EU FUNDING

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International Visegrad Fund

International Visegrad Fund

Period: 2000 -

Budget: EUR 5 million

The International Visegrad Fund was established in 2000 by the Governments of the four Visegrad countries (The Czech Republic, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Poland and the Slovak Republic). The main purpose of the Fund is to promote closer cooperation and to strengthen the ties between the four countries.

These objectives are pursued through financial support to promote and develop the following areas:

• Cultural cooperation
• Scientific exchange, research and cooperation in the educational field
• Exchanges between young people
• Cross border cooperation
• Tourism

The Fund provides both grants and scholarships.

Standard Grants
Financial support is available for projects in the field of Cultural cooperation, scientific exchange and research. The minimum amount is EUR 4000 on a 50 % co finance rate and the maximum time frame for the proposed budget is one year (even if the project can last longer). Deadlines for applications are 15 March and 15 September.

Small Grants
This programme also support Cultural cooperation, scientific exchange and research but it differs from the Standard Grant programme in the sense that the maximum grant per project is EUR 4000 and the maximum period for a grant is 6 month (even is the project can last longer). Application deadlines: 1 March, 1 June, 1 September and 1 December

Visegrad Strategic Programme
This programme supports strategic, long-term projects concerning the four countries and the projects must be in line with the priorities defined each year. The maximum implementation time for a project supported by this programme is 3 years. The deadline for applications is the 31 st of January each year.

The priorities for 2006 were:

1. Research and development projects contributing to the modernization efforts in Central Europe with special focus on enhancing the region's competitiveness.
2. Projects and Initiatives articulating the V4's willingness to shape EU common Foreign Policy and Neighbourhood Policy in relation to Moldova, Belarus, Ukraine, other CIS states and the Western Balkans.

Scholarships

Visegrad Master Scholarship

This scholarship is available for students who have finished at least 4 semesters of bachelor studies at their home university.

Visegrad Postgraduate Scholarship

This scholarship is available for study/research projects for applicants who have finished their Master studies.

There are four types of scholarships for studies at the Masters and postgraduate levels:

1. Intra-Visegrad scholarship : Available for students originally from a V4 country to go to another V4 country
2. Out-Going scholarship : Available for students from V4 countries going to universities in Albania, Belarus, Bosnia- Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia and Ukraine
3. In-Coming Scholarship : Provides support to students coming from: Belarus, Croatia, Moldova, Russian Federation, Serbia and Ukraine
4. Scholarship programme for Ukrainian Students : Available for Ukrainian students studying in a V4 country

Note on the budget: The budget of the Fund is made up by an equal annual contribution from Member States. For the year 2006, each Member contributed EUR 800 000, making the total budget for 2006, EUR 3.340 million (including the leftover from 2005, EUR 140 000).

Visegrad Fund Homepage

Visegrad Group Homepage

IVF Statute