The Estonian foreign ministry, in cooperation with the Integration Foundation, has opened a call for proposals for projects launched on the initiative of foreign Estonian communities to strengthen their ties with Estonia, contribute to the preservation of Estonian identity among Estonians around the world and increase awareness of diaspora activities in Estonia.
“We’ll be supporting activities that boost the sense of belonging between foreign Estonian communities and their homeland,” Kaire Cocker, the head of the compatriots’ service at the Integration Foundation, said in a statement.
“They could be anything from cultural, business and research projects to a wide range of events as well as increasing the awareness of diaspora activities in Estonia. A priority of the project support program will be activities aimed at youth and young people.”
The budget is €55,000, with a maximum of €5,000 being allocated to any one project.
The applicants are only permitted to submit one application. The deadline for the submission of applications is 11:59 PM on 5 September 2022.
Twenty-two projects received funding in 2021
Last year, 22 projects received funding from the call for proposals for own-initiative projects.
“For example, the Tuglas Society operating in Finland was able to organise the fortieth anniversary of the society thanks to support from the project. This allowed celebrating cultural cooperation between Estonia and Finland, strengthening friendship ties between the neighbouring countries, and maintaining contact with the Estonian community living in Finland,” Cocker said.
“Thanks to the support measure, the annual Sõrve Summer Camp for Estonian expatriates in Sydney, Australia, was able to organise a special programme for young children, which included Estonian language courses and introduced them to Estonian songs, poems, and folk dances.”
The application round is being financed by the Estonian foreign ministry.
