The EEA and Norway Grants support strengthening of bilateral relations between the Czech Republic and donor states. Thanks to its focus, the programme Culture is well suited for involvement of experts, artists and cultural operators from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway in planned projects and supports mutual cooperation and experience exchange.

Opportunities for Cooperation

Bilateral cooperation is optional in the programme Culture. However, it is highly recommended to involve cultural entities from donor states especially in activities focusing on capacity building and exchange of information (such as workshops, courses, seminars, conferences) and cultural organizations management including cultural entrepreneurship.

The scope and content of the cooperation depends on the nature of every project and the open call. In the area of cultural heritage, international experience may be shared and applied, focusing mainly on innovative use of cultural heritage, its accessibility, audience building, educational activities or suitable procedures aimed at the restoration and conservation with a high share of skilled labour.

In the area of contemporary arts, bilateral cooperation shall primarily entail co-production, mobility of artists, residencies for professionals, exchange of information and know-how.

The area of capacity building of umbrella associations, networks and platforms opens opportunities for sharing experience with functioning and operation of umbrella organizations and embrace them for own development and in their activities designed for general public, public and private sector.

Looking for a Suitable partner?
Even though, the bilateral cooperation in projects is optional, it will be favoured in the evaluation process. In order to support bilateral cooperation, the programme organizes activities facilitating the partner search and preparation of projects in partnership.

CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTNER SEARCH

• Online Match-making seminars
  Considering the continuous international travel limitations, online match-making seminars will be organized in the middle of 2021. The seminars will help Czech organizations to connect with their counterparts from Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway. Seminars will be open to all who plan submission of a grant application in the open calls announced in 2021 and who are looking for a suitable partner:
  • Capacity Building of Umbrella Associations, Networks and Platforms II. (online seminar 29.6.2021)
  • Contemporary Arts II. (expected in 7/2021)
  • Innovative Use of Cultural Heritage (expected in 8/2021) 
• Consultations of Potential Partners
  In case you seek recommendation for a potential project partner from the Czech Republic, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway, you can follow up with the contacts on programme representatives and experts. We recommend to send a filled form with general information about your project intent and expected partner involvement altogether with your request. This will help to point at the most suitable partner. Contacts and forms are available for download below:

• Partner database (organized by the National Focal Point of the Czech Republic)

The database facilitates first contacts between potential partners from donor states and the Czech Republic. It gathers the operators who are interested in bilateral cooperation in projects supported by the EEA and Norway Grants. It is possible to upload own profile and join the database.

• Iceland - Partner Database

This database was created by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Iceland and it gathers organizations interested in bilateral cooperation within supported sectors of the EEA Grants. You can look up potential partner organizations from Iceland              

TIPS AND RECOMMENDATION

While first contacting a potential partner, it is recommended to:

• Contact similar or complementary organization
• Have clear expectations from the partnership
• Balance project idea in terms of details and possibility of the partner to influence your idea
• Have a good description of own activities and the area of expertise
• Avoid sending seemingly generic partnership requests

For arranging good partnership and cooperation in project, it is important to:

• Share the same goal and vision
• Share understanding of the content and strategy of the project
• Agree on concrete involvement of partner in project activities
• Agree on partner´s budget including financial flows
• Have long-term perspective
• Establish personal contact (ideally meeting in person)

Before submission of the project application or as soon as possible after the start of the project, it is recommended to schedule a partner meeting. As part of the project application it will be necessary to submit Declaration of Partnership (a template will be part of the Guidelines for Applicants). In case of approved project, the successful applicant will be asked to submit Partnership Agreement (draft text and tips will be part of the Guidelines for Applicants).

Downloads

• Icelandic partners - search form

• Iceland bilateral cooperation
• Liechtenstein partners search form
• Norwegian partners search form_Contemporary Art; Capacity building
• Norwegian partners - search form - cultural heritage

PAST ACTIVITIES

• Study trip – technical/industrial cultural heritage in Norway (held on 28-30. 11. 2018).
• Information seminar – Presentation of Czech cultural sector (contemporary art) to potential donor project partners in Oslo, Norway (held on 14 February 2019 ).
• Match-making seminar in Cultural heritage (held on 27 May 2019)
• Bilateral Calls for individual bilateral meetings for arranging partnership and preparation of projects.

The programme has supported 54 bilateral meetings of potential partner organizations from donor states with Czech organizations who plan to apply in the main open calls announced in 2019. A Bilateral Call will be open before every main Open Call of the Culture Programme during the years 2019 - 2021. All eligible applicants under the main open calls are eligible applicants in the open calls for individual bilateral meetings for arranging partnership (limited allocation). This means, only Czech entities take the position of the applicant and the reimbursement to the donor state partner shall be made from their side.