Swedish Institute “Creative Force Eastern Europe and Turkey”

Creative Force Eastern Europe and Turkey

Creative Force Eastern Europe and Turkey supports collaborative projects with the overall objective to strengthen democratisation and freedom of expression in the target countries. These aims shall be achieved through mutual learning processes and sustainable networks between organisations and agents of change who work with either culture or the media to bring about change.

Creative Force Eastern Europe and Turkey is part of Sweden’s Reform cooperation programme for the region, the aim of which is stronger democracy, equitable and sustainable development and closer ties with the EU and its fundamental values.

Details of previous and current projects which have been granted funding from the programme are available in the Creative Force database.

Which countries are included?

Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldavia, Turkey and Ukraine

How much can I apply for?

Sums in the range SEK 100,000 − SEK 500,000/year may be applied for. The maximum project duration is two years.

Who can apply?

Applicants may be Swedish civil society organisations, foundations, public sector agencies, private sector agencies or other professional actors (e.g. enskild firma). The Swedish partner must have documented, relevant experience in the field and been registered in Sweden for at least two years.

It is always the Swedish partner in a collaboration who is formally responsible for the application and legally accountable vis-à-vis the Swedish Institute. The application should, however, be formulated jointly by both/all the partners.

SI will not grant funding to more than one application per applicant and funding type for each regional programme.

What does funding for collaborative projects cover?

Funding covers the direct costs associated with carrying out the proposed project. SI does not grant core funding.

Funding may not be sought for research projects, study trips, school exchanges, commercial contacts, volunteer activities, exchanges for children or young people, or participation in conferences/courses (unless the applicant is playing a central role). Nor may funding be sought for humanitarian efforts or disaster relief activities.

Application procedure

Applications with mandatory attachments are submitted via the web form that is open during the application period. Application forms and detailed instructions will be published on the second link below shortly before the call opens.

What kind of project is eligible for funding?

Projects in this geographic area are intended to contribute specifically to one or more of the following objectives:

• A more pluralistic civil society.
• Improved conditions for democratic accountability to the people.
• Freer and more independent media.
• Stronger rights and greater respect for/recognition of vulnerable groups such as children and LGBTQ persons as well as ethnic and religious minorities.
• Greater awareness and reduced levels of discrimination and intolerance.
• Women and men increasingly have equal power to shape society and their own lives.

SI will give precedence to projects with a communicative dimension which possess the potential for wider dissemination and which will help to shape opinion and encourage discussion of the issues raised.

Projects may be carried out in Sweden or in one or more of the programme countries. Priority will be given to regional and inter-regional collaborations in Eastern Europe and Turkey.

Funding will normally not be granted to projects to be carried out in countries or regions which the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs advises against visiting. SI advises all Swedish partners who have been granted funding to follow the travel recommendations of the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and to check the insurance regulations for the country in question, for example on www.erv.se.

Target group

The primary target group for Creative Force are agents of change and opinion-makers who, through culture or the media, work with creative processes to strengthen democratisation and human rights. These can be organisations and groups of cultural actors and journalists, other actors within media organisations as well as human rights defenders and political activists, women’s rights groups, youth organisations or other relevant actors who work to increase democratisation and freedom of expression.

The final beneficiaries of Creative Force initiatives are groups and/or individuals who are directly positively influenced by the project outcomes, especially vulnerable groups in the programme countries and regions: women, children and youth as well as minority groups in especially vulnerable positions such as LGBTQ individuals or people with disabilities.

For more information, please contact:

Judith Black, Programme Manager Eastern Europe and Turkey