OPEN CALL LEGACY I

For project proposals as part of the official programme of Plovdiv - European Capital of Culture 2019

Plovdiv 2019 Foundation announces an open call for project proposals which aims to offer a sustainable development of cultural initiatives and events in the city of Plovdiv, a continuation of the intensive cultural programme of ECoC 2019 and enabling the expansion of established partnerships and the validation and upgrading of the acquired and accumulated cultural capacity.

The open call is a natural extension of the main goals in the work of the Plovdiv 2019 Foundation, namely the creation of diverse cultural events, the long-term improvement of the cultural climate in Plovdiv, the achievement of positive change among its inhabitants, the development of communication between them and the expansion of the cultural perimeter of the city and the country through opening to the European and international scene.

This open call is valid for project implementation in Plovdiv in 2020 - 2021 and is targeted at cultural organizations, independent curators and artists from Bulgaria and abroad. The applicants can be both such which have already had a selected and implemented project in the main programme of Plovdiv - ECoC 2019 and who, through contemporary creative approaches, aim to offer upgrading and sustainability of projects and partnerships realized as well as new partners, who so far did not have an approved project proposal in the programme of Plovdiv ECoC 2019 and who would like to contribute with their ideas towards the implementation of the aims of the ECoC initiative.

!!! IMPORTANT !!! The new Board of Directors of Plovdiv 2019 Foundation, on its meeting on 03.02.2020 took a decision affection the course of the open call. For details Here

Details on the new open call Legacy II - announced on 18th January 2021 - you can find here.

The project proposals are divided into three categories and can foresee editions in each of the years or for both of them. Candidates with periodicals who only apply for one-year edition are not eligible to split the activities and costs of one event into two years:

Category 1: Applying for funding up to BGN 450,000.00, on year basis /for applicants who participate with a minimum of 60 % individual contribution/
Category 2: Applying for funding up to BGN 70,000.00, on year basis /for applicants who participate with a minimum of 50 % individual contribution/
Category 3: Applying for funding up to BGN 10,000.00, on year basis /for applicants who participate with a minimum of 30 % individual contribution/

The call is directed to suggestions for events presenting: visual arts, theatre, dance, music, literature, cinema, public-space art, digital arts, design and architecture, education and capacity development.

Project proposals should build on:

topics and concepts of the programme for Plovdiv - European Capital of Culture and where possible to enrich festivals and events which were implemented as part of the official programme of Plovdiv ECoC 2019 in the year of the title /for details here/;
the culture, perceptions and attitudes of the communities and groups involved as participants and audiences;
the requirement to develop and strive for long-term partnership and sustainability of the project;
current Bulgarian legislation.

General conditions, schedule of competition and financial parameters:

The overall budget of Plovdiv 2019 Foundation for this open call: 3 000 000.00 BGN
Application period: October 21 - November 30, 2019
Project implementation period: from February 1, 2020 till November 30, 2021 – the project proposals can be planned both in 2020 and 2021. /Contracts with approved applicants will be signed only after finalized accounting of the concluded contracts under the programme in 2019, if such., and signed final acceptance protocol and protocol under Art. 6 for final payment/.
The Plovdiv 2019 Foundation sets a maximum grant for a project on a yearly basis, according to the three categories, as follows: up to BGN 450,000.00 for category 1; up to BGN 70,000.00 for category 2; up to BGN 10,000.00 for category 3.
For Category 3 The Jury will distribute up to BGN 300 000.00 from the total budget of the call.
It is a prerequisite for each applicant under the open call to participate with their own contribution to the project, as follows:

Category 1: own contribution - at least 60% of the total value of the project.

Category 2: own contribution - at least 50% of the total value of the project.

Category 3: own contribution - at least 30% of the total value of the project.

Self-financing shall be understood to mean both a financial contribution in the form of a monetary contribution provided for the purposes of the project and a non-financial contribution with the resources of the organization or third parties contracted by it. The non-financial contribution is restricted according to the different categories, as follows: Category 1 and 1 – the maximum accepted non-financial contribution is up to 10% of the individual contribution; For Category 3 – the maximum accepted non-financial contribution is up to 20 % of the individual contribution. The non-financial contribution is subject to the following conditions: 1. Includes land, real estate, equipment and / or materials, research or professional activities, or free, voluntary work, etc. provided for the purposes of the project 2. If provided by a third party (e.g. a government institution, business, etc.) that is not a project partner, this contribution should be presented as a non-financial contribution, provided by the partners, who will use it to carry out the project activities ( e.g., “airline tickets, overnights, advertising space and packages, food, supplies, printed materials, etc.). 3. In the case of land and real estate, the value is certified by an independent appraiser or the relevant officially authorized institution; 4. In the case of free voluntary work, the value of that work is determined in accordance with the time spent and the standard payment for the type of work involved. The non-financial contribution to the budget is indicated at application, in the form.

The Plovdiv 2019 Foundation will not financially support projects that have been financed through the Plovdiv City 2020 cultural calendar and other funding programmes of the Plovdiv Municipality.
The call does NOT cover the cost of acquiring tangible and intangible assets, repairs and administrative expenses /such as office space rent, consumables, office maintenance, catering, administrative manager and project accountant, etc. /.
Plovdiv 2019 Foundation reserves the right to reduce the amount of funding requested. In cases where the jury accepts a project but cuts the budget, the applicant must confirm in writing within ten days after the public announcement of the ranking, whether they accept the financing conditions and submit an updated budget.
The financial support from the Plovdiv 2019 Foundation, by this call, is paid on a yearly basis, as follows:

Category 1 - 60% advance payment /after a signed promissory note from the applicant/ and 40% - after project completion and reporting on a yearly basis.

Category 2 - 70% advance payment /after a signed promissory note from the applicant/ and 30% - after project completion and reporting on a yearly basis.

Category 3 - 70% advance payment and 30% - after project completion and reporting, on a yearly basis.

The detailed conditions and obligations of the partnership with the Plovdiv 2019 Foundation are regulated by a contract signed between the winning participant and the Foundation, based on the Bulgarian legislation and in accordance with the ranking by the jury. Contracts for the implementation of the project will be concluded after the expiry of the ten-day confirmation period and after approval by the Plovdiv Foundation 2019 Technical Committee on the eligibility of costs in the updated forms, as well as after finalized accounting of the contracts concluded under the programme in 2019 and signed final acceptance and delivery protocol and protocol under Art. 6 for final payment./
It is permissible for the same organization or person to participate with more than one project. More than one partnership is eligible for each project, but the open call does not allow for duplication of funding activities

Full set of documents for the open call: Legacy EN

You can ask your questions via e-mail: legacy@plovdiv2019.eu

The event in FB - here

Who can apply?

Bulgarian and / or foreign legal entities. Bulgarian legal entities should be registered under the Non-Profit Legal Entities Act or the Commerce Act. For foreign legal entities, a document certifying their registration and current status or a certified up-to-date certificate by the Registry Agency shall be attached in accordance with the law in the country in which they are established.
Bulgarian and / or foreign adult natural persons, craftsmen and freelancers registered in the BULSTAT Register (or similar register in the country where they are established).
Cooperatives under the Cooperatives Act.
Civil societies under the Obligations and Contracts Act.
State cultural institutes and other legal entities established by an act of a state body /universities, schools, etc./.

Not eligible for financing are entities which:

Have been declared bankrupt or are in bankruptcy proceedings.
Are in liquidation proceedings.
Have monetary obligations to the state or to the Municipality of Plovdiv, established by an effective act of a competent authority, or obligations to insurance authorities, unless the competent authority has allowed deferral of the obligations.
Have been convicted by final judgment of an offence against property or against the economy, unless rehabilitated.
Are employees of the Plovdiv 2019 Foundation or members of management bodies of the Plovdiv 2019 Foundation.
* The fulfilment of the above requirements is also certified by a declaration, which is an integral part of the application documents.

Required application documents:

completed application form* in Bulgarian language (applicants from abroad submit the forms as well in English).
completed budget spreadsheet* in Bulgarian language (applicants from abroad submit the forms in English as well). The budget forms should be filled for 2020, 2021 and a common for the two years in case the applications covers two years.
Certified up-to-date information from the Registry Agency or a certificate for the current status of the applicant organization - legal entity or a copy of an identity card for individuals and a copy of a document certifying entry in the BULSTAT Register / or a similar register in the country in which they are established /. The actual status can also be verified with a stamped "true to the original" copy of the NRA's online register. *
Applicant’s declaration*.
Information authenticity, authorship and consent declaration*.
Confirmation letters of partnerships with other organizations, use of scenes and technical equipment (as applicable).
Graphic and video materials presenting the project and the applicant - previews, sketches, photos and more. (as applicable).

Documents marked with “*” are mandatory. Applications with an incomplete set of documents will not be considered. The application form and the spreadsheet are to be submitted in Bulgarian, and for applicants from abroad - also in English. (Forms are available in both languages on our site, please select the English version to download in English. Translation can be done through an automatic translator).

The full set with required documents can be downloaded from Legacy EN.

Technical requirements:

All documents must be submitted as text and spreadsheet files according to the models. Documents that are bound by the applicant’s signature must be attached and scanned with the signature / seal affixed.
The subject of the letter should be: Open call Legacy . The text of the letter must include the following information: the name of the applicant organization; the project name and the implementation period.
The maximum size of the document set is 10 MB. For larger file sizes, the application should be submitted through a file sharing platform.
Acceptable file formats are: doc, docx, xls, xlsx, pdf, odt; for additional audio-visual materials: jpg, jpeg, png, mov, avi, mp3, mp4, wav.
The full set of documents is to be sent by 5 pm on November 30, 2019, only electronically, at address legacy@plovdiv2019.eu
Each project proposal must be submitted in a separate letter.

Required documents at the conclusion of contract and annexe on a year basis:

Certified up-to-date information from the Registry Agency or current status certificate.
Certificate from the National Revenue Agency and Plovdiv Municipality that the applicant has no obligations – original.
Criminal record of the person representing the applicant – original.
Application form from the application phase, as well as updated version – originals.
Budget spreadsheet from the application phase, as well as updated version – originals.
Model declarations from the application stage – original.
Statement of VAT status – model, original.
Promissory note for projects with advance payments exceeding BGN 10,000. The requirement is not valid for applicants - public institutions. – original.
Current certificate from a bank for the presence of an active bank account of the applicant - certified copy.
Technical media with scanned and uploaded documents as described above.

Required documents and guidance at the reporting level: here.

Jury:

Dr. Svetlana Kuyumdzhieva - Artistic Director, Plovdiv 2019 Foundation;
Viktor Yankov - Deputy Director International Affairs, Plovdiv 2019 Foundation;
Gina Kafedzhiyan - Deputy Director Programme, Plovdiv 2019 Foundation;
Rositsa Todorova – Chief Accountant, Plovdiv 2019 Foundation;
Nina Dimovska - Director of the Culture and Cultural Heritage Directorate, Plovdiv Municipality.

Full set of documents for the open call: Legacy EN

You can ask your questions via e-mail: legacy@plovdiv2019.eu