Africa-Europe Partnerships for Culture is a 30 million EUR programme, funded by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA), which seeks to strengthen and expand partnerships with African actors and civil society across the continent. It is divided into three regional components: continental, Western, and Southern Africa. EUNIC has been asked to implement part of the continental component, while Goethe-Institut, Expertise France, and UNESCO will manage the Western and Southern Africa branches.

The European Spaces of Culture model - first launched in 2019 - prioritises collaboration, dialogue, and mutual learning between European and local partners outside the European Union. This tested approach will serve as a foundation for the delivery of the continental component, furthering our mission to foster trust and understanding through fair and inclusive partnerships.

With 18 active EUNIC clusters in Sub-Saharan Africa, EUNIC is well positioned to reinforce the collective spirit of the ‘Team Europe’ approach, uniting its members, EU Delegations, local cultural partners, and civil society actors. Our commitment to fair collaboration and local partnerships will play a central role in delivering impactful projects and building strong relationships across the region.

The Africa-Europe Spaces of Culture programme aims to fund seven projects per year, starting in 2025, each receiving EUR 50,000 with a 5% co-financing requirement. An independent jury of experts will oversee project selection, allowing for deeper and more impactful engagement than ever before.

The overall programme will also include three regional meetings to bring together EUNIC members, local partners, and EU institutions, bringing practice and policy making closer together, strengthening the EUNIC clusters in the process with – for the first time – dedicated region-specific human and financial resources. The first of such forums will be hosted in the second half of 2025. Targeted research pieces will be commissioned on topics and practices emerging and opportunities based on grassroots input from the funded projects and meetings.

With this programme, EUNIC aims to engage a broader range of its members in regional discussions, involving both those already active in the region and those beginning to establish a presence, ensuring diverse representation and perspectives. EUNIC’s demonstrable commitment to developing further fair collaboration approaches and being open to ethics and power imbalances is vital. Input and insight from local actors, built through close and open dialogue, has informed this new programme and gives us a roadmap to go further in the cultural relations approach between Africa and the EU.

The first call for project ideas will be launched in the first quarter of 2025 and EUNIC clusters on the continent as well as EUNIC members' headquarters will be invited for an introductory webinar, where further details about the programme, events, and funding opportunities will be shared.