International Fund for Cultural Diversity (IFCD) The IFCD is a multi-donor Fund established under Article 18 of the UNESCO 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. The IFCD invests in projects that lead to structural change, demonstrating the value and opportunities that the cultural industries bring to sustainable development processes, in particular to economic growth and the promotion of a decent quality of life.

The IFCD supports projects that… introduce and/or develop policies and strategies that have a direct effect on the creation, production, distribution and access to a diversity of cultural goods, services and activities; create new cultural industries or strengthen existing ones.

The IFCD invests in projects that reinforce the cultural value chain

These are some of the activities carried out by IFCD-funded projects: Policies and strategies Enacting national cultural policy reform and market regulations; Establishing inter-ministerial and cross-sector committees to develop integrated cultural policies; Engaging civil society in policy development processes; Developing strategic action plans to implement cultural policies; Mapping and measuring social and economic contributions of cultural industries. Cultural industries Strengthening local capacities for business development and supporting cultural entrepreneurship; Creating new cultural industry business models and promoting the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs); Strengthening professional networks and fostering innovative partnerships.

What are the IFCD’s areas of intervention? MusicPublishing / Books Spoken WordDance TheatreMedia ArtsVisual ArtsPhotography Cinema / Audiovisual Arts Design and Crafts

IFCD’s key facts Funded projects: 71 projects from 43 developing countries. Funds spent on projects: 4.6 million USD. Applications received: over 200 per cycle. Resources: voluntary contributions received from Parties, as well as from other States; regional/international organizations; public/private organizations and individuals.

The IFCD in Latin America and the Caribbean 16 projects from 11 Latin American and Caribbean countries are receiving IFCD funding totaling over 1 million USD: Argentina, Barbados, Brazil, Cuba, Grenada, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Uruguay.

Examples of IFCD-funded projects around the world: South Africa: Unlocking funding to support cultural industries through innovative partnerships - 59,935 USD. Benin: Developing new business models for the music industry: creating 100 music distribution points to facilitate the sales of Beninese artists’ music locally - 20,000 USD. Bosnia and Herzegovina: Mapping the film industry to encourage cultural policy development - 35,700 USD. Guatemala: Opening opportunities to indigenous cultural entrepreneurs in the audiovisual sector - 98,610 USD.

Next call for funding requests Launch of the call: January Deadline for National Commissions for UNESCO to forward pre-selected projects to the UNESCO Secretariat: 15 May Deadline for International NGOs to submit projects (max. two applications per INGO with written support from beneficiary countries) to the UNESCO Secretariat: 15 May Max. amount: 100,000 USD. Project implementation: between 12 and 24 months.

Who can apply? * National Commissions and any other organizations participating in the pre-selection or approval of projects submitted to the UNESCO Secretariat are not eligible for IFCD funding. Public authorities from developing countries that are Parties to the 2005 Convention; NGOs coming from developing countries that are Parties to the 2005 Convention; International NGOs; Micro, small and medium enterprises of the private sector active in the cultural field of developing countries that are Parties to the Convention, to the limit of available funds from contributions provided by the private sector.

How to apply? Public authorities and NGOs shall download the appropriate IFCD Application Form at Applicants shall consult the IFCD Annotated Guide available online to help them prepare a successful application. Applicants shall contact their National Commission for UNESCO for deadlines and guidance.

National Commissions play a crucial role… National Commissions publicize the call for funding requests and set appropriate deadlines at the country level; They form a pre-selection panel made up of public authorities and members of civil society organizations to evaluate and pre-select projects; Pre-selection panel makes sure the projects are relevant, meet the country’s needs and priorities, and have been subject to consultation among stakeholders; National Commissions forward a maximum of four applications: two per public authority and two from NGOs, to the UNESCO Secretariat.

How does it work? Step 1: Launch of the call UNESCO Secretariat launches the call. National Commission disseminates the call at the national level. January Step 2: Submission at national level Except for international NGOs, all applications must be sent to the National Commission of the country in which the proposed project is to be carried out. Deadline: determined by National Commission Step 3: Pre- selection at national level National Commission forms a pre-selection panel, which carries out a first review, and pre- selects the applications for submission to the UNESCO Secretariat. Deadline: 15 May

Step 4: Technical examination UNESCO Secretariat performs a technical examination to ensure that applications are complete and fall within the field of activity of the IFCD. mid-May - June Step 5: Evaluation Eligible applications are evaluated by an international panel of experts representing UNESCO’s six regions. July Step 6: Funding approval The 2005 Convention’s Intergovernmental Committee makes the final funding decisions during its annual meeting. December

Step 7: Launch newly-funded projects UNESCO Secretariat prepares newly approved project contracts and processes their first payments. March Step 8: Project Implementation UNESCO Secretariat monitors project implementation and analyses results. Next 12 to 24 months

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