Support for Major Civic Society Events 2026

Preparation, organization and servicing costs of a major public civil society event.

Costs of renting premises, areas and necessary technical solutions for the event.

Costs of participant and guest registration system.

Marketing, communication and publicity activities costs for the event.

Costs for supplementing the existing website or for creating the website and web application needed for the project.

Costs of social media campaigns, press releases, posters, as well as the preparation of print and digital materials.

Costs of activities promoting NGO cooperation and networking.

Costs of discussions and activities promoting civic engagement and public participation.

Costs that broaden the participation opportunities of target groups, including translation services, accessibility services, support services for people with special needs, and justified transportation.

Cross-sectoral cooperation and knowledge transfer activities.

Costs of organizing trainings, seminars, workshops, discussion areas, and panel discussions.

Expert fees for fulfilling specific, measurable, and time-bound tasks.

Direct labor costs related to the implementation of the project, including employer taxes.

Costs for collecting and analyzing participant statistics, feedback, and impact of the event.

Costs of documenting the event, including creating photo and video materials.

External services required to achieve the project's objectives, if these are clearly planned in the project budget.

National taxes and levies not refunded by the Estonian state, including VAT not subject to deduction.

Other necessary and justified costs for implementing the event that are clearly described in the project’s activities and budget.

The necessity of the event, compliance with the conditions of the application round, focus on target groups, and description of objectives, results, and societal impact comprise 40% of the maximum aggregate score.

The applicant's ability to achieve publicly set objectives with the major event, measurability of results, proof of value created for the target group, and the reliability of the applicant comprise 20% of the aggregate score.

The event’s justification and reasoning, realism of the action and time schedule, and overview of key activities and timing comprise 20% of the aggregate score.

The roles, division of labor, experience, capability and competence of the organizing team, partners, and volunteers comprise 20% of the aggregate score.

Each application is evaluated by three independent assessors.

The maximum possible aggregate score is 100 points.

The minimum threshold for support approval is 60 points.

Applications exceeding the threshold are ranked by the assessment results and funded to the extent of the application round budget.

In the event of equal aggregate scores, preference is given to the application with the higher score in the necessity and applicant capability criteria.

If the results are still equal, preference is given to the application assessed to have a stronger organizing team, and then to the one submitted earlier.

Song and dance festivals.

Sports competitions.

Events focusing only on the activities of a single association.

Events with an entry or participation fee.

Events planned for fewer than 1,000 participants.

Events with a total budget under 25,000 euros.

Acquisition of inventory, small items or fixed assets.

Acquisition of land or real estate.

Costs arising from hire-purchase agreements or capital leases.

Interest expenses on financial transactions, currency exchange commissions, exchange losses and other financial costs.

Penalties and fines.

Costs of appeals and legal proceedings.

Reserves for covering unexpected or unforeseen costs.

Social benefits.

Contracting project management services from another company.

The association’s usual fixed and administrative costs, including general office, membership, and operational expenses not directly related to the specific major event.

Costs already funded or paid from another project, the state budget, public sector support, or other foreign aid.

Activity or expense for which support is being simultaneously sought from another financier.

Costs incurred outside the project eligibility period.

Costs not paid from the grant recipient's account.

Unjustified, insignificant or expenses not directly related to the project’s objectives.

An application with an aggregate score below 60 points.

An application containing uncorrected false, incomplete, or insufficient data.

The grant recipient submits the project’s activity and financial report in TMS by the deadline specified in the grant approval decision.

Documents proving the completion of activities and results must be submitted with the report.

All expenses must be substantiated by invoices or equivalent accounting documents.

An account statement from the grant recipient must be attached to the report, proving the expenses have been paid.

The grant recipient must clearly differentiate the eligible project expenses from other expenses in their accounting.

The public must be regularly informed about the support received, project objectives, activities and results during the project.

No later than within three months of the funding decision, the organization’s website, social media, publications, or other informational materials must publish the project’s objectives, the amount of support, main activities, and results.

The names and official logos of KÜSK and the Ministry of the Interior must be used in communications.

Documents related to the application and project implementation must be retained for seven years after the project ends.

Unused or ineligible funds must be repaid to KÜSK.

1. The applicant checks compliance of themselves and their planned event with the conditions of the application round.

2. The applicant prepares the event’s program, activity and time schedule, budget, own financing plan, and description of result and impact measurement.

3. The application is filled in Estonian in the cultural ministry’s grant management information system (TMS).

4. The application must be submitted no later than August 4, 2026, at 23:59.

5. KÜSK checks the applicant’s and application’s formal compliance and may set a deadline to rectify deficiencies.

6. Applications which pass the formal check are evaluated by three independent assessors.

7. Applications are ranked based on the average aggregate score.

8. Applications which receive at least 60 points are approved in ranking order, until the budget is exhausted.

9. The application processing deadline is up to 50 working days from the application deadline.

10. The applicant is notified of the decision in TMS within ten working days after the decision.

11. The support is paid in advance within 20 working days after the grant approval decision.

Application filled in Estonian in TMS.

Applicant’s name and registration code.

Applicant’s contact information.

Applicant’s account number and bank name.

Name and contact information of the legal representative of the applicant.

Project objectives, target groups, activities, expected results and societal impact.

Unified program of the event.

Activity and time schedule of the event.

Detailed project budget by cost types.

Amount of support applied for.

Amount and sources of own financing.

Description of the roles, tasks, experience, and competence of the organizing team, partners, and volunteers.

Justification on how the event will reach at least 1,000 participants.

Description of the event’s nationwide impact and inclusion of various NGOs and sectors.

Plan for results, participant statistics, feedback and impact measurement.

Confirmation that the applicant meets the established requirements.

Confirmation that the same activities described in the application have not already been financed and are not being applied for from another grant at the same time.

For recipients of strategic partnership support, a confirmation letter from the grantor that overlapping activities will not be financed from the supports.

Digitally signed power of attorney if the application is submitted by an authorized person or the organization’s board members have joint right of representation.