Volt

Volt is a language and culture programme for children and young people up to the age of 25.

The programme supports projects that raise interest in art, culture, and languages in other Nordic countries and areas.

What can you apply for funding for?

You can apply for funding from Volt for projects relating to the cultural and artistic creativity of children and young people. Funding may be granted for all areas of the arts, including film, literature, the performing arts, the visual arts, and cultural heritage, provided that the application criteria are met. The project must be conducted in collaboration with participants from at least three Nordic countries, which includes Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and Åland.

Projects can include:

• the production of works or other initiatives featuring creative content
• the introduction of an exchange or long-term co-operation for the target group (those up to the age of 25 in the Nordic Region)
• activities that create dialogue, discussion, or debate around the Nordic languages, art, and culture

Funding will not be granted for:

• sports activities
• study trips or teaching scholarships
• scout activities
• political activities
• commercial projects or commercial activities intended to generate a financial profit
• projects completed or commenced before a decision is made regarding funding and subsequently sent to the applicant The earliest start date for activities funded by the programme is six weeks after the application deadline.

Finances

Project funding from Volt ranges from €10,000 to €70,000. Funding from Volt may account for a maximum of 70% of the project’s costs. At least 30% of the entire project must be covered by other funding, which may consist of volunteer work or the organiser’s own resources (known as funding in kind).
Total funding from Volt and other joint Nordic organisations such as the Nordic Culture Fund or NordPlus must not exceed 85% of the project’s total budget.
You’ll find an example of how you can make a detailed budget appendix here.

Who can apply?

Eligible applicants are:
• individuals
• groups
• organisations, associations, and institutions

If you are a minor, you can present your idea for a project to an association or organisation, or you can find an adult who can help you to manage the project.

To be granted funding from Volt, the project must be conducted in collaboration with participants from at least three Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, or Åland). Projects can be implemented in one or more of these countries. Although projects are welcome to have partners that don’t live in the Nordic Region, the programme will not cover their costs. The applicant must be resident in the Nordic Region but does not require Nordic citizenship.

Applicants do not need to belong to the target group themselves but should have experience of working with children and young people.

How are applications assessed?

Projects are evaluated by a group of four experts. They emphasise the cultural and artistic creativity of the participants and their participation in the various stages of the project. The application needs to meet the above criteria. In addition, it will be assessed how well the applicants describe the following:

Involvement of children and young people
Project funding from Volt is for children and young people up to the age of 25 in order to give them opportunities for creativity, participation, and co-determination. The pedagogical methods and processes used by the project to achieve its goals have a bearing on the assessment.

The cultural dimension of the project
The cultural and artistic creativity of children and young people must be central to the project. The creativity of the participants can help to increase interest in the art, culture, languages, and societies of the Nordic Region. Children and young people have influence and contribute to an inclusive, interesting, and evolving art and cultural scene in the Nordic Region.

The Nordic dimension and co-operation
The project contributes to joint creativity, networking, and/or other exchanges between children and young people in the Nordic Region. The project encourages new long-term collaborations. The project will facilitate interaction between participants from at least three Nordic countries.

The linguistic dimension of the project
The project and its activities should help to improve young people’s understanding of the Nordic languages and create an interest and curiosity in Nordic linguistic diversity and communication across language boundaries. Here, language can be considered as a working tool, an artistic expression, a special theme, an identity marker, or a cultural carrier.

Inclusion and gender equality
The project has the ability to reflect the diversity of society in terms of gender, gender identity and expression, cultural and ethnic background, and functional ability.

Strategic focus

You can also familiarise yourself with the following documents to find out more about the assessment:

• Nordic Council of Ministers Strategy for the Nordic Cultural Co-operation 2013-2020
• Children and Young People in the Nordic Region: – a cross-sectoral strategy for the Nordic Council of Ministers 2016-2022.

Advice and frequently asked questions

Click here for advice and frequently asked questions about our programmes.  Please contact us if you don’t find the answer to your question!

To submit an application, you need to create a user profile using our electronic portal and answer the questions on the application form. The application period for 2020 will be announced shortly.

Please note that the application deadline is at 15:59 Finnish time.  Projects that are granted funding may commence no earlier than six weeks after this date.

Familiarise yourself with the application form >

Preview application form ›