Third open call for proposals for the youth inter-cultural arts fund
Open to: Civil Society Organizations, Municipalities, Cultural Foundations
Funding opportunity: Up to 5000 EUR per application/call
Implementation period: September 2024 - July 2025
Submission deadline: April 30, 2024
Guidelines for Grant Applicants
Building New Bridges
The Building New Bridges (BNB) project builds on the 2014-2021 Building Bridges Fund (BB) which, introduced a model for integrated education in North Macedonia by supporting schools, municipalities and civil society organizations (CSOs) to pair children of different backgrounds and languages through joint extra-curricular activities.
This new project further aims to build inclusive societies that cherish and take pride in cultural pluralism and respect for tolerance, dialogue and co-operation, in a climate of mutual trust and understanding as the best guarantees of social peace and security.
The BNB is currently supported by the Kingdom of Norway, the Republic of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the United States of America.
Objective of the Youth Inter-Cultural Arts Fund (YIAF)
The overall objective of the Youth Inter-cultural Arts Fund (YIAF) is to strengthen the capacity of youth across the ethnic divide to promote inter-ethnic dialogue, civic values and combat discrimination through arts-based activities and inter-cultural initiatives. The YIAF will distribute grants to selected CSOs working with boys and girls and cultural organizations with a strong track record in youth empowerment and the promotion of civic values through the arts and inter-cultural activities.
The priorities of the YIA Fund are:
- To strengthen inter-ethnic relations and co-operation among youth of different language and cultural backgrounds through joint activities;
- To instil mutual respect and combat ethnic stereotypes and prejudices by developing a sense of community and belonging;
- To raise awareness about the importance of civic engagement as a tool for integration;
- To promote the arts as a medium for cross-cultural communication and mutual understanding.
Eligible applicants include civil society organizations, cultural entities/foundations, and municipalities.
Under the 3nd call for proposals, the YIAF provides grants of up to 5000 Euro for eligible CSOs/cultural entities, and municipalities for project proposals implemented between September 2024 and July 2025.
The Application Package
To obtain the application form, please send an email at bnb.mk@osce.org and provide your contact information.
The Application package is available in Macedonian, Albanian, and English languages. Applications must be submitted in English. A version in Macedonian and/or Albanian can be provided in addition to the English one. In case of discrepancy, the English version shall prevail.
The deadline for the third open call is April 30th, 2024.
Applications should be submitted directly to: BNB.mk@osce.org
Applications are first reviewed by the Executive Office of the BNB Fund to determine their eligibility. An independent advisory board will ultimately make awarding decisions.
For any questions regarding the open call you can contact our team member:
Fljorin Redjepi | Tel: 070 358298
Email: bnb.mk@osce.org
Youth Inter-Cultural Arts Fund (YIAF)
Eligibility Criteria
1. Eligibility of the Applicant
The YIAF will distribute small grants to selected CSOs, youth centres, cultural centres, and other legally registered entities (e.g., municipalities) in the Republic of North Macedonia with a proven track record in youth empowerment and promotion of civic values through the arts and inter-cultural activities.
Funded project proposals will be administered directly by awarded CSOs, contracted by the Mission as Implementing Partners and managed in accordance with OSCE administrative guidelines and regulations on Implementing Partners.
If funded, at the beginning of project activities, each grant recipient is requested to carry out a baseline survey to measure the initial degree of social cohesion among participating boys and girls. Specifically, the survey is intended to measure perceptions of belonging, inclusion, tolerance, and participation as important domains of social cohesion. The survey will be developed by the BNB Unit and carried out by grant recipients as implementing partners. Participants will be assured of confidentiality of the information provided in the survey. All data will be securely stored and maintained within the Mission’s server. The baseline survey findings will feed into the final self-evaluation report.
2. Eligibility of Project Activities
Eligible activities should aim towards:
- Fostering common civic values;
- Encouraging inter-ethnic socialization;
- Promoting tolerance through arts and cultural initiatives.
Possibilities are endless and no strict limits are set as long as project participants and beneficiaries with different languages of instruction are actively engaged and bridges are built.
This seems most likely when activities (e.g., inter-cultural debates, workshops, campaigns, community actions, inspirational talks):
- Lead towards a mutually desired joint product (e.g., multi-ethnic rock band, theatrical performance, documentary film, graffiti mural art) resulting from frequency of contact and active engagement among participating youth;
- Are truly “mixed” with equal representation of youth from different languages of instruction; and encouraging co-operation between each other in events;
- Focus to emphasize actual interests that all youth share, not backgrounds that differentiate them;
- Equally involve boys and girls, as well as those with special needs. The applicants should obtain parental approvals for all underage students involved in the project activities.
- Exclude politics;
- Provide opportunities for minority and marginalized communities in places where the action will take place;
- Are driven by interests expressed by youth themselves and not designed solely by CSO staff.
3. Budget
The BNB Fund does not disburse money but purchases the needed materials and/or services for the implementation of activities per the OSCE Mission to Skopje’s rules and procedures. The applicant must provide an estimate of the foreseen costs, after which the Executive Office ultimately decides on eligible purchases. The grant will not cover any CSO operational costs (rent of office premises, utilities etc.), or costs that would exist prior to the grant being awarded. The Building New Bridges is a co-funded activity, relying on the applicant’s co-financing of cost, such as costs for office premises, utilities, in-house expertise, etc. The extent of the co-financing that the applicant will be able to provide will be one of the criteria based on which the Project will evaluate and award applicant/s.
Consultations with Youth
All project proposals must clearly demonstrate the participation of young people in the implementation of the activities. This requirement aims to ensure that proposals include activities fostering integration that youth themselves see as most feasible and interesting, as well as to support the development of a culture of open flow of ideas between the CSO staff and participating youth.
Advisory Board of the new BNB Fund
The Advisory Board of the BNB Fund is the key body that evaluates applications. As the decision-making authority of the BNB funding scheme, it evaluates project proposals and establishes award recipients. It is envisaged that the Board be comprised of the OSCE Mission to Skopje’s BNB Project Manager, the Senior Gender Officer/GFP (or the Deputy Gender Focal Point, or another representative from the Gender Unit), the National Programme Officer responsible for the youth portfolio, the Senior Democratization Officer and one representative from the Monitoring Unit.
Notification of Decision
Applicants will be informed via e-mail of the BNB Fund Advisory Board’s decision regarding their application. If the application is conditionally approved, the applicant will receive the Board’s comments and recommendations on how to revise the application. If the application is rejected, the applicants will receive a rejection justification. Applications that are most consistent with the objectives laid out in these Guidelines and have the highest quality, expected impact, sustainability and cost-effectiveness will have the highest chance of being awarded.