Serbia and Europe share the same values ​​regarding cultural heritage, art and creative industries – that’s why we work together to preserve the common culture. So far, 146 organizations from Serbia have participated in 305 Creative Europe projects; 675 partnerships were established with organizations from the EU and South-Eastern Europe, among which the leading partners were from France, Germany, Slovenia, Spain and Italy. Do you want to be in this company? You can do it too!

The media and civil society organizations – trade unions, employers’ associations and other social groups – enable citizens to take an active part in setting the political agenda. Strengthened civil society, properly informed citizens – contribute to the development of civil society.

Find out more about the opportunities available to you:

Creative Europe is the main program of the European Union, which provides financial support to institutions and organizations in the field of culture in order to preserve, develop and promote European cultural and linguistic diversity, as well as heritage, and improve the competitiveness and economic potential of cultural, and especially audiovisual, activities.

It is divided into three subprograms – Culture, which covers all areas of culture and art, with the exception of audiovisual activities, which are covered by the MEDIA subprogram, and Intersectoral connection, which enables cooperation between different creative areas, covering, among other things, the area of ​​information and media.

In the next seven years, the special focus of the Creative Europe program will be directed towards the department’s recovery from the pandemic crisis, the strengthening of digital transformation and ecological sustainability, thus contributing to greater resilience and inclusiveness of action in the field of culture.

You can see more about competitions within Creative Europe in the brochure or on the website in the competitions section.

If you are interested in media, these are the opportunities for you.

Through the Culture Moves Europe programme, Creative Europe provides grants for the mobility of artists and cultural professionals in all 40 countries where Creative Europe is present. It covers the sectors of architecture, cultural heritage, design and fashion design, literature, music, performing and visual arts. The scheme follows the successful i-Portunus pilot project that ran between 2018 and 2022.

With a budget of €21 million, Culture Moves Europe offers mobility grants to around 7,000 artists, cultural professionals, and host organisations from 2022 to 2025. The programme is financed by the European Union and implemented by the Goethe-Institut.

More details: https://culture.ec.europa.eu/creative-europe/creative-europe-culture-strand/culture-moves-europe

The New European Bauhaus is an initiative of the European Commission that connects the Green Agenda, as a vision of European development, with concrete living spaces and the experiences of citizens. The New European Bauhaus is also an open invitation to everyone to imagine and build a future together that includes sustainable urban development inspired by art, as well as economic and social development in harmony with nature and a preserved environment.

The initiative provides support in several categories, including:

NEB Award
The four award categories reflect the themes of the transformation of the New European Bauhaus:

  • Reconnecting with nature;
  • The return of a sense of belonging;
  • Prioritising the places and people who need it most;
  • Shaping a circular industrial ecosystem and supporting life cycle thinking.

In each category, there are two parallel competitions:

  • Champions – existing and completed projects in accordance with NEB values and principles; the winners receive €30,000 and a communication package.
  • Rising Stars – concepts from young talents under the age of 30; the winners receive €15,000 and a communication package.

NEB Festival
The European Commission has invited actors from across the EU and beyond to participate in the second New European Bauhaus (NEB) festival, which will be held in Brussels in April 2024. The accompanying programme will consist of special video events across Europe. You can participate in or contribute to the festival in several ways:

  • By presenting a project or invention;
  • By participating in the artistic and cultural programme;
  • By organising a special video event; or
  • Through a media partnership.

The festival will last four days, and the programme consists of four parts:

  • Forum – a platform for discussion and exchange of ideas related to the New European Bauhaus;
  • Fair – a laboratory and exhibition of projects and inventions in accordance with the values of the New European Bauhaus;
  • Fest – a celebration that combines culture, art, and entertainment; a place for communal joy, where freedom of expression is celebrated, and radical, innovative, and revolutionary ideas and visions are embraced;
  • Video Events – special events and initiatives in Brussels and beyond, aligned with the values of the New European Bauhaus.

You can find all the opportunities offered by the initiative at the link: https://new-european-bauhaus.europa.eu/get-involved_en

UNESCO, the British Council, and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS ) have joined forces in managing Culture and Creativity for the Western Balkans  (CC4WBs), a programme funded by the European Union, aimed at fostering intercultural dialogue and enhancing the socio-economic impact of the cultural and creative sector in the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia).

Through a broad participatory approach targeting public authorities, the private sector, civil society organizations in culture, as well as individual professionals in the sector, the CC4WBs project aims to:

(1) improve the performance of the cultural and creative sector in the Western Balkans

(2) strengthen the cultural cooperation within and with the region, and

(3) enhance inclusive cultural heritage for local development.

The programme planning stage kicked off in April 2022, with a view to organising different programme strands that will be taking place until April 2026.

More details at the link: https://www.britishcouncil.rs/programmes/arts/cc4wbs_rs

The project “Pulse of Europe – media visits to the EU” supports media from Serbia and their journalists to report from EU member states on examples of good European practices. In the new project cycle (2023 – 2024), group media visits are planned to the member countries of the Eastern Partnership (Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Moldova, Ukraine), as well as Great Britain; while individual media visits (with the support of the Project) are, for logistical reasons, organized only to EU member countries and the Western Balkans.

In order to ensure broad participation of all media in Serbia, the Call for Participation is open throughout the duration of the project.

Funded by the European Union, the Innovation. Media. Minds.: Support to Public Service Journalism in the Western Balkans Program, is managed by the Goethe-Institut on behalf of the European Commission and in collaboration with its implementing partner DW Akademie.

Focusing on public service broadcasters, the Program aims to enhance content and engage audiences. Implemented from 2023 to 2026, Program’s estimated results include improved management skills, internal structures and workflows of PSMs, and enhanced programming and public interest content. Media professionals are expected to improve their skills and innovation techniques, while special focus is given to young journalists, multipliers and trainers, quality journalism and audience involvement. The Program also aims to enhance engagement, expand cooperation and networking capacity of public service media (PSM)

Financial support plays a pivotal role by providing opportunities for co-financing newly developed project ideas, addressing specific needs and challenges faced by PSMs and media professionals in the Western Balkans. The Program is providing grants for public service media for innovation projects, regional co-production and international mobility grants. Media professionals can receive seed grants and financial support for independent investigative media.

Contact:

Monika Lajhner
Regional Events and Advocacy Manager EU-funded Program “Innovation. Media. Minds:
Support to Public Service Journalism in the Western Balkans”
Goethe-Institut Belgrad
Monika.Lajhner@goethe.de

More about the IMM: https://www.goethe.de/ins/gr/de/kul/eup/imm.html

BIRN’s editorial staff is currently participating in three projects: Strengthening quality news and independent journalism in the Western Balkans and Turkey II, Media Innovation Europe: Energizing the European Media Ecosystem, and On the front line – protecting journalists’ digital security in times of crisis.

The call for all the above opportunities will be published on the following website in accordance with the time frame of the planned activity: https://euwbmedia.com/.

The project supports media organisations to become more competitive. To expand the reach of the selected media, the project also promotes quality journalism and supports new, high-quality formats that consumers trust and that are tailored to specific target groups.

The project is implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in cooperation with DW Akademie and Internews Europe as implementing partners.

All information about the programme and open calls is available at the link: https://www.wb6media.eu/

For civil society organizations, the following programs are available:

“Initiators of civil society in the Western Balkans for reformed public administration” is a project coordinated by CEP in cooperation with several partners.

The project focuses on the role of civil society in building healthy democracies and works to empower civil society organizations (CSOs) to become a reliable partner to governments in the EU accession process.

For information on the possibilities of financing within the scope of this project, the website www.par-monitor.org is at your disposal, and the platform www.pratimoreformu.rs, intended for gathering the experience of citizens about their contact with the public administration, may also be useful to you.

The Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values ​​(CERV) programme was launched in 2021 and will run until 2027. It was created alongside the Justice 2021-2027 programme within the Fund for Justice, Rights and Values.

The CERV programme seeks to support and develop open societies based on the rule of law, which foster democratic values, equality, and inclusiveness. Such societies include a vibrant and empowered civil society, which encourages people’s democratic, civic, and social participation and nurtures the rich diversity of European society, based on our common values, history, and memory. The programme provides financial support for the promotion of civil activism, equality for all, and the rights and values ​​of the European Union. It is intended for local self-government units and civil society organisations.

The CERV programme has four pillars:

  1. Equality, rights and gender equality – promoting laws, anti-discrimination, and equality (including gender equality);
  2. Engagement and participation of citizens – promoting citizen engagement and participation in the democratic life of the EU, exchanges between citizens of different member states, and raising awareness of common European history;
  3. Daphne – focusing on the fight against violence, including gender-based violence and violence against children;
  4. EU values – protection and promotion of EU values.

Civil society organisations active at the local, regional, national, and transnational levels, as well as other interested parties, can apply to receive funds from CERV for initiatives aimed at citizen engagement, equality for all, and the protection and promotion of EU rights and values.

The national contact point for this programme in Serbia is the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue. Here you can apply for the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values ​​(CERV) programme.

The Western Balkans Fund (WBF) is an international organisation based in Tirana, Albania, founded by the governments of the Western Balkans. The programme is financed by six contracting parties in equal quotas.

The goals of the Fund are achieved through financial support for activities in any field that contributes to cross-border and interregional cooperation and strengthens regional cohesion. These goals primarily focus on the following areas:

  • Improvement and development of cultural cooperation;
  • Promotion and development of scientific exchange, research, and cooperation in education;
  • Promoting sustainable development;
  • Youth promotion and development, cross-border cooperation, media, environment, European integration, and gender as cross-sectoral issues.

The Western Balkans Fund provides various types of financial support to end users. The main regional grant scheme is the Call for Proposals, which is published periodically. From 2021, the Call for Project Proposals has been co-financed by the European Union, through the IPA – Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance. From 2023, a year-round open call for submission of project proposals, tailored to support mobility and corresponding grants in the region, was introduced.

More information about the programme and open calls is available at the link: https://westernbalkansfund.org/

The Regional Programme of Local Democracy in the Western Balkans 2, known as the ReLOaD2 project, aims to strengthen democracy and the EU integration process in the Western Balkans by empowering civil society and encouraging young people to actively participate in the decision-making process. It also seeks to improve the legal and financial framework to further encourage the development of civil society.

The programme is implemented by UNDP, and you can find more opportunities within the framework of this initiative at this link.

The EU Resource Centre for Civil Society in Serbia is a project led by BOŠ, in cooperation with several partners: Novi Sad School of Journalism, Užice Centre for Children’s Rights, Association of Economic Experts from Niš (ENECA), Young Farmers of Serbia (Jagodina), Safe Paths (Bor), and New Planning Practice (Belgrade).

Financial support will be available to civil society organisations throughout Serbia. The financial support mechanism was created to respond to the various needs of civil society involved in reform processes as part of Serbia’s accession to the European Union.

Through this project, it is possible to apply for several types of grants, the largest of which is €40,000. More information can be found on the website: https://euresurscentar.bos.rs/.

“Initiator of Civil Society in the Western Balkans for Reformed Public Administration” is a project coordinated by CEP (Centre for European Policies) in cooperation with several partners.

The project focuses on the role of civil society in building healthy democracies and works to empower civil society organisations (CSOs) to become reliable partners to governments in the EU accession process.

For information on the possibilities of financing within the scope of this project, the website www.par-monitor.org is available. The platform www.pratimoreformu.rs, intended for gathering citizens’ experiences about their contact with public administration, may also be useful.

The three-year public advocacy programme “Movement Polet” is financed by the European Union and implemented by the Trag Foundation in partnership with the Centre for Social Policy and in cooperation with the Coalition for the Development of Solidarity Economy (KoRSE). The programme was created with the intention of improving and supporting the process of public policy reforms as part of Serbia’s EU accession by providing financial and expert support to civil society organisations to advocate for changes that contribute to socio-economic development.

Supporting young researchers, civil society organisations, and empowering citizens to participate in decision-making processes are the key aims of this project.

Regarding funding opportunities, two competitions are planned for this spring: the “Advocates of Change” competition for civil society organisations in 2023 and the competition for internships within the “Movement Polet” programme. You will find the most important information on this site.

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