Call for Proposals: Spaces of Culture 2026 for new cultural relations projects in Sub-Saharan Africa (Funding Up to EUR 50,000 per project)

Ednah Carrick March 31, 2026

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Closing Date: 21 June 2026

Call for Proposals: Spaces of Culture 2026 for new cultural relations projects in Sub-Saharan Africa (Funding Up to EUR 50,000 per project)

The call will support seven new cultural relations projects in Sub-Saharan Africa, as part of the Africa-Europe Partnerships for Culture programme (European Commission, DG INTPA). 🌍

The call focuses on projects that are centred on:
🔸 Equal partnerships and local ownership
🔸Triangular partnerships between local organisations, EUNIC members, and EU Delegations
🔸 Dialogue, co-creation, and joint capacity building

Call for Proposals: Spaces of Culture 2026

EUNIC has launched the second Spaces of Culture 2026 call, supporting new cultural relations projects in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The call supports contemporary and innovative projects in areas including the arts, creative industries, digitalisation, education, gender, heritage, human rights, social inclusion, sports, sustainability, tourism, youth, and more. Projects should reflect the principles of cultural relations, including co-creation, dialogue, mutual listening, and joint capacity building among all partners.

Region

The call is open to projects taking place in countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Who can apply

Projects must be developed and implemented by a triangular partnership.
Partnerships must include at least three key local cultural and/or civil society partners, at least three full EUNIC members (or two where no EUNIC cluster is present), and involvement of an EU Delegation.

Important deadlines

Organisations should engage with each other on the concept and partnership before 30 April 2026.
This allows enough time to develop the project together, exchange on the initial idea, and ensure all partners are aligned and fully aware of the project aims.
Application deadline: 21 June 2026 (23:59 CAT).
Project proposals should be jointly defined and co-developed by all partners.

Budget

Up to EUR 50,000 per project.
A minimum of 5% co-funding is required from project partners.

Project timeline

Projects should be implemented between 1 September 2026 and 31 August 2027.

How to start building a project proposal?

For those looking for inspiration, support and guidance.

Partnerships matchmaking form: coming soon
Examples of previous projects
Information webinars – more below
Frequently Asked Questions

Explore the Guidance Pack here.

How to submit a project proposal?

For those ready to submit their application.

Concept notes must be submitted to the partners you are working with before submitting an application.
Applications must be submitted by 21 June 2026 (23:59 CAT) to [email protected].
Applications must be completed using the templates provided: application form, estimated budget (in EUR), and support letters from partners.
Applications must be in English (proposals will be judged on the content only, and not on grammar or language accuracy).
Applicants will receive confirmation when the application has been received.

Download application documents here.
(Please download the files locally before working on them!)

Purpose of the call for proposals

Spaces of Culture is part of the Africa-Europe Partnerships for Culture programme, funded by the European Union. The programme fosters cooperation on an equal footing between African and European artists, creators, and cultural professionals, strengthening cultural exchange and cross-border collaboration.

The Spaces of Culture funding scheme supports cultural relations projects in Sub-Saharan Africa, with a strong focus on:

Dialogue, co-creation, and mutual learning
Fair and equal partnerships between Africa and Europe
Local ownership and relevance
Social impact and long-term collaboration

Projects should reflect a shared cultural relations approach and contribute to strengthening partnerships that last beyond the project duration.

Evaluation & selection

An independent jury of cultural relations experts from Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe will collectively evaluate proposals against the call’s selection criteria.

All applications will be evaluated based on objectives, target groups and proposed activities – see the call document for more details.