Up Grants 2026 — €4,000 microgrant for culture and democracy projects in Europe
Sometimes a small amount of money is enough to turn an idea from an internal discussion into real action. This programme supports initiatives that work at the intersection of culture, participation and democratic values, strengthening local communities and creating space for dialogue.
Up Grants is a competition run by ENCC with three grants of €4,000 each. Winners also receive an invitation to the annual ENCC conference in Lisbon in May 2026, with expenses covered. An important feature: all applications that pass the formal selection process are published on the organisation’s website, providing additional international visibility even if the project does not win.
Thematic areas
The project must correspond to one of three tracks:
Digital ethics and democracy — working with the digital environment, media literacy, ethical technologies, new forms of online participation.
Dialogue in times of polarisation — methods of dialogue in conditions of social polarisation, storytelling, working with disinformation, engaging young people and underrepresented groups.
Participation and cultural resistance — culture as a tool for civic participation, creative interventions in public space, coalitions of artists and communities, protecting rights and freedoms through cultural practices.
Who can apply
Applications are open to socio-cultural centres (non-profit or public organisations) from countries participating in the Creative Europe programme, as well as members of the ENCC network.
Membership is not a prerequisite for application if the organisation meets the call requirements (Creative Europe country and socio-cultural centre status).
However, participation in the ENCC network strengthens the institutional position of the centre and can be strategically beneficial in the long term.
If you are an artist or curator without your own organisation, this does not mean that the programme is not available to you.
The condition is that the centre acts as the applicant.
Explanation: the grant is aimed at supporting cultural infrastructure and its work with communities.
A possible solution is to find a partner organization or NGO and submit the project jointly. For the organization, this is an opportunity to obtain funding and gain international recognition; for the author, it is a chance to implement the initiative within a sustainable structure.
Selection logic
After the applications have been reviewed, public and expert voting begins. This means that it is important for a project to not only be conceptually strong, but also clearly formulated so that its idea is understandable to a wide audience.
The evaluation takes into account innovation, community engagement, sustainability of results, partnerships, and real contribution to democratic development through culture.
What to pay attention to when preparing an application
You can apply with a new initiative or an existing project if the grant will allow you to expand its scope or deepen its impact. It is important to clearly define the goals, budget, partners, and expected impact.
Winners will need to register their organisation in the EU Funding & Tenders system (PIC code). If you do not have one, you can register after selection.
This is a small grant in terms of amount, but significant in terms of meaning. It is suitable for those who work with local communities and want to strengthen their presence in the European context through culture as a form of participation.
Submission deadline: 15 March 2026 (23:59 CET).
