The participatory and fair cooperation model developed between arts and culture organisations and municipalities in Türkiye during Ortaklaşa’s first phase is being extended to the European level in the new phase through the partnership with Culture Action Europe (CAE). As one of Europe’s largest cultural networks, CAE brings to the programme not only international reach, but also its experience in cultural rights, participatory governance and fair cultural cooperation.
The Ortaklaşa EU-Türkiye Cultural Partnership Call for Proposals will bring together the local knowledge and experience of arts and culture organisations and municipalities in Türkiye and Europe through equal partnerships. The aim is for these collaborations to move beyond one-off project partnerships and develop into lasting relationships grounded in mutual learning, co-production and shared responsibility. Supported projects will broaden their sphere of impact through Ortaklaşa’s mentorship and advocacy activities and CAE’s links with cultural networks across Europe.
Within the scope of this call, applications are expected to be submitted through a four-institution cooperation structure consisting of:
Grant support may cover between 70% and 95% of the projects’ total eligible costs. Details on application requirements, eligibility criteria and the evaluation process are provided in the Guideline for Grant Applications.
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Opening date of the call for proposals:
17 September 2026
Online information sessions:
* 28 September 2026, Time: 14.00 (UTC+3)
* 15 October 2026, Time: 14.00 (UTC+3)
Submission deadline:
18 December 2026, Time: 17.00 (UTC+3)
Announcement of results:
16 March 2027
Indicative project start date:
1 April 2027
You can send your questions to ortaklasa.hibeler@iksv.org until 6th of December 2026 at 23.59 (UTC+3.) Answers to the questions will be added at regular intervals to the Frequently Asked Questions section under the Grants tab on the ortaklasa.iksv.org page.
Questions will be answered no later than 7 days before the submission deadline.
Online sessions held as part of the Ortaklaşa EU–Türkiye Cultural Partnership Call for Proposals
Organisations that meet the conditions set out in section 1.3, “Eligibility Criteria” of the EU-Türkiye Cultural Partnership Call for Proposals Guidelines are eligible to apply:
Cultural organisations and municipalities established in Albania, Iceland, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina are eligible to participate in project applications.
Each application must involve a partnership of at least four organisations, comprising one lead applicant organisation from Türkiye, one co-applicant organisation from an EU Member State or eligible candidate country, and two municipalities participating as associates, one from Türkiye and one from an EU Member State or eligible candidate country.
Applications that do not meet the mandatory partnership requirements will be rejected at the eligibility check stage and will not proceed to further evaluation.
Yes. Applications must be completed and submitted in Turkish. An English version of the Call for Proposals Guidelines is available at the link provided for organisations based in EU Member States or eligible candidate countries.
The co-applicant’s statutes, foundation deed or articles of association must be submitted in the original language, together with a Turkish or English translation.
The translation must be accompanied by a declaration signed by the lead applicant, confirming that it has been checked against the original document and accurately reflects its content.
No. The lead applicant CSO and the municipal associate may be established in different cities in Türkiye.
No. The co-applicant CSO and the associate municipality are not required to be established in the same country. Where they are established in different countries, the rationale for this partnership arrangement should be clearly explained in the application and linked to the project’s objectives and expected results.
Projects must be implemented primarily in Türkiye. A limited number of activities may take place in EU Member States or eligible candidate countries, provided that they are duly justified and contribute to achieving the objectives of the call.
Activities implemented outside Türkiye must not constitute the main focus of the project. The majority of project activities and the core implementation processes must take place in Türkiye, and most of the project budget must be spent in Türkiye. Eligible activities outside Türkiye may include partnership-building and cooperation activities, such as study visits, joint planning meetings and exchange programmes involving European partner organisations.
The lead applicant is expected to demonstrate relevant project experience, as its financial and operational capacity will be assessed during the evaluation process.
If the lead applicant is a newly established legal entity, the relevant experience of its members and/or staff should be clearly demonstrated and described in detail in the application.
There is no minimum period of operation required for eligibility. Applicants are expected to submit activity reports, financial statements and audit reports covering the previous three years. If the lead applicant has been established for less than three years and cannot provide all these documents, it should provide comprehensive information in the application form regarding its previous experience, partnerships, team members’ CVs and organisational capacity to implement the proposed project. Applicants are encouraged to review the evaluation criteria set out in the Call for Proposals Guidelines.
No. Only organisations with legal personality are eligible to apply. Informal initiatives and individuals are not eligible as lead applicants.
No. Professional organisations are not eligible to apply as lead applicants under this call.
No. Each lead applicant CSO may submit only one application under this call for proposals.
The lead applicant must be a cultural organisation whose main field of activity is arts and culture. It must play an active role in artistic and cultural production, contribute to cultural policymaking, and demonstrate relevant current and previous project experience. Merely referring to arts and culture among the organisation’s activities in its statutes does not, in itself, establish eligibility.
Ortaklaşa is implemented by the Cultural Policy Studies Department of the İstanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV). Since its establishment, the department has conducted research, published reports and organised activities focusing on participatory cultural policymaking. For further information about participatory cultural policies and İKSV’s work in this field, please visit the Cultural Policy Studies webpage and consult the available publications.
Projects submitted under this call are expected to be newly developed, original proposals aligned with the objectives of the EU–Türkiye Cultural Partnership Call for Proposals. Applicants are encouraged to build on their previous experience and existing initiatives when developing a new project concept.
Yes. Associations, foundations and non-profit cooperatives are eligible to apply, provided that they meet the requirements set out in the Call for Proposals Guidelines. Cooperatives must submit documents demonstrating their non-profit status, which may include their articles of association, official documentation confirming exemption from corporate income tax, relevant general assembly decisions and tax returns from previous financial periods.
Only the lead applicant is required to sign Annex 8 – Data Protection Notice. Separate signatures from the co-applicants and associates are not required.
Under the EU–Türkiye Cultural Partnership Call for Proposals Guidelines, municipalities from Türkiye and EU Member States or eligible candidate countries are required to participate as associates rather than as lead applicants or co-applicants.
Such documents are not mandatory at the application stage. However, applicants are encouraged to submit relevant photographs, sketches or maps as supporting documentation, where available, to provide a clearer understanding of the proposed venue transformation.
Objectively verifiable indicators are specific, measurable and verifiable measures used to assess the achievement of a project’s intended outputs and outcomes.
They may include quantitative indicators, such as the number of participants attending a conference or the number of people reached through project activities, as well as qualitative indicators that demonstrate changes resulting from the project. Indicators should be clearly defined, linked to the relevant project results and supported by appropriate sources of verification.
The maximum project duration is 12 months. Projects must last between 9 and 12 months.
Projects selected for funding under the EU-Türkiye Cultural Partnership Call for Proposals are expected to commence on 1 April 2027. Applicants are expected to prepare their activity plans in line with this schedule.
Significant postponements of project start dates will not be permitted. However, for projects with a planned duration of less than 12 months, a limited postponement may be considered, subject to adequate justification and approval by İKSV.
Yes. Applicants may submit the available audit reports for the previous two years, together with a letter signed by an authorised representative of the organisation explaining why the current year’s audit report is not yet available.
The majority of the project budget must be spent in Türkiye. Activities implemented outside Türkiye must not constitute the main focus of the project. The principal activities and core implementation processes must take place in Türkiye.
Any activities carried out in EU Member States or eligible candidate countries must contribute directly to the project’s objectives and strengthen international cooperation. Their relevance and necessity must be clearly justified in the application form.
As specified in the EU–Türkiye Cultural Partnership Call for Proposals Guideline, applicants may request a grant ranging from €60,000 to €120,000 per project.
Yes. Personnel costs, including salaries for project coordinators, assistants and other staff directly involved in project implementation, may be covered by the project budget. Applicants must submit a brief job description outlining the main responsibilities of each proposed full-time or part-time project position at the application stage.
Yes. Costs incurred by the co-applicant CSO may be covered by the project budget, provided that they are necessary for project implementation, clearly identified and duly justified in the proposed budget.
As specified in the eligibility criteria of the Call for Proposals Guidelines, associates are expected to play an active role in project implementation but are not eligible to receive grant funding, except for travel costs and per diems.
Applicants should provide a detailed breakdown of the proposed costs, including unit costs, quantities and/or duration, as applicable, and clearly explain the purpose and justification of each expenditure in relation to the planned activities (see Annex 2 – Budget Form). A detailed and well-justified budget will enable the Evaluation Committee to better assess the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of the proposed activities.
Applicants are advised to consult the instructions provided in the first worksheet of the Budget Form.
Yes. The project budget must be prepared and submitted in euros (€).
İKSV will sign the grant agreement with the lead applicant CSO, which will be the contractual counterpart and recipient of the grant payments. Grant payments will be transferred to the lead applicant in accordance with the terms and payment schedule set out in the grant agreement.
Yes. All project expenditures must be supported by appropriate financial documentation, such as invoices, receipts and proof of payment, in accordance with the applicable financial reporting requirements.
Under Article 28/2 of the IPA III Framework Partnership Agreement, the ratification of which was approved by Law No. 7424, the project is eligible for VAT exemption.
When preparing the project budget, applicants should obtain price quotations and calculate the costs of goods and services on a VAT-exclusive basis.
Grant beneficiaries may apply for VAT exemption within the limits of their approved grant and, subject to the applicable procedures, purchase eligible goods and services without VAT.
No. Foreign nationals may be employed under the project, provided that the proposed personnel costs are duly justified in the budget and the employment arrangements comply with applicable legislation, including work permit requirements.
No. Project staff must not be employed through the CSO’s economic enterprise, and payroll documents issued by the economic enterprise will not be accepted as supporting documentation for project expenditure.
As the economic enterprise is treated separately for the purposes of the grant, its expenditures cannot be charged to the project budget. All eligible project expenditures must be incurred directly by the lead applicant association, foundation or non-profit cooperative.
There is no specific percentage ceiling for human resources costs. However, the proposed personnel budget must be reasonable, duly justified and proportionate to the project’s objectives, scope and other budget categories.
Yes. Fees may be paid to designers, trainers, artists and other professionals providing services for project implementation. Core project staff are expected to be employed through formal payroll arrangements. However, external experts, artists and other professionals engaged for short-term assignments may be paid against an invoice or an expense voucher (gider pusulası in Türkiye), as permitted under applicable legislation.
These costs should be included under Budget Heading 5 – Other Costs and Services. For such expenditures, beneficiaries must obtain price quotations, conclude a contract clearly specifying the services to be provided and comply with the applicable procurement requirements.
No specific percentage ceiling has been established for construction, renovation or restoration costs in projects involving the transformation of cultural venues through the expertise of CSOs.
However, a project budget consisting exclusively of construction-related costs would not be considered appropriate. Such expenditures must be reasonable, duly justified and balanced in relation to the project’s objectives, scope and other planned activities.
Consultancy fees and other similar service costs should be included under Budget Heading 5 – Other Costs and Services.
Administrative costs cover eligible general administrative and operational expenses associated with project implementation that cannot be directly attributed to a specific activity or budget heading. These costs may amount to a maximum of 7% of the total eligible direct costs of the project. They should be distinguished from direct project costs and should not be used to cover expenditure already included under other budget headings.
Yes. Financial advisory services required for project implementation may be included under Budget Heading 5 – Other Costs and Services or, where applicable, Budget Heading 6 – Administrative Costs, depending on the nature of the expenditure.
Organisation costs, accommodation expenses and fees associated with training sessions and workshops should be included under Budget Heading 5 – Other Costs and Services. Travel expenses incurred by project staff, experts, consultants and other relevant personnel in connection with project activities should be included under Budget Heading 2 – Travel Costs.
The minimum 5% co-financing contribution does not have to be provided exclusively by the lead applicant. It can be provided by the co-applicant, the associate municipalities, or another third-party institution or individual. Co-financing contributions must be made in cash. In kind contributions are not accepted as co-financing.
No. Applicants are not required to submit a declaration or proof of available co-financing funds at the application stage.
Financial audit reports are not required to have been audited by an independent external auditor. Reports issued or approved by the Directorate General for Relations with Civil Society are accepted as sufficient documentation for the application.
Yes, a municipality may participate as an associate in multiple applications under the call for proposals.
Yes. Commercial organisations may participate as associates, provided that their role and contribution to the project are clearly defined and justified in the application.
Yes. These and other relevant public institutions may participate in projects as associates.
All organisations participating as associates must have legal personality. Individuals are not eligible to participate as associates.
Applicants seeking project partners may complete the Partner Search Form available through the Ortaklaşa website. Applicants are also encouraged to consult the partner search announcements published on the website to identify potential cooperation opportunities.
Applications are first subject to an administrative and eligibility check to verify compliance with the requirements set out in the Call for Proposals Guidelines.
Applications that successfully pass this stage are submitted to a five-member Evaluation Committee comprising independent experts and representatives of İKSV and the Marmara Municipalities Union (MMU).
The Committee evaluates and scores applications against the criteria specified in Section 2.3, “Evaluation Grid”, of the EU–Türkiye Cultural Partnership Call for Proposals Guidelines. Funding decisions are made on the basis of the evaluation results and the applicable selection criteria.
