Call for Proposals: Spaces of Culture 2025 – Strengthening Africa-Europe Cultural Partnerships: (Deadline 8 June, 2025)

EUNIC (European Union National Institutes for Culture) has announced the Spaces of Culture 2025 call for proposals, inviting cultural and civil society organisations, EUNIC members, and EU Delegations to collaborate on innovative cultural projects in Sub-Saharan Africa. This initiative aims to foster equitable partnerships, mutual learning, and sustainable cultural exchanges between African and European stakeholders.​

Key Details

• Application Deadline: Sunday, 8 June 2025
• Project Duration: 1 September 2025 – 31 August 2026
• Funding Available: Up to €50,000 per project
• Co-Funding Requirement: Minimum of 5% of the requested grant amount
• Eligible Regions: Sub-Saharan Africa
• Target Applicants: Cultural and civil society organisations, EUNIC members, and EU Delegations​

Objectives of the Call

The Spaces of Culture 2025 call is part of the broader Africa-Europe Partnerships for Culture programme, funded by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA). It seeks to:

• Support cultural relations projects grounded in equal partnerships and local ownership.
• Encourage collaboration between European and African artists, creators, and cultural professionals.
• Promote projects that demonstrate innovation, relevance to local contexts, and alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Foster spaces for free speech and artistic expression, particularly in fragile contexts.​

Partnership Requirements

Each project proposal must include:​

• At least three key local cultural and/or civil society partners.
• At least three full EUNIC members (exceptions may apply in countries with limited EUNIC presence).
• Involvement from EU Delegation(s) in the country or countries concerned.​

This structure aims to broaden the range of local organisations collaborating with European counterparts and to support the involvement of EUNIC members seeking to intensify their collaboration on the continent.​

Focus Areas

Projects should embody the principles of cultural relations, moving beyond the promotion of European culture in Sub-Saharan Africa. Activities should demonstrate mutual listening and learning, dialogue, co-creation, and joint capacity building. The call encourages contemporary and innovative formats related to:​

• Arts and creative industries
• Digitalisation
• Education
• Gender
• Heritage
• Human rights
• Social inclusion
• Sports
• Sustainability
• Tourism
• Youth​

Special attention should be given to widening access to culture and cultural collaborations, especially among youth, people with disabilities, communities outside urban areas, and those living in fragile contexts.​

Funding and Evaluation

• Grant Amount: Up to €50,000 per project.
• Co-Funding: At least 5% of the requested grant amount must be provided by project partners or third parties (excluding EU Delegations). For example, a €50,000 grant request requires a minimum co-funding of €2,500.
• Disbursement: 80% pre-payment before implementation; 20% upon completion.
• Evaluation: An independent jury of four experts from Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe will assess proposals based on:

  • Relevance to local context

  • Innovation

  • Partnership setup

  • Foreseen impact

  • Alignment with UN SDGs

  • Feasibility and cost-effectiveness

  • Environmental sustainability​

Who Can Apply?

Project proposals must include a minimum of three full EUNIC members (with possible exceptions in countries with limited EUNIC presence), three key local cultural and/or civil society partners, and involvement from EU Delegation(s) in the country(ies).

The call aims to broaden the range of local organisations collaborating with European counterparts in Sub-Saharan Africa. The call also supports the involvement of EUNIC members that wish to intensify their collaboration on the continent, particularly where the presence of EU Member States or a EUNIC cluster is limited.

Application Process

Required Documents:

• Completed application form
• Estimated balanced budget in EUR
• Support letters from all project partners​

Submission:

• Applications must be submitted in English by Sunday, 8 June 2025 to [email protected].
• Only complete applications using the provided templates and sent before the deadline will be considered.
• All applicants will receive confirmation upon receipt of their application.​

Quick Links

• Space of Culture 2025 – Call for proposals
• Press release
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Examples of previous projects
• Potential partnerships matchmaking form
• Information webinars

Timeline

• 3 March 2025: Launch of the call for proposals
• March – June 2025: Webinars for potential applicants
• 8 June 2025: Deadline for submission of proposals
• 1 July 2025: Selection of proposals by the jury
• July – August 2025: Contracting of beneficiaries
• 1 September 2025: Start of project implementation
• 31 August 2026: End of project implementation
• September – October 2026: Reporting of projects

Eligible Regions

The Spaces of Culture 2025 call is open exclusively to projects taking place in Sub-Saharan Africa. This regional focus aligns with the broader goals of the Africa-Europe Partnerships for Culture initiative, which aims to promote equitable cultural exchange and collaboration between African and European partners.

Projects must be locally grounded, with a strong emphasis on:

• Cultural and civil society organisations based in Sub-Saharan African countries
• Partnerships with local stakeholders and communities
• Active involvement from EU Delegations in the region

While proposals must be led by EUNIC members and include European participation, the ownership, design, and implementation of the projects should reflect local relevance and context in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Contact Information

For further inquiries:

• Robert Kieft: [email protected]
• Thoriso Moseneke: [email protected]

• For more details, visit the Official link