GUIDELINES

The next application cycle will run from 01-30 September 2026.

Due to the high volume of applications, we are unable to provide individual feedback. Applicants are warmly encouraged to consult the FAQs for additional information.

Who is eligible to apply?

Non-profit organizations officially registered (e.g. AMKE or an equivalent registered legal entity) are eligible to apply for projects involving the development or presentation of art-related initiatives.

Individuals and collectives are eligible to apply exclusively for research-driven projects whose outcomes are not intended to result in the production or presentation of a specific work. This includes artists, curators, writers, independent researchers, critics, educators, activists, and other cultural practitioners working across a wide range of roles and disciplines. 

Eligible projects should demonstrate a clearly articulated public dimension and may take shape through research, collaboration, situated forms of engagement, or public moments of sharing and restitution, whether developed independently or in dialogue with institutions, venues, and organizations.

In cases where projects are intended to be presented within one or several of them, the application may be submitted by the individual or collective involved with it, provided an agreement with the institution is in place. Applicants are strongly encouraged to secure this agreement prior to submitting their application.

There is no age restriction. Applicants currently enrolled in any degree-granting program (high school, undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral) are not eligible to apply. Applicants who were not selected in previous editions may apply again, either with the same project or a new proposal. Previous grantees are not eligible to reapply.

Applicants may reside outside Greece. However, projects must demonstrate sustained engagement with the Greek context and articulate a locally grounded public dimension. This may include long-term collaborations, research, or ongoing relationships with local contexts or communities. Collaborations fostering translocal solidarity – particularly with Global Majority partners – are encouraged, provided they remain meaningfully connected to Greece.

What projects are eligible?

Applications should be centered on a clearly defined project aligned with the grant’s commitment to queer, feminist, anti-colonial, and other emancipatory practices.

Projects may take many forms within the field of contemporary art, including: video or film, music and sound, performance,poetry, visual arts, curatorial projects, exhibitions and screenings, practice-led or artistic research, and socially engaged or community-based initiatives. Practice-led and artistic research proposals within academia are eligible, including postdoctoral research, provided the applicant is not already receiving institutional funding for the same project.

Non-profit organizations may apply across this full range. Individuals and collectives are eligible only for projects of a research-driven nature, not intended to result in the production or exhibition of a specific work.

The following are not eligible:

• Projects presented by or at commercial galleries or art fairs.
• Work-in-progress or informal showings (e.g. workshop readings or residency presentations).
• Professional training, workshops without public context/outreach, lectures, symposiums, conferences, or competitions.
• Catalogue production or publishing by individuals and collectives.

Projects may be new or in development but must not be completed at the time of application. All projects must be completed within two years, and no later than December 31, 2028.

What expenses are supported?

Grants range from €5,000 to €10,000 and may cover up to 100% of a project’s budget. Co-funding is encouraged but not mandatory.

Applicants should indicate the amount requested. Grants may be awarded in full or in part, and final amounts may be adjusted based on the overall program budget.

Funding may be used for artistic fees (including the applicant’s own fees), collaborators’ remuneration, production and research costs, travel, accommodation, shipping, materials and fabrication, and other expenses directly related to the public realization of the project.

Grants are intended to support project-related expenses and cannot be used to cover:

• General operational or overhead costs (e.g. rent, utilities, permanent staff salaries).
• Non-project-related living expenses.
• Expenses incurred prior to the grant agreement.
• Fees related to participation in residencies, educational programs, exhibitions, fairs, or other presentation opportunities.

Applicants are expected to demonstrate responsible and transparent use of funds, including fair remuneration, ethical budgeting, and, where relevant, sustainable production practices.

SELECTION PROCESS

Applications are reviewed in two stages.

First, an internal preselection is conducted by staff members of Phenomenon, without any involvement from the grant funders.

When the volume of applications warrants it, staff produce a shortlist to bring to the committee’s particular attention. This is a filtering step intended to set aside applications that fall clearly outside the scope of the grant or that do not meet the grant’s requirements, so that the committee can focus its in-depth review on a manageable number of proposals. The shortlist is deliberately kept broad: the role of preselection is to remove what is plainly out of scope. The final selection of the grantees rests entirely with the committee that will exclusively focus on the substantive merits of the proposals.

The committee retains full access to all applications received and may consider and vote on any of them, whether shortlisted or not.

Staff evaluate applications strictly against the objective evaluation criteria listed below.

Secondly, all applications are made available to an independent committee, with particular attention given to the preselected shortlist. The committee’s composition is publicly announced and periodically renewed. Members are selected for their expertise and integrity. They are remunerated for their work. Final decisions are made collectively by the committee.

The committee for the 2026 edition will be announced shortly.

Important: The grant funders do not participate in the evaluation process, exercise no control over the selection of projects or their implementation, and receive no financial or other benefit from the funded activities.

Evaluation criteria

Both stages of the review are guided by the following criteria:

• Completeness and clarity: all sections of the application are properly completed and clearly articulated.
• Project vision and feasibility: the project has a clear purpose and meaningful goals, and the proposed methods, activities, and schedule are well considered and realistic.
• Ethical engagement: the project engages thoughtfully with queer, feminist, anti-colonial, or other emancipatory art practices.
• Local and translocal engagement: the project demonstrates sustained interaction with the local context in Greece and, where relevant, builds solidarity with the global majority.
• Impact and responsibility: the project shows potential for lasting social, cultural, or political change while attending to its environmental footprint.
• Applicant experience: the applicant’s background and prior practice support their capacity to carry out the project.

Bank account: Selected projects will be asked to provide an already existing bank account in Greece for the transfer of the awarded funds. If no bank account in Greece is available at time of submission, the application will not be deemed valid.