"Balkan Incentive Fund for Culture" Established

27 March 2006

The Kulturpunkt Portal reports that the European Cultural Foundation, HIVOS and the Open Society Institute established a new fund for financing of NGOs active in the cultural sector in the Western Balkans countries.

The Fund aims to offer new possibilities for financing of artistic and cultural organizations from Albania, B&H, Croatia, Macedonia, SCG and Kosovo. It will pay special attention to projects on intercultural dialogue and regional cooperation competence.

The Fund aims to contribute to the European integration processes in the region, overcoming the gap between the existing situation (total lack of funds dedicated for cultural cooperation) towards full participation of the region in EU programmes.

The Fund is run under the auspices of support programme of the European cultural foundation. The first deadline for submission of project proposals is July 1, 2006.

For additional information, please contact Lodewijk Reijs at lreijs@eurocult.org, or visit the www.eurocult.org.