Open call: Prohelvetia Synergies grant

For who

• At least one Swiss cultural organisation (such as an art venue, cultural space, festival or association) and one or more international partner(s) with a convincing track record, the necessary competence to work with international partners and a sensibility for transdisciplinary processes.
• Support for broad definitions of ‘art’ and ‘digital technology’ according to different geographical contexts and the plurality of knowledge systems
• To assist applicants in finding a partner organisation as well as inspiration, the online ‘Art, Science and Technology Directory’ (initiated by Pro Helvetia) is available for consultation, allowing users to browse global organisations. The link can be found under ‘additional information’.

Criteria

• Knowledge-exchange and matchmaking in a meaningful and sustainable way.
• Projects at the intersection of art and digital technologies.
• Clear impact on the artistic and cultural scene in Switzerland and abroad.
• Projects involving artists eligible for support from Pro Helvetia.
• Significant part of the project open to the public and addressing a wide audience (e.g. public events, hackathons, online presence, series of participatory workshops, an open access tool kit, GitHub repository, etc.).
• Duration of the projects up to 18 months.
• Equity within the collaboration and mutual impact.

Note: In addition to these specific criteria, the general requirements apply.

Financial contribution

• The grant ranges from CHF 30 000 (about $36 300) to CHF 100 000.
• The grant from Pro Helvetia should not exceed 50% of the total budget.
• The grant may cover the following: conceptualisation, creation and implementation of the project. This may include appropriate fees for artists and facilitators, travel and material costs, etc.
• Infrastructural costs (building, renting, etc.) and operational costs (salaries, insurances, etc.) of the organisations will not be supported.
• All organisations invest and contribute in accordance with their size, abilities and regional contexts (contributions can include overhead costs, infrastructure, accommodation, network, visibility, advice, etc.).
• Corresponding costs for ecologically responsible use of resources and protection of the environment (e.g. expert advice for emission reduction, environmentally compatible alternatives, CO2 compensation) can be included in the project budget.

Content application

• Concept outlining the goals, format, content, and implementation of the programme specifying the milestones and the intended impact.
• Information about all participating organisations and involved artists: role in the programme, investment in the programme, responsible persons, etc. The organisations and the implicated artists must be eligible according to Pro Helvetia.
• A letter of intent signed by all participating organisations.
• Budget and financing plan (with detailed information about the financial contributions of the partners and from third parties) incl. specification of the amount requested from Pro Helvetia.
• In the case of online events: a compelling dissemination strategy.
• Additional relevant documents (e.g. documentation of past projects, media reports, etc.).

Format-specific exclusion criteria

• Projects already funded by Pro Helvetia.
• Project that are do not involve a Swiss cultural institution.
• Projects involving and initiated by only one organisation.
• Projects including open calls.

Application deadlines and decision timelines

• All applications must be submitted in English here before 1 October.
• Notification of decision: January 2026.
• Earliest start date for the project: February 2026

View the original call here.