- SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCE:
Raising awareness regarding climate change and sustainable development, loss of biodiversity; boosting climate resilience, exchanging know-how, concrete community-based ecological projects, etc. - HERITAGE AND REMEMBRANCE:
Common histories and common future incl. teaching/learning common history, collecting witness accounts, and launching oral-history projects, presenting local history in regional context, promotion of (common) anniversaries or interesting sights (EU accession, anniversaries of 1956/1968…). - HEALTH AND ACTIVE LIFESTYLE:
Sports and other activities contributing to active lifestyle, promotion of healthy diet and activities focusing on personal well-being and both physical and mental health. - ARTS & CULTURE:
Creating new performances together, facilitating cultural exchanges in the field of theatre, film, music, literature, traditional crafts, etc. (any productions and dissemination of visual, literary and performance arts, joint visits to cultural institutions). - DEMOCRATIC VALUES AND CIVIC VIRTUES:
Boosting interest and participation in democratic processes, dedication to common welfare, facilitating dialog on human rights, debate competitions, student parliaments, community engagement and volunteering. - PRACTICAL COMPETENCES AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP:
Fostering practical exchanges among vocational schools, NGOs, and between schools and businesses, and enabling short-term internship and training opportunities while fostering entrepreneurial spirit and improving concrete skills.
The themes are presented merely as illustrations of areas of interest, not as distinct thematic categories (and may be amended or changed based on future priorities).
We support any meaningful joint activities of the youth in the region, but the following underlying principles should be present in each project:
- Inclusiveness—Exchange perspectives with people who are from diverse groups and share your own diverse experiences and viewpoints with them (outreach towards the socially, economically, or geographically disadvantaged groups and/or disabled people, students with special education needs, inter-generational dialog, inter-religious dialog, gender balance)
- Teaching and learning—Support learners in the acquisition of competences (knowledge, skills and attitudes) with a view to improving their personal development (non-formal, informal as well as formal learning and training, projects contributing to improved information literacy and digital competences, learning languages, and improving communication skills)
- Cross-border cooperation and good neighborhood—Encourage networking amongst the youth across the Visegrad region with the purpose of regional and cross-border cooperation (regional value added)
- Each project must involve mobility of young people (12–30-year-old) from at least two V4 countries and Ukraine, i.e., cross-border visits.
At least two countries among Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine must be involved to participate in a project. In addition to this, direct neighbors of two V4 countries can also participate (Austria, Germany, and/or Ukraine). The applying institution must be officially registered in the V4 region and/or Ukraine. - Neither physical distance from the border, nor a shared border are decisive factors
Bilateral visits between entities, e.g., in Ostrava and Miskolc, or Gdańsk and Pécs are possible. - Every project must carry out at least one joint event with both/all sides participating.
- Every project must have at least one joint physical presentation for the public or local community combined with creative forms of mediated outreach
Be it offline—e.g., posters, essays, performances—and on-line—e.g., blogs, video spots, social media. This “presentation event” can be combined with the joint event described in point 3. - Any V4 and Ukrainian legal entity relevant in working with youth can partake as the eligible applicant, e.g., schools, leisure-time clubs, sports associations, youth civil society organizations, etc.
- Draft project ideas (in English) must be registered in the on-line system (no later than 2 weeks before each deadline by midday) and subsequently submitted through a full on-line application form.
- Maximum requested budget per project is €10,000.
The budget gets calculated as a lump sum covering person/days (max. €50 for each participant and/or chaperone per day or €60 for each participant and/or chaperone per day in case more than two different eligible countries are involved). It can be utilized to cover any kinds of costs directly associated with the project (accommodation, travel, entrance fees, honoraria, etc.). Additional co-financing is encouraged. - Max. time frame for project implementation is 7 months; the program is, however, intended to support single or multiple short-term visits/exchanges (max. 7 days).
- Contact a partner organization and decide on a joint plan of your project.
- Register your project idea (draft) no later than 2 weeks before deadline by midday (12pm).
- Fill out the entire application form and submit it by the deadline.
- Await the results.
- If supported → confirm and sign the grant contract and start the project.
Have you got any questions? Contact us at visegradfund@visegradfund.org.
Applying
- Q: We are a school from Austria. Can we apply for a V4 Gen Mini-Grant?
A: Only legal entities registered in V4 countries (i.e., Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia) can apply for support.
- Q: We are an entity registered in Ukraine. Can we apply for the V4 Gen Mini-Grant?
A: Yes, starting in 2024, entities registered in Ukraine are eligible to apply for the V4 Gen Mini-Grants. It's important to note that the application requires a minimum of 2 partners from V4 (Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia) countries.
- Q: Who can be a partner in a V4 Gen project?
A: Each project must involve at least two entities from V4 countries (Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia) but can also include entities from direct neighbors of two V4 countries (i.e., Austria, Germany, and Ukraine).
- Q: When can we start filling out the application form?
A: The online system ( MyVisegrad) for registering new applications becomes accessible at noon on Feb 1, June 1, and Oct 1, respectively.
- Q: We are filling out the application form. What is a "Formal grant applicant" and "Final beneficiary/implementing organization?
A: In case the applying organization cannot conclude contracts, enter the founding entity or your governing body to the "Formal grant applicant" textbox. For example, if your organization is a public primary school, it may not have the legal capacity to independently enter contracts. In such cases, you would need to specify the entity or authority that acts on behalf of your organization in contractual matters. This could be your local municipality, school district, or any other relevant governing body. The "Final beneficiary/implementing organization" in this case would be the school.
- Q: Do we need any document from partners to apply?
A: If your application is approved for support, your partners will receive a confirmation link via our online system. Partners are generally required to confirm their participation through the online system, but in exceptional circumstances, we may request a formal "letter of intent" from a partner, which will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
- Q: What is the lowest/highest number of participants in the project?
A: We do not impose specific limits on the number of participants, but we prioritize a balanced composition to create a more inclusive and diverse environment for our programs or initiatives. An example of this balance could be having an equal distribution of participants from different regions or countries (15 participants from Hungary and 15 from Czechia, etc.)
- Q: Should we include all participants in the mobility section or just those who travel?
A: You should account for all direct participants involved in the mobility aspect of the project, regardless of whether they are traveling or hosting.
- Q: How long can one mobility last? How many events can we have during one project?
A: The maximum duration for one mobility or event within our projects is 7 days. Longer activities can be split into separate, successive events (e.g., if you plan a 2-week summer school, you can divide it into two separate 1-week events within your project). During one project, you can organize a maximum of 3 events or mobilities.
- Q: Can a participant who is 40 years old join the program?
A: The eligible age range for participants is 12 to 30 years old. However, we do welcome chaperones or accompanying persons who are older than 30 years of age to join the program.
- Q: Who is an accompanying person?
A: An accompanying person, in the context of a project, is an individual who provides guidance, support, and supervision to young participants during the project or program. The accompanying person is typically responsible for ensuring the well-being, safety, and overall welfare of the youth involved.
- Q: What is the procedure for applying to the project?
A: The application process involves a few straightforward steps:
- Register in the "My Visegrad" system: Begin by creating an account in the "My Visegrad" system.
- Submit your project idea (draft): Provide details about your project by answering questions such as:
- "What organization do you represent?"
- "Who are your partners?"
- "What do you plan to do with your partners?"
- "How many participants do you plan to involve?"
- "What is the age range of the participants?"
- Wait for approval: Once your project idea is reviewed and accepted by the Fund, you will receive a notification that the application form is open.
- Complete the application form: Proceed to fill out the required details in the application form and submit it in the online system.
Implementing
- Q: We have a bank account in PLN/HUF/CZK. How will we receive the grant?
A: The grant amount will be transferred in EUR. Upon receiving the grant, it will be converted to your local currency (PLN, HUF, or CZK) based on the prevailing exchange rate on that date.
- Q: What exchange rate should we use if our bank account isn't in EUR? Can we use the grant to cover exchange rate losses?
A: If your bank account isn't in EUR, you have two choices. You can use either the exchange rate from your national bank on the date of conversion of the grant tranches into local currency or the average monthly exchange rate from your national bank in the last full month of the project. But it's important to note that the grant cannot be used to cover exchange rate losses.
- Q: Do we need to provide bills, invoices, bank statements, etc.?
A: It is recommended to adhere to the legislation of your country and follow the internal regulations of your organization regarding accounting practices. Additionally, the Fund reserves the right to request any additional financial documents that would prove the claims in the Financial Statement and, in exceptional cases, can request an independent accounting audit of the project.
- Q: What expenses can be covered by the approved grant?
A: The approved grant can be used to cover any costs directly associated with each planned joint event or visit. For a detailed breakdown of eligible budget categories, please refer to the Guidelines (V4Gen_Guidelines). Please note, all payments must be realized within the implementation period of the project.
- Q: Do we have to send half of the grant to our partner? How do we pay our partner(s)?
A: There is no explicitly prescribed split of the grant budget between the grantee and the partner(s). It is expected that project partners will collectively determine the financial responsibilities based on a mutually agreed arrangement between the grantee and the partner(s). The Fund does not provide a standardized template for this agreement, so it must be formulated in accordance with the local laws and regulations. You have the option to either reimburse your partner(s) or provide an advance payment; both options are allowed.
- Q: What is the implementation period of the project?
A: The implementation period of a project refers to the time period during which are carried out. For the V4Gen project, the maximum implementation period is set at 6 months. Specific details about the implementation period for your project can be found in the contract.
- Q: We know that we have a budget for each activity which was created based on number of participants. Is it possible to spend less on one activity and more on the other?
A: Yes, it is possible to transfer unused grant resources from one mobility to the other one.
- Q: Can we purchase some equipment if we see that it is needed for a particular activity (e.g., sport equipment, cameras, computers etc.)?
A: Yes, you can purchase equipment, but you need to get approval from the Project Manager first if the cost of equipment exceeds 1000 EUR. These expenses can be covered from the "Office supplies and materials" budget category. However, it's essential to remember that while there may be situations where acquiring equipment is needed for the project's success, the main focus should always be on how it directly benefits and involves young people.
- Q: Can we order sweatshirts/T-shirts for participants, and if yes - are there any limits in such a category?
A: Yes, you are allowed to allocate funds for sweatshirts/T-shirts for participants. These costs fall under the promotional cost category (please use the Fund’s logo for preparing promotional materials - Logo). While we do not impose specific limits on spending within this category, we strongly encourage adhering to the "value for money" principle, ensuring that expenses are justified and provide meaningful value to the project.
- Q: Can we allocate funds for administration or overheads? Are these costs covered by the grant?
A: Yes, you may allocate a portion of the funds for administration or overheads. Overhead costs encompass internal expenses related to the project, including, but not limited to, remuneration paid to accounting or teaching staff, rental/usage of own premises, telephone bills, and other costs directly associated with the project. It is advised to limit these costs to 15% of the entire grant amount.
- Q: Are cash payments allowed?
A: We strongly recommend conducting transactions through bank transfers. However, if there are exceptional circumstances where bank transfers are not feasible (e.g., for very small amounts or in situations where card payments are not possible), cash payments may be allowed. Please note that such cases should be considered as exceptions and should be consulted on with your project manager.
- Q: Is it possible to give pocket money to participants in cash?
A: The disbursement of pocket money to participants in cash can vary based on the specifics of and should be consulted on with your assigned Project Manager. If cash payment for pocket money is allowed, it's crucial to allocate this expense in the overheads budget category and provide a list of awarded participants (as an attachment to the list of participants).
Reporting
- Q: How to finalize the project? What is the procedure of concluding the project?
A: Answer the final report questions in the online system; upload the best photos from events; upload the list of participants; fill in a financial statement table. Print, sign and scan the final report and financial statement table and upload it to the online system
- Q: When will we receive the final tranche of the grant?
A: The final tranche of the grant is typically disbursed after you've completed and submitted the final report for your project in the MyVisegrad (online) system. The Fund's employees have a period of 20 working days to check the final report. Assuming that the final report is in order and all requirements are met, the final payment will be executed. This payment amounts to 20% of the total grant sum (in case the whole grant was spent).
- Q: What happens if the entire grant amount has not been expended?
A: In such an event, the final payment will be reduced by the unexpended portion of the grant.
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