OTS: International Visegrad Fund supports hundreds of youth projects with ...

OTS: International Visegrad Fund supports hundreds of youth projects with almost €4 million Bratislava, 29 October (TASR/OTS) – The International Visegrad Fund continues to invest in strengthening good-neighbourly cooperation through youth exchanges among the Visegrad Four countries (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia) and Ukraine. Launched three years ago, the V4Gen mini-grant program has so far supported 400 mini-grants with a total value of €3.8 million. Projects submitted by applicants primarily focus on healthy lifestyle (23%), sustainability and environmental initiatives (22%), cultural heritage and regional identity (20%), and practical skills and entrepreneurship (20%). Other supported areas include democratic values, civic activism, arts, and culture. The mini-grant program focuses on mobility within the Visegrad countries and Ukraine, as well as on the exchange of experiences among young people aged 12 to 30. The aim of the Visegrad Fund is to use these mini-grants to support youth activities—including those involving disadvantaged groups—focused on developing skills such as communication, digital literacy, and informal education, while also strengthening regional awareness and good-neighbourly relations. “The International Visegrad Fund also supports children and young people from less economically developed parts of the Visegrad region. The Fund places its trust in dedicated teachers and youth experts who, with our support, design activities that leave a lasting and positive Visegrad mark on young people’s minds and better prepare them for neighbourly coexistence. On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the International Visegrad Fund, we will recognize the best projects connecting young people from the Visegrad region and Ukraine, aiming to help them get to know one another better and learn from their neighbours,” said Linda Kapustová Helbichová, Executive Director of the Visegrad Fund. The International Visegrad Fund currently has an open call for applications for V4 Gen mini-grants, with schools, universities, youth clubs, and leisure organizations able to apply for financial support by submitting their projects by mid-November this year. Next year, further calls for V4 Gen mini-grants will be opened on March 1 and October 1, with its respective deadline. The International Visegrad Fund is an international organisation established by the governments of the Visegrad Group (V4) countries—Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia. Its mission is to foster closer cooperation and mutual understanding among citizens within the V4 region, as well as between the V4 and other regions, such as the countries of the so-called Eastern Partnership countries and the Western Balkans. For twenty-five years, the Visegrad Fund has been contributing to the development of civil society by financing joint grant projects, awarding scholarships, and providing mobility opportunities for artists. Its annual budget of €11 million is equally funded by the governments of the V4 countries. To date, the Fund has supported more than 10,000 grant projects and individual mobility initiatives, with a total funding amount exceeding €140 million. We would like to remind our customers that the materials marked OTS are provided as part of the Original Text Service and The News Agency of the Slovak Republic (TASR) cannot be held responsible for their content