Brussels, 4 August 2021/OACPS: Grant financing ranging from €30,000 to €180,000. will be available to 14 countries throughout East Africa through the “Ignite Culture” Programme from 9 August 2021. The funding is intended to help successful applicants in the creative and cultural industries (CCI) develop programmes and projects to grow their own ventures, and conduct cultural work within their target communities. The Programme will also boost the sustainablity of creative and cultural production.

The Ignite Culture fund, worth € 4.5 Million, is financed by the European Union. Backed by the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), the programme is implemented by the British Council Kenya and the HEVA Fund LLP. Ignite Culture will provide financing for creative businesses to help restructure interrupted supply chains in the wake of COVID-19. The financial support will promote the following activities:

  • increased and improved production of creative and cultural goods and services, skill building;
  • upgrading of infrastructure, hardware and software;
  • improved access to financing and a supportive policy and business environment;
  • expanding access to local, regional and international markets;
  • improving visibility for creative and cultural practitioners and their work throughout the Eastern Africa region.

The grant facility will be available to successful applicants with a registered business, or to creative and cultural organizations, which have been in operation for at least 12 months.

Eligible CCI value chains will include: Cultural and Natural Heritage, Performance and Celebration, Cultural Infrastructure, Visual Arts and Crafts, Books and Press, Audio Visual and Interactive Media, Design and Creative Services, Creative and Cultural Education and Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Over the next 40 months, Ignite Culture will be open to applicants in Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.

Ignite Culture will open for applications onMonday, 9th August 2021

More information on application modalitiesmay be found HERE.