Do you work internationally to strengthen democracy and human rights? Do you use media or the arts as a means to bring about change? Are you based in Sweden or do you have a Swedish project partner? Maybe Creative Force is the programme for you. Below you will find general information (including regarding Covid-19), useful FAQs and detailed application instructions. The next call for applications is now open and will close on 27 January 2021 (15:00 Swedish time).
Open for applications until 27 January
Overview
What is Creative Force?
It is a funding programme for international projects. It is open to Swedish organisations and their partners in our target countries who work through media or the arts to strengthen democracy, human rights and freedom of expression. It offers two types of grant:
Seed Funding is available for carrying out a small project or a pilot. You and your international partner can apply for up to SEK 100,000 for a project which must be completed within 12 months of funding being granted.
Collaborative Projects are larger projects which should involve knowledge exchange, capacity building or method development. We recommend that you apply for this type of grant to scale-up a project which has previously received seed funding. You and your international partner can apply for a grant which runs for either max 12 months or max 24 months (from the date of being granted). For a 12-month grant you can apply for up to SEK 500,000. For a 24-month grant you can apply for up to SEK 1 million.
Who can apply?
- Any type of organisation which is registered in Sweden.
- Your organisation must have been registered for at least one year (for seed funding) or two years (for collaborative projects).
- You must write your application jointly with a partner organisation in one (or more) of the Creative Force target countries (see below).
Which countries are included?
- In Africa, Asia & MENA:
Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia
Bangladesh, Cambodia, Vietnam (NB: new from 2021, seed funding only)
Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen - In Eastern Europe & Turkey:
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldavia, Turkey and Ukraine
NB: we do not grant funding to projects which include financial support to public sector partners in Belarus (state, regional, municipal). - Russia:
Important: We have removed the northwest Russia restriction. You may now apply to work with initiatives and partners in any part of Russia.
Covid-19
- Projects should normally take place entirely in the target country or partly in Sweden and partly in the target country. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has radically changed our opportunities to travel and meet physically, for the moment at least. It is important that you take this into account when designing your project.
- During the ongoing pandemic we are exceptionally allowing applicants to allocate up to 50 percent of the total budget to project management and administration. This applies to the Call which opens on 1 December 2020.
Database
Get some inspiration. Have a look at our project database to get an idea of the kinds of project we support.
Check whether your project is suitable for Creative Force
- Your project uses media or the arts as a means to strengthen democracy, freedom of expression and human rights in the target countries.
- Your project fulfills the specific Creative Force programme objectives for the country(s) you want to work with. (See FAQs 17, 18 and 19 below.)
- Your project involves an exchange of knowledge or best practice between partners.
- Your project targets agents of change in the partner country(s) who want to learn new skills or use new technologies to help them in their efforts to bring about change.
- Your project’s achievements will continue to spread and have an impact after the project has finished.
How to apply
1Call for applications opensDATE:1 DEC 20202How to write your applicationDATE:1 DEC 2020 – 27 JAN 20213How to submit your online applicationDATE:1 DEC 2020 – 27 JAN 20214Has my application been successful?DATE:12 APR 2021 – 16 APR 2021
1. Call for applications opens
There are two opportunities each year to apply for funding:
Call for Funding 1 opens in December and closes in January. We accept applications for seed funding and collaborative projects.
Call for Funding 2 opens in June and closes in late August/September. Applications for seed funding only.
When the exact dates have been decided you will find them in the timeline above.
2. How to write your application
Below you will find links to all the documents you need for your application. It is important that you do not use earlier versions. Download and save them first. Make sure you choose the application form for the correct type of grant and region/country.All the application forms are in English. You and your project partner must write the application together, in English or Swedish. Choose the language which both partners understand best.
If you have any problems, send an email to creativeforce@si.se and we will help you as soon as possible. Contact us at the same address if you need application forms which meet accessibility criteria.
Seed Funding
Application document – Africa, Asia & MENA
Application document – Eastern Europe & Turkey
Application document – Russia
Collaborative Projects
Application document – Africa and Middle East & North Africa (MENA)
Application document – Eastern Europe & Turkey
Application document – Russia
Next, download, save and fill in the appropriate following documents:
- Budget form Seed Funding
- Budget form Collaborative Projects
- Letter of Intent (seed funding only)
- Memorandum of Understanding (collaborative projects only)
- Organisation assessment Seed Funding
- Organisation assessment Collaborative Projects
- Risk analysis (collaborative projects only)
You must also obtain a Certificate of Registration for the Swedish applicant organisation. You will submit this with the other application documents. Important: certificates of registration must not have been issued more than 12 months before the date of your application.
3. How to submit your online application
- Click on this link to take you to the online application form. (Only accessible when a Call for Applications is open.)
- Start by creating an account (or logging in if you already have one).
- Fill in the online application form. Then submit all the documents from Step 2 above (which you have already filled in and saved on your computer) via the online application form. Instructions will guide you step-by-step through the procedure.
- You can create and save an application in advance. This allows you to review it before you submit it. You cannot make any changes once you have submitted your application.
After you have submitted your application, you will receive an email giving you a reference number. Please give this this reference number whenever you need to contact the Swedish Institute.
4. Has my application been successful?
Call for Funding 1: we publish lists of the successful applications on this website around two months after the deadline for applications.
Call for Funding 2: we publish lists of the successful applications on this website approx. five weeks after the deadline for applications.
When the approximate date of publication has been decided you will find it in the timeline above.
For more information please open this link
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