Support for the empowerment of the well-established cultural and artistic organizations in Serbia by providing flexible financial assistance to strengthen their organizational capacities, support strategic development and improve their long-term stability.
The primary aim of this CfD long-term support scheme is to empower well-established cultural and artistic organizations in Serbia by providing flexible financial assistance to strengthen their organizational capacities, support strategic development, and enhance their long-term stability.
Boost scheme in Serbia is justified by the need to provide essential and flexible financial assistance to independent cultural and artistic organizations that operate on local, national and broader (regional, European) levels. In Serbia’s current cultural funding landscape, most organizations can only access project-specific funds, leaving them struggling to maintain operational stability and invest in strategic growth.
This scheme directly addresses this gap by offering flexible financial support that can be used not only for operational costs—such as rent, salaries, and utilities—but is above all focused on program and financial expansions and organizational development. Organizations need to allocate funds to strategic initiatives such as developing new program priorities, crafting long-term strategies, and enhancing internal capacities in particular towards diversification of funding sources, ensuring their resilience and adaptability in an increasingly challenging environment. They will be encouraged and guided to diversify their funding sources actively. This process includes exploring alternative funding opportunities, building relationships with potential donors, and enhancing their grant-writing and fundraising skills.
This approach recognizes the dual necessity of operational stability and innovation, empowering cultural organizations to sustain their core activities while fostering growth and addressing key societal challenges. By offering this tailored support, the CfD project strengthens the independent cultural sector’s capacity to contribute meaningfully to Serbia’s democratic and cultural landscape.
The following are eligible to apply:
• Cultural and artistic organizations;
• Artistic collectives and initiatives;
• Other legal entities operating in the field of arts and culture, including independent foundations and endowments.
Requirements:
• The applicant must be registered as a legal entity with the Serbian Business Registers Agency (APR);
• The applicant must be based in a municipality, town, or village within the territory of the Republic of Serbia. Preference will be given to applicants registered outside of Belgrade and other major urban centers;
• The applicant must have at least five years of experience in implementing cultural and artistic projects, with a demonstrated impact on relevant social, political, and cultural issues.
Who is NOT eligible to apply:
• Applicants and/or individuals who in any way support or have supported discriminatory, radical, violent, racist, or nationalist behavior and views;
• Applicants not registered in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Serbia;
• Applicants who have not fulfilled their legal obligations regarding public revenues, including the payment of taxes and contributions;
• Religious organizations;
• Natural persons (individuals);
• Cultural institutions founded by the Republic of Serbia, the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, or local self-government units;
• Branch offices of foreign organizations registered in the Republic of Serbia;
• Organizations currently implementing an active (ongoing) project supported under the CfD project.
Long-term support within the CfD project is designed to be flexible, enabling organizations to respond both to immediate and strategic needs in accordance with their specific circumstances. While operational costs—such as rent, salaries, and utilities—are eligible for fundixng in order to ensure the day-to-day functioning of independent cultural organizations, the primary focus of this support is on program expansion, strategic initiatives, organizational development, and diversification of funding sources.
Eligible activities may include, but are not limited to:
• Developing new strategies that contribute to the long-term growth of the organization;
• Defining and establishing programmatic priorities aligned with the organization’s mission;
• Strengthening internal capacities, including team and governance development;
• Researching and developing mechanisms to secure additional and diversified sources of funding in line with the organization’s long-term vision;
• Activities that help organizations balance daily operations with strategic growth, in accordance with their developmental phase and context.
This call does not support projects that cover production costs only, unless such costs are clearly justified as part of a broader strategic objective of the organization.
To further enhance the impact of financial support, selected organizations may also engage short- and long-term mentors to guide and advise them throughout the process of institutional and strategic development. In doing so, organizations will not only address immediate needs but also lay the foundation for sustainable growth and resilience within Serbia’s complex cultural landscape.
The total amount of support per organization is up to CHF 60,000, distributed over a period of three years, with up to CHF 20,000 awarded annually.
Applicants are required to provide a minimum contribution of 20% of the total project budget, which may consist of financial resources, in-kind support, co-financing from other donors, or funds independently raised by the organization.
Applications must be submitted electronically to the email address: [email protected] (with the subject line: BG 2025 – NAME OF ORGANIZATION – NAME OF PROJECT).
Application forms can be downloaded from the website: www.heartefact.org (Menu: Foundation – Granting section). The following application documents are mandatory:
1. Annex 1: Project proposal
2. Annex 2: Project budget proposal for the first, second, and third year of implementation
3. Annex 3: Organizational self-assessment questionnaire
4. Annex 4: Organizational budget:
a) detailed structure of expected income and expenditures, including the organizational budget for the first year of support
b) detailed projected income and expenditures for the second and third year of support
5. Organization’s Statute
6. Organizational chart (if available)
7. Organizational strategy (if available)
8. Narrative annual reports for the last two years (2024 and 2023). If not available, provide an overview of implemented activities and projects.
9. Financial annual reports for the last two years (2024 and 2023): including the actual income and expenditure structure for each year.
Important: Please clearly label all documents with the name of your organization and the name of your project.
All documents must be submitted in one ZIP folder.
After submission, applicants will receive a confirmation email acknowledging that the project proposal has been successfully submitted. Incomplete applications or those submitted using incorrect forms will not be considered.
For all questions and additional information, you may contact the CfD team at: [email protected].
Application deadline: July 19, 2025, by 5 p.m. (CET).