ZMINA:Resilience. Second call for co-creation funding of international cooperation projects

🗓️ Online info session in Ukrainian: 27 October 2026, 13:00 (Kyiv) / 12:00 (CET) — register here 🗓️ Online info session in English: 3 November 2026, 14:00 (Kyiv) / 13:00 (CET) — register here

The IZOLYATSIA Foundation (UA) and Malý Berlín (SK), together with Trans Europe Halles (SE), announce the second call for proposals for the co-creation funding of international cooperation projects.

The objective of the call is to support co-creation between Ukrainian artists and cultural organisations and their peers from Creative Europe countries on the topic of resilience.

Funding will be available for co-creation projects involving at least one Ukrainian partner and a partner from another Creative Europe participating country. Each partner is expected to play a role of comparable weight in the project — whether through creative input, management responsibilities, or audience development. All creative sectors are eligible, with the exception of the audio-visual sector. Each co-creation project must include a public presentation in the locality of every participating partner.

Purpose of the call

• To develop and present an international co-creation on the topic of resilience, in any artistic/cultural sector except audio-visual.
• To carry out at least two local presentations (one/locality, including in Ukraine).

Budget

• Total funding available: 187,500€
• Amounts per grant:
  • Up to 25,000€, covering up to 90% of project costs.
  • Applicants are expected and required to provide the rest of the total project budget as a contribution.
• Expected number of grants: 7-10

Eligible applicants Organisations active in the field of arts and culture established in a Creative Europe country (EU countries, non-EU countries). For Ukraine, they must be registered in a zone effectively controlled by the Ukrainian government. Projects must include at least two partners from at least two countries, of which one is Ukraine. Individual artists and freelancers cannot apply directly; they must take part through an eligible organisation acting as a project partner.

List of activities that are eligible for financial support

• All activities necessary for the co-creation project implementation and development.
• Presentation of the co-creation in the locality of each project partner.
• Travel related to organisational, rehearsal, artistic, presentation purposes.

Duration of the project

• Project duration period: up to 7 months within the indicative implementation window of February–August 2027.
• Earliest start of the project after the signature of the grant agreement.

Technical eligibility criteria

• All required attachments (as described in the Application Procedure below) are uploaded to the platform in separate files and in the formats specified for this call.
• All required attachments are uploaded to the platform following standard templates that can be downloaded on the platform.
• All required attachments are readable, accessible, and printable.
• All the project partners meet the eligibility conditions specified for this call.
• The registration of all the project partners meets the conditions specified for this call.
• The application form is complete and contains all the requested information.
• The total subgrant amount requested in the budget is within the maximum subgrant amounts determined for this call.
• The total project partners contribution meets the conditions specified for this call.
• Project implementation period is within the project implementation period defined for this call.
• The start of project implementation meets the conditions specified for this call.

Selection criteria Relevance:

• Relevance of the project to the objectives of the call.
• Relevance of potential co-creation to act as a basis for intercultural dialogue.

Quality:

• Quality of extent to which cross-cutting issues (digital, green, inclusion) are addressed, including barrier-free access to project results.
• Quality of the partnership: the equal importance of the roles played by project partners.
• Quality of scale of engagement, measured by the expected audience size and number of local presentations.

Impact:

• Impact and the sustainability of the project, including plans and possibilities for future presentations of the co-creation.

Selection procedure Applications will first undergo a technical eligibility check by the ZMINA:Resilience team to verify that they meet all formal requirements, including admissibility and eligibility criteria. Proposals that pass this stage will then be assigned to two independent evaluators each.

Evaluators will assign scores to applications. Then, the applications will be rated according to the average score.

The final selection will be made by the Selection Committee, taking into account geographical, sectoral, and thematic diversity, within the available budget of the call.

The application budget will be assessed for cost-effectiveness and plausibility, and may be adjusted before the grant agreement is signed. The final grant amount will be determined based on a combination of lump sum units and actual costs incurred: costs such as artist fees, travel, accommodation, and per diems are paid at the fixed unit rates listed under "Eligible costs covered by the grant" below, regardless of the exact amount spent, while costs such as equipment rental, production services, and shipping are reimbursed based on actual costs incurred.

Due to the volume of applications received, the ZMINA:Resilience project team will not be able to provide individual feedback for selection decisions. All decisions are final.

Application procedure

• Applications must be submitted via the IZOLYATSIA online platform no later than 04.12.2026, 23:59 (Kyiv time).
• Applicant: the application shall be submitted by a single representative of the consortium/project partners (Lead Applicant).

Required documents The application package includes:

• The application form and budget (completed directly on the platform).
• Supporting documents regarding capacity, eligibility, and admissibility. The following must be uploaded to the platform in .pdf format separately for each partner:
  • A scanned copy of the Letter of Guarantee, completed and signed by the head of the applicant organisation (template available for download on the platform).
  • Registration documents:
    • For organisations registered in Creative Europe countries other than Ukraine: national registration documents with English translation in case the document is issued in another language.
    • For organisations from Ukraine: Full Extract from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, Physical Persons-Entrepreneurs, and Public Formations dated on or after 5 October 2026 — in their original language.
  • The current version of the Statutes or equivalent (if mandatory for the legal entity) — all pages:
    • For organisations registered in Creative Europe countries other than Ukraine: with English translation in case the document is issued in another language.
    • For organisations from Ukraine: in their original language.

Language of application: the application must be submitted in English.

Support: during the application period, assistance will be provided through Q&A sessions and a dedicated email helpline.

Draft subgrant agreement template

Funding conditions

• Financial support: 70% is disbursed upon signing the grant agreement, and the remaining amount is paid upon submission and approval of the report.
• Co-financing is mandatory and must be at least 10% of the total project budget.
• Double funding within the EU budget is not allowed.
• All costs must be incurred after the grant agreement is signed and within the project implementation period.
• Compliance with EU branding and visibility requirements is mandatory.

Eligible costs covered by the grant include

• Daily fee for artistic work: 75€/artist/day
• Travel:
  • International: 350€/return trip
  • Local (e.g. participation in trainings): 65€/return trip
• Support to green travel (in addition to the travel rate above, for one-way trips over 600km not made by air): 300€
• Accommodation & per diem: 75€/overnight
• Visa cost, if needed: 80€
• Shipping/Transport (of equipment), incl. insurance: at cost
• Supplies & equipment (for equipment depreciation costs only): at cost
• Services required for project implementation (production, rental of equipment, rental of space for project events, etc.): at cost
• Communication, marketing and documentation: at cost
• Management and administration costs: max. 20% of the overall project budget (grant amount plus own contribution/co-financing combined)

Estimated dates

• Launch of the Call for Proposals: 5 October 2026
• Deadline for Submission of Applications: until 23:59 4 December 2026 (Kyiv time)
• Evaluation Period: December 2026
• Announcement of Results: January 2027
• Signing of Grant Agreements: February 2027
• Implementation of Selected Projects: February 2027 – August 2027 (each project runs up to 7 months within this window, depending on its grant agreement signing date)

Contact information Helpline: [email protected] (response within 2 working days). FAQ and additional materials are available on the application platform.

ZMINA:Resilience is a collaboration between IZOLYATSIA Foundation (Ukraine), Malý Berlín (Slovakia) with the participation of Trans Europe Halles (Sweden).

Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only 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.

Deadline: 05.10.2026 — 04.12.2026

Frequently asked questions

1. Can individual artists or sole proprietors (PE/FOP) apply? No. This call is open only to legal entities (organisations). Individual artists may take part as members of the creative team or as partners through an organisation, but they cannot be direct sub-grant recipients.

2. In what language should I fill out the application form? The application form must be filled out in English only.

3. Where can I submit an application? The application form and budget are to be filled out and submitted on the IZOLYATSIA online platform.

4. What is the application evaluation and selection process? Applications are evaluated through a three-stage process, which includes a technical eligibility check, expert evaluation, and final selection by the Selection Committee.

• Stage 1. Assessment of applications for compliance with technical eligibility criteria.
• Stage 2. Quality evaluation of applications by two independent external experts.
• Stage 3. Final selection by the Selection Committee. All conditions are described in detail in the text of the open call.

1. Is it mandatory to have a partner? Yes. This is a key requirement of the call. The project must be a collaborative effort involving at least one Ukrainian organisation and at least one organisation from another Creative Europe participating country (EU countries, non-EU countries).

2. Who is eligible to be a partner from the EU/Creative Europe countries? Any organisation operating in the cultural or creative sectors and registered in a Creative Europe participating country. This includes, among others, public institutions, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), or private companies active in the cultural field.

3. Can I submit a project that is already completed just for an international showcase? No. The call is designed for the joint creation of a new product or a significant re-imagining of an existing idea in collaboration with partners (at least one Ukrainian organisation and at least one organisation from another Creative Europe participating country).

4. Where should the project presentations take place? Each project must conduct at least two public presentations in the locality of every participating partner:

5. Minimum one in Ukraine (can be in a hybrid or online format if required by the security situation).

6. Minimum one in the international partner's country (offline).

7. What is the maximum project duration? The project must be fully implemented within 7 months from the date the sub-grant agreement is signed, within the indicative implementation window of February–August 2027.

8. What is the maximum grant amount? Up to 25,000€, covering up to 90% of the total project costs.

9. Is an own contribution required? Yes. The project requires a financial contribution from the partners of at least 10% of the total project budget. This contribution must be in cash (not in-kind) and reflected as such in accounting statements. It may be distributed among partners by mutual agreement.

10. What is the payment schedule? 70% of the grant is paid after signing the grant agreement, and the remaining 30% is paid after submission and approval of the final report, as detailed in the draft subgrant agreement template available on the platform.

11. How should the budget be distributed between partners? There are no fixed percentage requirements (e.g. 50/50) for budget distribution between partners. However, the distribution should be based on the principles of fairness, transparency and the real contribution of each partner.

12. What documents are required from the partners?

13. Letter of Guarantee: completed and signed by the head of the partner organisation (template available for download on the platform).

14. Registration documents: for organisations from Creative Europe countries other than Ukraine, national registration documents; for Ukrainian organisations, a full extract from the Unified State Register dated on or after 5 October 2026.

15. The current version of the Statutes or equivalent (if mandatory for the legal entity), all pages.

16. Is it permissible to generate income (e.g., from ticket sales)? Yes, but any income generated must be reinvested into the project and reflected in the budget.

17. Who will own the intellectual property (IP) rights to the materials created? You as the partners are intended to be the owners of what you create within the project.

18. Is it necessary to transfer rights for reproduction, public communication, secondary use, and derivative use of the produced product? The ZMINA:Resilience partners, the European Union as the granting authority, and any third party at their own discretion, are intended to have the right to use the produced product and all relevant materials for policy, information, communication, dissemination and publicity purposes.

19. Are audio-visual projects eligible? No. All creative sectors are eligible except the audio-visual sector.

Agreement & Guidelines Please confirm that you have read and understood the following documents:

• Guarantee Letter Template
• Model Subgrant Agreement
• Financial Report Template (will be available later)
• Narrative Report Template