Open Call Resilient Communities / Inclusive Cities / Just Societies

The Open Call Resilient Communities / Inclusive Cities / Just Societies II focuses on collaborations in Benin, Burundi, Ethiopia, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Uganda, Senegal, Tunisia and South Africa. These countries fall within the Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation policy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

With this open call, the Fund wants to support those projects that examine alternative methods and tools for resilient communities, inclusive cities and just societies. We offer space to design that resonates with local perspectives on, ideas about and strategies for living together in rapidly changing African cities. We aim to connect designers and collectives from the Netherlands to the named African countries and stimulate equal collaboration and exchange.

African cities are often spoken about in the context of their future. These projections are often at odds with the lived reality of inhabitants who reside in and move through cities that carry remnants of the past. Rapidly shifting urban dynamics raise questions about social and economic equality, participation in decision-making and formulations of belonging. The space for alternative forms of organizing urban life and providing provisions for that purpose is often constrained or impeded. Despite this, initiatives and collective actions nevertheless continue to take shape that offer a measure of community and connection. What is the potential of the emergence of informal sectors, changing forms of governance, landscapes and (infra)structures? What is the significance of newforms of navigation, connectivity, and of changing practices and rituals within changing cities? And how is the future regarded from the local context?

Proposals can be submitted by professional designers, observers, platforms, organizations or collectives that are related to the fields of design, architecture or digital culture and who enter into an equal collaboration with local parties who want to use design for more resilient communities, inclusive cities and just societies in Africa. In addition, other parties may be involved in the project, such as representatives of communities, social initiatives, activists and/or researcher/academics. The applicant is registered in the Commercial Register of the Dutch Chamber of Commerce or in one of the Chambers of Commerce that fall within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Within this open call, grants are not awarded to institutions that have a structural grant relationship with the Dutch Government or that have received a grant from the Fund under the Four-Year Institutional Grant Scheme for the Creative Industry 2021–2024. In addition, no grants will be awarded within this open call to applicants who were selected within the first round of the Open Call: Resilient Communities / Inclusive Cities / Just Societies, unless they intend to start a new project with other partners.

Applications can be submitted for projects where there is a collaboration with local partners in one or more of the following countries: Benin, Burundi, Ethiopia, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Uganda, Senegal, Tunisia and South Africa.

Project proposals can be submitted in various forms, ranging from artistic research or research by design to implementing an intervention, popular initiative or programme. Any approach is possible, as long as it can be linked to the open call’s theme and the results will be made accessible to the public.

Please note: applications that are submitted for projects in African countries and regions for which, at that time, negative travel advice is in force (colour coded red or orange) cannot be processed. Consult in advance here.

In order to prepare the application, it is important to acquire the right information based on the following documents:

Grant Application Guidelines

The Grant Application Guidelines provide guidance and tips on preparing a grant application. You can use them to draw up your application as completely as possible.

Open Call Resilient Communities / Inclusive Cities / Just Societies

Applications are assessed on the basis of the Open Call Resilient Communities / Inclusive Cities / Just Societies II, which describes the reason and objective, design challenges, phases, criteria and procedures.

Open Call Grant Scheme

Applications are also assessed on the basis of the Open Call Grant Scheme, which describes the general conditions, grounds for rejection, manner of publication, submission procedure, assessment, the award and any grant obligations. For this open call, Article 4(1)(d) of the Fund’s Open Call Grant Scheme does not apply. Instead, the project must demonstrate that there is an equal interest between the partners/parties involved in the one (or more) countries mentioned above. Nor does this include Article 4.1.e: as the project must start within a month after the date of the decision.

Grant applications will be submitted for assessment to external independent advisors on the following criteria:

- relevance of the selected topic within the open call’s theme;
- plan of action;
- the set-up of the collaboration.

acceptance

When you have submitted your application, the Fund Desk will check if your application complies with the formal requirements of the Open Call Grant Scheme.

assessment

An independent advisory committee will assess your application on the basis of the Open Call Grant Scheme and the Open Call Resilient Communities / Inclusive Cities / Just Societies II. The committee advises the Fund’s Board.

decision

The Board takes account of the committee’s advice in its decision on the rejection or provision of the grant. You will be notified about the result in a decision.

accountability

If you receive a grant from the Fund, then you will have to comply with the obligations. Two weeks before the conclusion of your project, you will be asked by email to submit your accountability form in the application environment.

Open Call Resilient Communities / Inclusive Cities / Just Societies
Open Call Grant Scheme
Grant Application Guidelines