Balkan Incentive Fund for Culture

This fund works to strengthen relations across the Western Balkans and the region’s relations with Europe.

Balkan Incentive Fund for Culture (BIFC) Grants supports collaborative artistic and cultural projects conceived by organisations within, or cooperating with, the countries of the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia (FYROM), Montenegro and Serbia).

In doing so,  long-term partnerships of equal exchange are (re-)built across the region and with the rest of Europe. The average award given is €15,000 with a maximum of €30,000.  These grants were previously awarded through ECF's Collaboration grants scheme.

In 2012, we awarded 12 grants having received a total of 106 applications - to know more - download the full list of BIFC grants awarded in 2009, 2010, 2011 and a full list of all ECF grants awarded in 2012.

Launch of the Balkans Art and Culture Fund

The European Cultural Foundation (ECF) is proud to announce a new partnership with ArtAngle – Balkans | Culture | Development, an organisation based in the Balkan region that will take over the management of the Balkan Incentive Fund for Culture (BIFC) from July 2013.

The BIFC – which was originally set up in 2006 by ECF and partner organisations – will be re-named the “Balkans Art and Culture Fund”.  With financial support from ECF, the new fund will continue to support cultural initiatives and organisations in the Balkan region and those wanting to work with partners in the Balkan region.  

After consultation with our funding partner Open Society Foundations, ECF decided that the BIFC fund would be better managed in the region and after a careful process of selection by open call has connected with ArtAngle. See the film explaining the move.

Developed in conjunction with the Swiss Cultural Programme, based in Sarajevo , Belgrade and Skopje, ArtAngle is well positioned in the region and has a broad coverage and knowledge of the cultural sector. Their ambition is to offer organisations in the region a broader opportunity to access seed money – using ECF’s funding as leverage to attract further interest and commitment and to create further possibilities for cultural influence in the Balkan region.

To celebrate the launch of the Balkans Art and Culture Fund, Katherine Watson attended the Swiss Cultural Programme “Cultural Encounters – Collaboration, Achievements and Perspectives” in Sarajevo on the 12 April at 14.30, where there was be an introduction to the fund, also with ECF Grants Manager, Maite Garcia Lechner.

While the BIFC is being transferred to a ArtAngle – Balkans | Culture | Development, ECF will continue to run this grant scheme. We will announce the final selection round in due course, so please do feel free to apply with your projects until July 2013.

ECF would like to thank Asociacija for running the local BIFC hub and for providing assistance and advice to many BIFC applicants, over the past few years. This hub has offered a local contact point based in Ljubljana and was supported by the Slovenian Ministry of Culture. It helped BIFC applicants and provided background information on the arts and cultural sector in the Western Balkans.
 

Where we fund

The lead applicant/cultural organisation must be based in one of the following European countries: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia (FYROM), Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.

However, within this grants scheme we prefer projects with lead applicants from the Western Balkans: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia (FYROM), Montenegro or Serbia. If the lead applicant is based outside of the Western Balkans, then the lead applicant must collaborate with partners from the Western Balkans.

Partnering applicants can also be based in one of the following countries: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestinian Territories, Syria and Tunisia. We encourage cooperation with this region, as long as the content of the project clearly relates to cross-border cooperation with/in Western Balkans.

Supported by BIFC Grants

ECF funded The Museum of Broken Relationships when it started up as “a travelling exhibition revolving around the concept of failed relationships and their ruins”. Conceptualized in Croatia by Olinka Vištica and Dražen Grubišić, the Museum has since toured internationally, amassing an amazing collection from different communities with different histories and personal experiences – all covering the same subject – what happens after love?

Museum of Broken Relationships

The touring exhibition was so successful they have now taken up a permanent space in Zagreb.  And they won an award - the museum received the Kenneth Hudson Award Award during the European Museum of the Year Award 2011. The Award was created in 1977 under the auspices of the Council of Europe and is highly celebrated.
 

 How to apply, application form and deadlines

Not sure if you are eligible? Try out our eligiblity wizard to find out whether you should apply!

You can apply at any time in the year. Applications are reviewed with advisers and the entire process takes up to a maximum four months. For more information on how to apply and to access the “how to apply” pdf and application form, click here.

BIFC receives support from the Open Society Foundations, in particular by the Open Society Arts and Culture Program and the national foundations in the region.