108 applications were received for the ‘Cohesion through Culture’ competition, which is implemented by the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation and funded by the Swiss-Ukrainian project Ukraine’s Cohesion and Regional Development, UCORD, implemented with the support of Switzerland via the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation by NIRAS Sweden AB.
The total request for funding for cultural and artistic projects amounts to UAH 32.6 million. In accordance with the principles of openness and transparency, the register of applications received is published at the link.
The competition started on 27 June. It focuses on supporting initiatives that unite communities, develop dialogue and strengthen local identity in six regions of Ukraine: Vinnytsia, Volyn, Odesa, Sumy, Ternopil and Khmelnytskyi regions.
The initiative sparked lively interest. The Ternopil region submitted the most applications – 30. Next came Khmelnytskyi (19) and Odesa (17).
Among the sectors of culture and arts, ‘cultural heritage’ leads with 39 applications. It is followed by ‘cultural and creative industries’ (28) and ‘visual arts’ (16).
The most active applicants were public organisations, with 31 applications. Municipal institutions (25) and individual entrepreneurs (20) were also among the leaders.
Currently, according to the competition schedule, the technical selection stage of the submitted application packages has begun. Its results will be announced by 24 July 2025.
As a reminder, the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation is a state investor in the development of culture and creative industries. The institution was established in 2017 on the basis of the Law of Ukraine ‘On the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation’. Projects are supported on a competitive basis within seven sectors: audio art, visual art, audiovisual art, cultural heritage, literature, performing and stage arts, and cultural and creative industries. Over eight years of operation, the fund has financed 2,951 projects that have changed society. The total amount of investment is over UAH 2 billion, with an audience of 56 million people.