Second Open Call for Applications:
The Headley SEE Cultural Heritage Fund
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The Headley SEE Cultural Heritage Fund is pleased to announce the second call for applications from organizations dedicated to the conservation and celebration of cultural heritage in South-eastern Europe. We are seeking innovative and impactful projects that align with our areas of support and contribute towards our cross-sectoral themes.
The Headley SEE Cultural Heritage Fund is an opportunity for organizations aiming to make a significant difference in the field of cultural heritage, promoting sustainability, inclusivity, and regional cooperation. This fund is different from other funding possibilities as it supports innovation and organizational growth.
Areas of Support
We invite projects that address one or more of the following areas:
- Conservation and documentation of heritage, including ecclesiastical and vernacular architecture, archaeology, and cultural artefacts.
- Raising awareness about cultural heritage issues, including the importance of its protection, conservation, improving legal frameworks, increasing funding, improving public engagement and policy improvements.
- Supporting the capacity of new heritage NGOs through network infrastructure, training, networking, and innovation.
- Training the next generation of conservation and heritage professionals via on-site courses, workshops, regional visits, and similar activities.
- Engaging young people in their heritage through interpretation, accessibility, and inclusion.
- Engaging with the community on heritage-related initiatives.
Considering cross-sectorial themes like gender equality, climate action, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), increasing accessibility and improvements for the marginalized communities will be looked on favourably.
What Projects Are We Looking For?
Projects that improve the lives of citizens and demonstrate community empowerment.
Initiatives that contribute to long-term improvements in the heritage sector.
Projects promoting regional cooperation and understanding.
Initiatives that will have sector-wide impact and demonstrate effective partnership to improve advocacy.
Projects that are based on both tangible and intangible heritage, its preservation, promotion, interpretation and sustainable use.
Project that enables strategic and sustainable operations of heritage organisations.
Eligibility: Who Can Apply
Non-profit organizations, like:
- Civil society organizations (associations and foundations).
- Public institutions (museums, libraries, archives, cooperatives, and other cultural heritage institutions).
Institutions/organisations from the following countries are eligible to apply: Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia.
Priority will be given to locally-led organizations employing local experts.
Newly registered organizations are also eligible to apply.
Criteria of Support
- Organizations must operate and be registered within one or more eligible countries.
- Organizations core activities must align with Funds’ areas of support, as proven by the organization’s Statutes.
- Projects must have well-explained and justified challenges, needs, methods, risk assessment, risks mitigation strategy and an evaluation plan.
- All activities must be budgeted, with all taxes and VAT included.
- Implementation must start in 2025.
- The project must be designed and implemented in partnership with at least one other eligible heritage institution or organization. The partner(s) can be from the same country as the lead partner or from a different eligible country. The number of partners is flexible and should be based on the specific needs of each proposal. While a Partnership Agreement is not mandatory for the application, it should be presented in the project reports.
- Show clear evidence of community engagement and participation;
- The applicant must be able to receive the funds in EUR into its bank account;
- Be an original idea (applicant will need to sign a Declaration of Honour proving this)
- Be subject to quality financial reporting – providing copies of the receipts;
- Submit a narrative and financial report at the end of the project
Added Value
Membership of the Balkan Museum Network (BMN).
Size of Grants
Projects should last up to 12 months for small projects and up to 18 months for large projects.
- The budget for small projects is up to 5.000 EUR.
- The budget for large projects is up to 10.000 EUR.
- Total fund for this call is 66.000 EUR.
The Fund will cover 100% of project costs, including staff, office, infrastructure, and expertise.
While co-funding is not required, the ability to contribute to core costs may strengthen the application. Please note that personal costs of employees of public institutions are not eligible.
Time for Q&A
In case you have any doubts or have some questions, to avoid any misunderstanding feel free to contact Fund’s Coordinator Milena Milošević Micić at milena.m.micic@gmail.com for any additional explanations.
The questions will be received until 25 April 2025. Questions received after that will not be answered. Responses will be provided directly to the inquirer and may be compiled into an FAQ document.
Application Deadline: 09 May 2025
Any proposals received after that date will not be accepted.
We do not fund:
- Projects that have already started;
- Reproduction of projects already implemented by the same organisation;
- Scholarships for individual education or research activities;
- Salaries for full time paid employees of public institutions (the museum must allow staff to work on the projects as part of their existing tasks).
- Projects with a political or religious affiliation are not eligible for funding.
Technical information:
- The museum/organisation that submits the application is a lead partner and will sign the contract with the Association BMN (Registered in Bosnia and Herzegovina);
- Funding allocation will be based on the quality of the proposals, as evaluated by the Evaluation Committee;
- BMN keeps the right not to award any grant if the quality of proposals is not satisfactory.
- The organisation/institution can apply with more than one project as a lead applicant, but only one project can be supported. The same organisation can appear as a partner organisation in multiple applications.
Evaluation of proposals
The evaluation criteria for the assessment of the project are:
- Partnerships with other organization(s) and community engagement
- Involvement of beneficiaries
- Evidence of capacity building
- Well-planned budget as the basis for quality financial reporting
- Planned evaluation and risk assessment of the project
- Realistic timing and use of resources for the implementation
- Usage of appropriate methodology of implementation
- Contribution to the institution’s/organisation’s overall service provision and/or strategic direction and development
- Evidence of sustainability, thinking beyond the project
- Regional cooperation and regional dissemination of project outcomes.
Each criteria will be evaluated from 1 to 10. All criteria are equally weighted. Maximum number of points for a project is 100.
Funding for the “The Headley SEE Cultural Heritage Fund” scheme is made available by the generous support of the Headley Trust UK.
Application process
Only the Lead partner fills in the Application Form and provides requested documents.
All documents must be translated into English.
Unofficial ‘true copy’ translations are accepted, but the applicant is responsible for ensuring their accuracy.
Mandatory online forms:
- Filled online Application Form …
- Filled in Budget…
- Signed and scanned Declaration of Honor (in pdf format not larger than 10 MB)
For explanations of the Application Form and the Budget please refer to the Guidelines document.
Download – Project Kit files in .zip format
Additional Documents Required, to be uploaded in the Application Form, both in native and English language in pdf format not larger than 10 MB per document
- Articles of Association (decision to register)
- Statutes
- Financial and narrative annual reports for 2024
- For new organizations, submit management accounts or an annual income and expenditure plan
- Safeguarding Policy (find more explanation about this document here…)
You can choose to provide additional documents that will strengthen your application, such as the Partnership Agreement.
Final Selection and Contracting
- All applicants will be informed about the decision of the independent Evaluation Committee;
- Selected organisation/institution that submits the application is considered as a lead partner and will sign the contract with the Association BMN (Registered in Bosnia and Herzegovina);
- Lead partner is responsible for both financial and narrative reporting on behalf of all partners included in the project;
- All reporting documents should be presented in English;
- Selected organization/institution is obliged to preserve and keep all project documentation minimum five years upon finalisation of the projects;
- Partnership Agreement that shows roles and responsibilities is not mandatory for the application process, but it is recommended to be presented in the reports.