The International Visegrad Fund is an international organization based in Bratislava, founded by the governments of the countries of the Visegrad Group (V4)—the Czech Republic, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Poland, and the Slovak Republic—on June 9, 2000.
The purpose of the Fund is to promote development of closer cooperation among V4 countries (and other countries) through the support of common cultural, scientific and educational projects, youth exchanges, cross-border projects and tourism promotion.
The budget of the Fund (EUR 5 million since 2007) consists of equal contributions from the governments of V4 countries. The Fund provides support through four grant programs, three scholarship schemes and artist residencies. Among the recipients of the Fund’s support are mainly non-governmental organizations, municipalities and local governments, schools and universities, but also private companies and individual citizens.

GRANTS

Small Grants

The International Visegrad Fund supports projects in the fields of cultural cooperation, scientific exchange and research, education, exchanges between young people, cross-border cooperation and promotion of tourism. The maximum contribution of the Fund allocated to each Small Grant project is up to EUR 4,000. The financial contribution of the Fund cannot exceed 50% of the total project costs including the in-kind contribution of the applicant, or in-kind contributions of other co-financing subjects. The maximum time frame of the proposed budget is 6 months, even if the project is envisaged to last longer.

Annual budget: EUR 512,000
Deadlines: 1 March, 1 June, 1 September and 1 December

Applications for Small Grants must be submitted through the on-line application system

Standard Grants

The field of activities supported within the Standard Grant Program is identical to that of the Small Grant Program. However, the amount of funding provided to projects through the Standard Grant scheme is higher than EUR 4,000 and the time frame for the implementation of the projects is 12 months. The financial contribution of the Fund cannot exceed 50% of the total project costs including the in-kind contribution of the applicant, or in-kind contributions of other co-financing subjects.

Annual budget: EUR 2,200,000
Deadlines: 15 March, 15 September

Applications for Standard Grants must be submitted through the on-line application system

Visegrad Strategic Program

The aim of the program is to support long-term projects of strategic character that link institutions of all four Visegrad Group countries. The projects must adhere to at least one of the priorities defined by the Conference of Ministers for the given year (see below). The priorities follow the given foreign policy priorities of the Presidency of the Visegrad Group.

The maximum time frame for implementation of Visegrad Strategic Program grants is 3 years. The financial contribution of the Fund cannot exceed 50% of the total project costs, including the in-kind contribution of the applicant, or in-kind contributions of other co-financing subjects.

Annual budget: EUR 300,000 (as of 2009)
Deadlines: 15 February, 15 May

Within the annual budget there is no limit to the maximum amount granted to the selected project(s); however, the average amount of the past deadlines is about EUR 50,000 (see the approved projects).

Visegrad University Studies Grant (VUSG)

The aim of the program is to promote and support the development and launch of outstanding university courses or study programs that deal with specific phenomena explicitly related to the Visegrad Group countries. The grant is intended as a lump-sum, one-installment grant awarded to selected university departments, schools or faculties that can document a prepared syllabus/curriculum for such a course/program and confirm its planned long-term enrollment in a given curriculum.

Annual budget: EUR 100,000
Next deadline: November 2009 (to be specified)

Applications for the VUSG are filled out in MS Word documents and sent by e-mail and the corresponding signed print-outs by post