Call for applications: Ignite Culture grants

The programme is being implemented by HEVA Fund, in partnership with the British Council, the European Union and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (ACP). 

The programme supports creative and cultural industries in 14 countries in Eastern Africa. The inaugural call for applications was launched in August 2021 and awarded grants to first cohort of 19 organisations this year.

Creative talents who have registered, operational businesses in Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda are welcome to apply for grants of up to a maximum of €180 000 per applicant. 

The grant was designed to enable organisations to successfully develop new ventures, programmes and projects for their target communities and demographics, which will go a long way to making their own work and the work of their target communities more sustainable.

Organisations in this case can mean associations, businesses, NGOs, public or government institutions, local authorities, universities, cultural institutes, museums, art centres, agencies, collectives, consortiums, and more, provided they demonstrate legal and administrative autonomy.

This grant will also enable recipients to design, implement and engage in any suitable activities that:

• Strengthen the creative and cultural ecosystem in which practitioners and organisations operate in Eastern Africa.
• Improve the access and visibility of the diverse creative and cultural sectors in Eastern Africa.
• Promote economic growth of the creative and cultural sector in the Eastern Africa region.

The deadline for submissions is 17 August 2022.

The application is a five-stage process involving:

• Checking your eligibility.
• Capturing your contact information.
• Finding out more about your organisation.
• Finding more about your needs.
• Uploading your supporting documents.

You will need to upload several supporting documents, including:

• Your company profile
• Your project budget
• Audited financial statements for any full or half year period between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2018.

Templates for these are available for download here and you can learn more about the fund's guidelines here.

You will be required to download the templates first in order to be able to fill in the required information. Instructions on where to upload your filled in templates will be indicated in the application form.

Note: You are welcome to invite collaborators to help you complete your submission. Learn how to do this here.