Second Call for Proposals for Project Grants

Creative Europe Culture Helps Solidarity Second Call for Proposals for Project Grants supports small-scale cultural projects on memory, commemoration and artistic documentation related to Russia’s war against Ukraine. The call has a total budget of 105,000 euro with grants up to 7,000 euro each, supports at least 15 projects, and funds projects up to six months with earliest start 1 February 2027 and final reports due 31 August 2027. Eligible applicants include individuals over 18 and civic, public or private non-commercial organisations based in Ukraine or Creative Europe countries; applications in English or Ukrainian must be submitted via the grant platform by 6 October 2026, 13:00 Brussels time. Selection prioritises trauma-informed, ethical, community-centred approaches, applicant capacity, proposal quality and sustainability, and excludes projects already funded by other Creative Europe schemes and proposals from political parties.

What it funds

Who can apply and key facts

Small-scale cultural and community projects working with memories, commemoration, documentation and ethical archival practices related to Russia’s war against Ukraine. Priority for work with groups directly affected by the war (for example veterans, families of the fallen, displaced people, witnesses).

Grant size and budget:Individual projects may receive up to €7,000; total call budget €105,000. Projects may run for up to 6 months. Activities cannot start before 1 February 2027. ¹

1. 1Eligible applicants: individuals (recommended to apply with an eligible civic/public/private non-commercial organisation) and civic, public or private non-commercial organisations based in Ukraine or any Creative Europe country; applicants must be 18+.
2. 2Focus: trauma-informed, community-centered remembrance, ethical use of personal archives, participatory arts, storytelling, exhibitions, local commemoration and related formats.
3. 3Exclusions: projects already funded by another Creative Europe scheme, political party proposals, strictly humanitarian or cost-of-living support requests.

At least 15 projects will be selected in this round (part of a wider programme of at least 60 grants across four thematic calls). Assessment includes eligibility check and expert evaluation on relevance, capacity, quality, authenticity and sustainability.

Apply and find templates and guidance via the grant platform and contact organisers for questions and an info session. See the application portal in the footnote. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Application portal and full call documents: Culture Helps Solidarity — Apply.

Key Facts

Call title:Second Call for Proposals for Project Grants (Memory in Action). Project: Culture Helps Solidarity. Grant agreement number: 101237762. Call identifier: CREA-CULT. Opening date: 18 August 2026. Deadline (single-stage): 6 October 2026, 13:00 Brussels time (14:00 Kyiv time). Total budget for this open call: €105,000. Expected number of projects in this round: minimum 15. Maximum individual grant: €7,000. Project duration: up to 6 months. Earliest project start date: 1 February 2027. Latest project end date: 31 July 2027. Final report submission deadline: 31 August 2027.

Application portal:Applications and budget template available and to be submitted via culture-of-solidarity-fund.grantplatform.com.

Purpose and Thematic Focus

This second thematic round focuses on memory and commemoration projects that responsibly engage with lived experiences of people affected by Russia’s war against Ukraine. The aim is to support small-scale cultural and community-based initiatives that create meaningful practices of remembrance, artistic and historical documentation, social and non-institutional archiving, public reflection, and commemoration while ensuring dignity, safety, agency and trauma-aware methodologies for participants.

Types of activity supported:Co-creation processes, participatory or collaborative art, community storytelling and archiving, exhibitions, audio or visual storytelling, artistic documentation, community gatherings, local acts of remembrance, publications, educational art formats, social or heritage archives, and other cultural practices that help people process loss, preserve memory, and speak about the war with care.

Who should apply and eligibility

Eligible applicants:civic, public or private organisations based in Ukraine or in any Creative Europe participating country, operating in the cultural, creative or civil sector. Individuals over 18 may apply but the organisers strongly recommend that individual applicants partner with an eligible organisation to act as legal entity for grant contracting and tax compliance. Private organisations must be non-commercial and be able to prove charitable status where applicable. Projects already funded by another Creative Europe scheme are ineligible. Proposals submitted by political parties, strictly humanitarian initiatives, or individual requests for cost-of-living support will not be considered. Applications must be submitted in English or Ukrainian and include a complete application form and budget.

Geographic eligibility:Open to applicants based in Ukraine and Creative Europe participating countries (the Creative Europe country list includes EU Member States and additional participating non-EU countries as defined by the Creative Europe programme) ¹.

Eligible applicant types (detailed)

Explicitly eligible applicant types based on the call text:organisations in the cultural, creative or civil sector that are civic bodies, public entities or private non-commercial organisations with charitable status. Individuals are permitted to apply but recommended to use an eligible organisation as the contracting legal entity. The call therefore practically accepts: non-profit organisations, NGOs, cultural institutions, community organisations, public bodies (municipal or cultural public entities), research or education programmes within eligible cultural actors, and individual cultural workers or artists when linked to an eligible organisation for contracting. Political parties and purely commercial entities are excluded.

Funding details and allowed costs

Funding type:grant (project grant). Maximum award per project: up to €7,000. The scheme can cover a wide variety of project costs including production costs, marketing and advertising, rental and running costs for studios and cultural venues, IT, communication and production tools and materials, travel costs, expert fees, artists' honoraria, legal services, staff and operational costs. Purchase of goods and services is permitted upon special request and where appropriate (for example in cases of damaged or lost items) and must be justified. Budgets must be proportionate and justifiable. Co-financing: not mandatory, but applicants are recommended to structure budgets so the grant covers no more than 80% of total project costs (i.e., suggesting up to 20% co-financing).

Total funding envelope and expected number of awards:Total available for this call round: €105,000. With maximum grants of €7,000, organisers plan to support a minimum of 15 projects in this second round and at least 60 project grants across the entire programme (four thematic calls).

Project maturity and duration

Expected project stage:implementation-ready small-scale cultural projects and community initiatives. Projects should be feasible within a 6-month timeline. Activities may not start before 1 February 2027. Final project end date must be no later than 31 July 2027, with final reporting due by 31 August 2027.

Selection criteria and evaluation process

Evaluation consists of an initial eligibility check followed by assessment by internal and external experts with diverse geographic, cultural and professional backgrounds. At least 15 projects will be supported in this round. Key selection criteria: relevance to the thematic focus (memory and commemoration; ethical, trauma-informed approaches); capacity and competence of applicant (experience, expertise and team composition); quality and coherence of proposal (clear aims, methods, realistic timeline and justified budget); authenticity and experimentation (creative, participatory, community-led methods, ethical handling of testimonies and materials); sustainability of action (potential for continued impact beyond grant, environmental responsibility). Proposals relying primarily on AI-generated content may be deprioritised.

Assessment timeline:Call opens: 18 August 2026. Call closes: 6 October 2026. Proposals assessed and selected: end November to beginning December 2026. Earliest project start: 1 February 2027. Project end: 31 July 2027. Final report due: 31 August 2027.

Application procedure and templates

How to apply:submit the application form and budget via the grant platform: culture-of-solidarity-fund.grantplatform.com. The call materials include a budget template (available on the platform). Applications must be in English or Ukrainian. Required documents: completed application form, project budget, proof of organisational status for legal contracting (for organisations), and any supporting materials demonstrating experience or project approach. Individual applicants are advised to provide documentation showing their relationship with an eligible legal entity that will sign the grant agreement. Private organisations must prove non-commercial/charitable status where applicable.

Application form structure (guidance):Based on the call and standard practice for such project grants, applicants should prepare the following sections in the application form and budget template: 1) Applicant information: legal name, contact details, legal status, country, registration documents; 2) Project title and acronym; 3) Executive summary: 150-300 words; 4) Thematic relevance: description of how the project addresses memory, commemoration and ethical/trauma-informed approaches; 5) Target groups and beneficiaries: who participates, how community consent and safety are ensured; 6) Activities and methodology: detailed description of methods, formats, outputs, timeline and locations; 7) Team and partners: roles, relevant experience and CV summaries; 8) Risk and safeguarding plan: trauma-informed procedures, informed consent, privacy and data protection, emotional safety measures; 9) Sustainability and legacy: how outcomes will be preserved or continued beyond the project; 10) Dissemination and accessibility: audiences, languages, accessibility measures; 11) Budget breakdown: detailed cost lines, justification for each cost and indication of any other funding sources or planned co-financing; 12) Attachments: supporting documents, proof of organisational status, letters of support where relevant. Use the official budget template provided on the platform.

Restrictions and exclusions

Ineligible:projects receiving funds from other Creative Europe schemes; proposals from political parties; strictly humanitarian projects or individual requests for cost-of-living support; entities subject to EU restrictive measures as per EU law and Commission guidance. Applicants relying primarily on AI-generated content risk lower prioritisation. Projects may not begin before 1 February 2027.

Support, webinar and contact

A thematic webinar recording and materials are available on:youtu.be. An online info session will be held on 2 September 2026 at 15:00 Amsterdam time / 16:00 Kyiv time (registration link: us06web.zoom.us). For further inquiries email chs@culturalfoundation.eu.

Selection likelihood and co-funding

Success rates:the call funds a minimum of 15 projects in this round from an unspecified number of applicants. Given the total available (€105,000) and the planned minimum awards, applicants should expect competitive selection; exact success rate depends on applications received. Co-funding: not mandatory, recommended that the grant covers up to 80% of project budget to show financial viability; indicating additional funds or in-kind contributions may strengthen proposals.

Target beneficiaries and communities

Priority is given to projects that work with and amplify experiences of:women veterans and servicewomen; veterans generally; families of the fallen; people who experienced captivity or illegal imprisonment; displaced communities and those affected by forced relocation; witnesses of wartime events; local residents and other individuals or groups connected to specific places, landscapes, events or histories of war.

Project safeguards, ethics and methodologies

Projects must demonstrate trauma-informed principles, informed consent procedures, privacy protections, emotional safety measures, and ethical treatment of personal materials (photographs, letters, oral testimonies, family archives, objects). Applicants should specify how stories will be collected, represented and preserved, how consent is obtained and documented, how sensitive material is stored or anonymised, and how to avoid extractive or harmful representation.

1. 1Eligible applicant types: non-profit organisations, civic organisations, public cultural bodies, cultural NGOs, community organisations, individuals (recommended to work with eligible legal entity for contracting).
2. 2Funding type: grant (project grant under Creative Europe co-financed project).
3. 3Consortium requirement: single applicant or project led by one legal entity; consortiums or partnerships are allowed but not mandatory; the call focuses on small-scale projects where a single applicant can deliver a 6-month project.
4. 4Beneficiary scope: Ukraine and Creative Europe participating countries (EU Member States plus listed non-EU countries under the Creative Europe programme) ¹.
5. 5Target sectors: culture, cultural heritage, memory and commemoration, arts, community engagement, archiving, education and heritage documentation.
6. 6Project stage: implementation-ready cultural projects, community-led memory and documentation activities within a 6-month delivery timeframe.
7. 7Funding amount: up to €7,000 per project; total round budget €105,000.
8. 8Application type: open call, single-stage submission through the grant platform.
9. 9Nature of support: monetary grant funding; non-monetary support also offered at programme level through mentoring, learning and peer exchange activities as part of Culture Helps Solidarity.
10. 10Application stages: 1 (single-stage submission) followed by eligibility check and expert assessment (two-step internal process: eligibility then evaluation).
11. 11Co-funding requirement: no mandatory co-funding, recommended that the grant covers up to 80% of project budget (i.e., applicants may provide or plan around 20% co-financing).

Consortium and partnerships:The call does not mandate formation of multi-partner consortia. Projects can be submitted by a single eligible legal entity. Partnerships and collaborations are welcome and should be described in the application, including roles, contributions and any subcontracting arrangements. Applicants must ensure all partners comply with eligibility and legal requirements for contracting and reporting.

Organisational implementers and funders

Culture Helps Solidarity is co-financed by the EU Creative Europe programme and implemented by the European Cultural Foundation (Amsterdam), Insha Osvita (Kyiv), zusa (Berlin), and the VETERANKA Movement (Kyiv). The wider programme runs until 2028 and comprises individual grants, thematic project grants and collaboration grants alongside mentoring and peer exchange.

Mentioned countries and geographical references

Explicitly mentioned:Ukraine, Netherlands (European Cultural Foundation based in Amsterdam), Germany (zusa based in Berlin). The call is open to organisations based in Ukraine and Creative Europe participating countries which include the 27 EU Member States and additional participating non-EU countries listed under the Creative Europe programme ¹.

Additional resources and recommended preparatory actions

Watch the thematic webinar recording and consult the webinar materials for trauma-informed practice, case studies and veteran-specific aspects: youtu.be. Register for the info session on 2 September 2026 to ask specific questions about application criteria and process: us06web.zoom.us. Use the budget template available on the grant platform and prepare safeguarding documentation, informed consent templates and data protection procedures to accompany your submission.

Contact for questions:chs@culturalfoundation.eu.

Summary

This open call by Culture Helps Solidarity funds small-scale cultural projects up to €7,000 that create ethical, trauma-informed, community-centred practices of memory, commemoration, documentation and archiving related to Russia’s war against Ukraine. The call is targeted at cultural workers, artists, community organisers, memory practitioners and cultural civil society actors based in Ukraine and Creative Europe countries. Applications are single-stage and must be submitted via the specified grant platform by 6 October 2026. Projects should be deliverable within six months starting no earlier than 1 February 2027. The selection prioritises thematic relevance, applicants’ capacity, quality and coherence of proposals, authenticity and experimentation, and potential sustainability. While co-funding is not mandatory, a budget structure where the grant covers up to 80% of costs is recommended. Applicants should prepare detailed budgets, safeguarding and consent procedures, team descriptions and methodology showing ethical engagement with communities and primary sources. Programmatic support will be available through webinars, mentoring and peer exchange as part of the broader Culture Helps Solidarity programme.

This call is part of the Creative Europe-funded programme Culture Helps Solidarity implemented by the European Cultural Foundation (NL), Insha Osvita (UA), zusa (DE) and the VETERANKA Movement (UA). For country participation rules under Creative Europe, see the programme country list ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1List of participating countries in the Creative Europe Programme is maintained by the European Commission and includes EU Member States plus specified non-EU countries (EEA/EFTA states, acceding/candidate/potential candidate countries and other partners) as set out in official guidance: ec.europa.eu.

This is a single-stage Creative Europe cascade funding call under Culture Helps Solidarity, focused on small-scale cultural projects about memory, commemoration, and artistic documentation in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine. The call offers grants of up to 7,000 euro per project, with a total budget of 105,000 euro and at least 15 projects expected to be supported in this round.

Opportunity at a glance

What the funding is about

The call supports cultural and community-based initiatives that create responsible forms of remembrance, documentation, public reflection, and commemoration related to the lived experiences of people affected by Russia’s war against Ukraine. It is designed for projects that work with memory in an ethical, community-centred, and trauma-informed way, with particular attention to informed consent, privacy, emotional safety, and the responsible use of personal materials.

The call especially values projects involving women veterans, servicewomen, all veterans, families of the fallen, witnesses of wartime events, local residents, people who have experienced loss, captivity, injury, or displacement, and other people connected to places, events, landscapes, or histories of war.

Supported activities may include co-creation processes, participatory or collaborative art, community storytelling and archiving, exhibitions, audio or visual storytelling, artistic documentation, community gatherings, local acts of remembrance, publications, educational art formats, and other cultural practices that help people process loss and preserve memory.

Who can apply

• Individuals over 18 years old are eligible to apply, although the organisers strongly recommend using an eligible organisation as the legal entity for the grant agreement.
• Civic, public, or private organisations based in Ukraine or in any Creative Europe country may apply.
• Applicants must operate in the cultural, creative, or civil sector.
• Private organisations must have non-commercial status and be able to prove the charitable status of the project ¹.
• Applications must be submitted in English or Ukrainian.
• A complete application form and budget are required.

Eligibility restrictions

• 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 are not eligible.
• Requests for cost-of-living support are not eligible.

Funding amount and eligible costs

Each project may receive up to 7,000 euro. Co-financing is not mandatory, but the grant is recommended to cover no more than 80 percent of the total project budget.

• Production costs
• Marketing and advertising costs
• Rental and running costs for studios and cultural venues
• IT, communication, and production tools and materials
• Other goods, means, or services necessary for project implementation, where justified and requested appropriately
• Travel costs
• Expert fees
• Artists’ honoraria
• Legal services
• Staff and operational costs, provided they are proportionate and justifiable

Project duration and timetable

1. 1Call opens: 18 August 2026
2. 2Submission deadline: 6 October 2026 at 13:00 Brussels time and 14:00 Kyiv time
3. 3Proposals assessed and selected: end of November to beginning of December 2026
4. 4Earliest project start date: 1 February 2027
5. 5Latest project end date: 31 July 2027
6. 6Final reports due: 31 August 2027

Activities may not begin before 1 February 2027, and the expected project period is up to 6 months.

Assessment criteria

• Relevance to the thematic focus and the quality of the project’s approach to remembrance, memory, and commemoration
• Capacity and competence of the applicant, including experience with war-affected communities and trauma-informed practice
• Quality and coherence of the proposal, including realistic methods, timeline, and budget
• Authenticity and experimentation, especially community-led and respectful approaches to memory work
• Sustainability of action, including potential for impact beyond the grant period and consideration of environmental responsibility

Practical points applicants should know

• At least 60 project grants will be awarded across four thematic calls, with at least 15 projects supported in this round.
• The organisers place strong emphasis on trauma-informed, ethical, and non-extractive engagement with personal stories and materials.
• Applicants are encouraged to rely on human expertise, critical thinking, and artistic or professional judgment; proposals that depend mainly on AI-generated content may be given lower priority.
• An online info session is scheduled for 2 September 2026 at 15:00 Amsterdam time and 16:00 Kyiv time.
• Questions can be sent to chs@culturalfoundation.eu.
• Applications and supporting documents are submitted through Grant platform.

Overall assessment

This opportunity is well suited to artists, cultural workers, researchers, memory practitioners, and civil society actors developing small-scale, community-centred projects on war memory, commemoration, and artistic documentation. The strongest proposals are likely to be those that demonstrate clear ethical safeguards, meaningful community participation, and a realistic cultural method that can be delivered within the 6 month implementation window.

Footnotes

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