Support for International Projects in 2026

Covering the co-financing of an international cooperation project.

Covering the applicant’s own participation or cost related to the grant amount in a lump-sum international project to the extent permitted by KÜSK conditions.

Costs that are directly related to the implementation of the international cooperation project concluded with a foreign financier and fall within the eligibility period of the international project and KÜSK support.

VAT is eligible only if the grant recipient is not able to reclaim it under the Value Added Tax Act.

KÜSK first checks the compliance of the applicant and application with the requirements.

For compliant applications, the relevance of activities to the objective of the support and their contribution to achieving the expected results is assessed.

The impact of the project on international cooperation and knowledge transfer is assessed.

The project’s contribution to the international visibility of Estonian civil society is assessed.

The project’s impact on the development of new cooperation relationships and international contact networks is assessed.

The applicant’s ability to carry out the planned activities is assessed.

Applications are processed on a rolling basis and grants are awarded in the order applications are received until the budget is exhausted or until the end of 2026.

Support cannot be applied for by an organization that is not a non-profit association or foundation registered in Estonia.

Support cannot be applied for by an organization that does not operate in the public interest or publicly.

Support cannot be applied for by an organization that has been registered for less than one year.

Support cannot be applied for by an organization with unsubmitted annual reports or unfulfilled previous obligations.

Support cannot be applied for by an organization with non-deferred tax debts.

Support cannot be applied for by an organization that is bankrupt, in liquidation or under compulsory dissolution.

Support cannot be applied for by an organization that received KÜSK's support for international umbrella organizations' events in the previous calendar year.

Support cannot be granted if the project agreement has not been concluded with a financier not located in Estonia or if there is no official funding decision from a foreign financier.

Support cannot be granted for projects that do not contribute to international cooperation, knowledge transfer, or the increased international visibility of Estonian civil society.

Purchases of inventory, minor and fixed assets are not eligible.

Intermediation fees for travel services acquired via a service provider are not eligible.

Accommodation costs for the applicant organization’s representative abroad are not eligible.

Costs arising under a finance lease type agreement are not eligible.

Interest expenses on financial transactions, currency exchange commissions and losses, and other financial expenses are not eligible.

Penalties and fines are not eligible.

Reserves for unexpected or unforeseen costs are not eligible.

The cost of outsourcing event organization from another legal entity is not eligible.

Costs already supported or paid by another project, from the state budget or other public sector support or other foreign aid are not eligible.

Other costs that are unreasonable and insignificant for the implementation of the activities are not eligible.

A report on the use of the support must be submitted in the KÜSK application processing information system TMS.

The reporting deadline is specified in the grant agreement.

The report must describe the implementation of the activities and provide an overview of the costs incurred.

Expenditure and supporting documents, as well as documents proving payment or a bank account statement, must be provided for the costs included in the report.

All costs incurred in the use of the support must be documented, clearly distinguishable from the grant recipient's other costs, and paid from the recipient's settlement account during the eligibility period of the project or within 30 calendar days after the end of the project, but no later than the submission of the report.

For longer projects, interim reports must be submitted to KÜSK in accordance with the grant agreement.

The final report must be submitted no later than five calendar months after the end of the project's eligibility period.

A copy of the final report submitted to and approved by the foreign financier along with all annexes must be attached to the final report.

If deficiencies are found during the review of the report, the grant provider generally gives up to 15 calendar days to rectify them.

90% of the support is paid out after KÜSK's decision to approve the application and signing the grant agreement by both parties, and 10% after submitting and approving the final report by KÜSK.

The application is submitted in Estonian via the Ministry of Culture’s support management information system TMS by the legal representative of the association or an authorized person.

The application must be submitted using KÜSK's application form for supporting international cooperation of civil society external projects.

The call is open from June 5, 2026, until budget resources are exhausted or until the end of 2026.

Applications are processed on a rolling basis and grants are awarded in the order applications are received.

If the application is approved, the KÜSK board makes a decision and the grant agreement is concluded via TMS.

If it is not possible to conclude the agreement within 20 working days from the receipt of the approval decision due to reasons on the part of the grant recipient, KÜSK may declare the decision invalid.

The application must include the project budget by expenses and the amount of grant requested.

The name and contact details of the person with the right of representation must be provided in the application.

The amount of own contribution must be specified in the application.

The application must be accompanied by the project submitted to the foreign financier with all annexes.

The application must be accompanied by the official approval decision of the foreign financier or a signed grant agreement.

If necessary, a digitally signed power of attorney proving the right of representation must be added.

The applicant must confirm that no support has been received or is being applied for simultaneously from other sources for the same activities.

At the time of application, there must be either a signed agreement with a foreign financier or an official financing decision from the foreign financier.

The application must clearly specify which part of the project is related to KÜSK support.