improved hard /soft skills for a better access to labor market, lifelong learning and internship programs
• Strengthened cooperation among educational institutions
• Increase in the volume of common formal, informal and non-formal educational tools and teacher training opportunities
• Increased sharing of best practices in the dialog among decision-making bodies, municipalities, schools and families

Innovation, R&D, Entrepreneurship

• Increase in B2B networks with an emphasis on development of SMEs and start-up
• Improved ecosystem for business and social business development at the regional level
• Development of regional networks/clusters of SMEs, academia, and research institutions with a long-lasting impact
• Increased science popularization on the regional level with emphasis on youth
• Increased promotion of joint V4 R&D projects outside of the V4 region
• (EaP) Launching or strengthening political, economic and social cooperation between cross-border regions in the spirit of micro-regional cooperation and enhancing connectivity. Improving living standards of cross-border regions, also exploiting possibilities provided by new technologies (digitalisation)

Democratic Values and the Media

• Increased participation of citizens in the democratic system
• Increased awareness of transparency as a norm in society, professionalization of transparency of justice, fight against corruption
• Providing a safer environment and capacity-building for whistleblowers, fact-checkers, investigative journalists and other watchdogs
• Increased volume of media coverage in V4/Western Balkans/EaP region about regionally-relevant topics, increased access to information
• Improved media and information literacy for increased resilience towards biased reporting, disinformation and propaganda
• (EaP) Empowering the most vulnerable (e.g. women, children, youth, refugees and/or IDPs) in conflict and post-conflict situations including through their participation in peacebuilding processes
• (WB) Regional cooperation and reconciliation in the WB region

Public Policy and Institutional Partnership

• Increased awareness and active involvement of civil society in policy-making processes with emphasis on youth
• Increased capacity building of civil servants
• Creating new approaches to existing regional public challenges
• Creating common advocacy strategies addressing regional issues
• (EaP) Rule of law and good governance; building the necessary central and local administration system with the involvement of the civil society
• (WB) Migration, border control, fight against corruption and organised crime

Regional Development, Environment and Tourism

• Increased number of town/municipality twinning initiatives
• Increased awareness, education and improve regional strategies on environmental protection, climate change and sustainable development
• Diversification of tourism by increasing the range and quality of regional products and services
• (EaP) Competitive economies and economic modernisation as the basis for stable and sustainable development, social welfare and integration to international markets. The role of education, research and innovation in realising these goals
• (WB) Environment and sustainable development

Social Development

• Promotion of tolerant and inclusive mindset in society, protection of minorities
• Deepened inter-generational understanding and dialogue
• Improved regional strategy and policy for demographic and other social and economic challenges
• Increased awareness and practice of a healthy and active lifestyle and reduction of substance abuse
• (EaP) Strengthening the resilience of conflict-affected communities through the support of health, education, livelihood, and job-training

Eligibility Criteria

• Consortium of organizations of which 3 or more 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.: private entrepreneurs, companies – especially innovation and startup-related actors – with a legal entity are also eligible, but only if their Visegrad project is of nonprofit character

Conditions

• Projects must develop meaningful cooperation and ensure active involvement of at least 3 V4 countries and 1 entity from the EaP region or the Western Balkans countries at minimum regardless of the applicant
• 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

Deadline: October 1 at 12.00 PM (noon).

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