Nordic Culture Point – Volt (children & youth culture) 2026 deadlines

Volt funds Nordic projects where children and young people up to 25 are the ones making the work, not the audience for it. Music qualifies alongside every other artform, as does cultural heritage. Projects might produce a piece of work, open an exchange or a long-term collaboration, or create dialogue and debate about Nordic languages, art and culture.

The structural requirement is firm: partners from at least three Nordic countries, meaning Denmark, Finland, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden or Åland. Partners from outside the Nordics are welcome but the programme will not cover their costs. Individuals, organisations, associations and institutions can all apply. You do not have to be in the age group yourself, but you should have experience working with children and young people, and you must be resident in the Nordics.

Grants go up to €35,000. Up to €7,000 can be fully funded; above that Volt covers at most 70% of costs, so you need 30% from elsewhere — other grants, volunteer work or the organisers' own in-kind resources all count. Nordic sources combined cannot exceed 85% of the total budget. Volt's budget template is compulsory.

Four experts assess against five dimensions: how genuinely children and young people participate and shape decisions, the cultural dimension, Nordic collaboration, language, and sustainability. Funded activity cannot start until six weeks after the decision. Note the deadline runs on Finnish time.