UNESCO IFCD project grants call

UNESCO has launched its 9th International Fund for Cultural Diversity (IFCD) call for funding and a new initiative with Sabrina Ho “U40 Empowered: Women entrepreneurs powering the digital creative industries”.

The International Fund for Cultural Diversity (IFCD) is a multi-donor fund, established by the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (2005) to support its implementation in developing countries.

The IFCD invests in projects that lead to structural change through:

• the introduction and/or elaboration of policies and strategies that have a direct effect on the creation, production, distribution of and access to a diversity of cultural expressions, including cultural goods, services and activities,
• the reinforcement of corresponding institutional infrastructures, including professional capacities and organizational structures, deemed necessary to support viable local and regional cultural industries and markets in developing countries.

Public authorities/institutions and NGOs from developing countries that are Parties to the 2005 Convention, as well as international NGOs are all eligible to apply.

Since 2010, the IFCD has been providing nearly 7 million USD in funding for close to 100 projects in more than 50 developing countries, covering a wide range of areas. See Projects funded by the IFCD in the past.

U40 Empowered: Women entrepreneurs powering the digital creative industries

U40 Empowered is a special call to expand the IFCD’s actions to support young women entrepreneurs in the digital creative industries. This initiative is made possible thanks to the generous contribution of Sabrina Ho, a rising young cultural entrepreneur and philanthropist.

“U40 Empowered” represents a unique opportunity to increase young women’s opportunities to access funding, infrastructure, equipment and co-production opportunities in the digital creative industries. “U40 Empowered” will also support strategies that address the different needs, aspirations, capacities and contributions of women. Through support for such projects, “U40 Empowered” will unlock opportunities for young women entrepreneurs and realise their full potential in the digital creative industries.

“U40 Empowered” supports projects from national and international NGOs from developing countries that are Parties to the 2005 Convention.

Project proposals submitted in the framework of this unique opportunity will be reviewed by an independent Panel of Experts and approved directly by Ms Sabrina Ho.

The deadline for submitting project proposals to both calls is 16 April 2018.

Applications can only be submitted to one call.

Find more info about the conditions and the procedure here.

In the 2017 IFCD call, seven initiatives to boost the creative economy around the world were selected as the new beneficiaries of the International Fund for Cultural Diversity (IFCD) of the UNESCO 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.