Power Station++ | Mobility programme for cultural professionals

1. Context

Power Station++ is a non-reimbursable funding program aimed at cultural professionals. This program provides support for training internships and travel grants, contributing to the broader “Timisoara – European Capital of Culture in 2023” initiative. The Center for Projects of the Municipality of Timisoara administers Power Station++, utilizing state budget allocations from the Ministry of Culture.

The program’s mobility offerings foster international collaborations and promote Timisoara as a vital hub for contemporary art and culture in Europe. In the long term, this cultural mobility program seeks to facilitate ongoing professional development, participation in international activities, and the expansion of partnerships.

Power Station++ is part of the “Timisoara – European Capital of Culture in 2023” initiative’s Power Station component, which aims to enhance the cultural sector’s capacity.

2. Purpose and Objectives of the Funding Program

2.1. Purpose

Power Station++ aims to facilitate national and international mobility for cultural professionals, emphasizing continuous learning, collaboration, and partnership strengthening.

2.2. Objectives

General objectives:

1. Support the national and international mobility of cultural professionals, especially in cities holding or planning to hold the title of European Capital of Culture.
2. Increase the visibility of Timisoara’s local cultural scene on national and international levels.
3. Contribute to the goals of the Local Strategy of the Municipality of Timisoara 2014-2024 (Timisoara Connected) and the Cultural Programme Timisoara 2023 (Power Station component), which led to Timisoara being designated as the European Capital of Culture.

Specific objectives for Internships: Enhance the skills of cultural professionals through national and international internships.

Specific objectives for Travel Grants:

1. Support outbound travel to increase the participation of Timisoara’s cultural professionals in events and activities in Romania and abroad.
2. Facilitate inbound travel to improve understanding of Timisoara’s local cultural scene among Romanian and international professionals.

3. Eligibility Criteria

The funding program targets individuals aged 18 or older, as well as authorized natural persons, both Romanian and foreign, active in the cultural sector.

For Internships:

• Duration: At least 10 calendar days at a host organization that consents to receive the applicant as an intern.
• Training objectives: Applicants must specify one or more training objectives in their funding application.
• Impact: Internships should benefit the trainee, the local context, and/or the collaborating organization.

For Travel Grants:

• Participation: Grants support participation in events, projects, or organizations with specific purposes, for which the applicant can provide organizer consent.
• Impact: Grants should enhance the participant’s visibility, promote cultural practices, works, documentation, and exploration of new partnerships or collaborations.

Cultural professionals from various backgrounds, such as artists, cultural managers, producers, curators, art critics, financial managers, cultural mediators, researchers, and cultural communication professionals, are encouraged to participate.

Additionally, internships and travel grants to cities designated as European Capitals of Culture in the coming years are highly encouraged.

4. Budget and Characteristics

4.1. Training Internships:

• Total budget: 500,000 RON (~101,500 EURO / ~111,500 USD)
• Budget allocated to thematic directions
  • Inbound Internships (hosted in Timisoara): 200,000 RON
  • Outbound Internships (hosted outside Timisoara): 300,000 RON
• Maximum funding per internship:
  • Inbound Internships: 15,000 RON
  • Outbound Internships: 20,000 RON
• Funding installments:
  • Installment 1: Max. 85% (after signing the funding agreement)
  • Installment 2: Min. 15% (after submitting and verifying the activity report)

4.2. Travel Grants:

• Total budget: 500,000 RON (~101,500 EURO / ~111,500 USD)
• Budget allocated to thematic directions
  • Inbound Travel (to Timisoara): 200,000 RON
  • Outbound Travel (from Timisoara): 300,000 RON
• Maximum funding per travel grant:
  • Inbound Travel: 10,000 RON
  • Outbound Travel: 15,000 RON
• Funding installments:
  • Installment 1: Max. 85% (after signing the funding agreement)
  • Installment 2: Min. 15% (after submitting and verifying the activity report)

Applicants must secure complementary funding sources amounting to at least 1% of the total budget. This additional funding cannot originate from another project funded by the Center for Projects of the Municipality of Timisoara. Each applicant may submit only one application to this funding program.

5. Application Timeline

• September 7, 2023: Launch of the funding program
• September 25, 2023: Registration opens
• After September 25, 2023: Ongoing registration, evaluation, and contracting until budget exhaustion

The application process involves several stages, including registration, administrative compliance and eligibility checks, evaluation, and signing the funding agreement. The registration deadline, unless the budget is exhausted earlier, is April 15, 2024. The maximum period from registration to the publication of the evaluation result is 14 calendar days. After completing the mobility, beneficiaries must submit an activity report within 14 calendar days, accompanied by supporting documents for incurred expenses, by May 20, 2024.

7. Evaluation

7.1. Evaluation Process

Evaluation and selection committees, comprising representatives experienced in the local cultural sector and specialists with relevant project management and evaluation experience, will evaluate applications. Proposals scoring a minimum of 70 points out of 100 will receive non-reimbursable funding.

Applicants have the right to appeal regarding the administrative compliance and eligibility verification process.

7.2. Evaluation Criteria (Maximum Score: 100)

I. Application Quality (60 points)

• Alignment with the cultural strategy (20 points)
• Cooperation between cultural entities (20 points)
• European dimension (10 points)
• Cultural value of the mobility (10 points)

II. Experience (20 points)

• Applicant’s professional experience (20 points)

III. Compliance (20 points)

• Application coherence, clarity, and eloquence (20 points)

For more details on the evaluation process, refer to Chapter 9 of the Applicant’s Guide available on the website.

All information and documents related to the funding program can be found on [centruldeproiecte.ro/finantari/power-station-mobilitati](centruldeproiecte.ro