Fondazione Cariplo launches €8M cultural grant for Lombardy

Fondazione Cariplo, among the world's top ten foundations by endowment, has announced the Bando Per la Cultura, an exceptional €8 million grant program to revive the cultural sector in Milan and the Lombardy region. The initiative supports public entities, religious institutions, and private non-profit cultural organizations proposing projects that foster new participation models, local identity regeneration, and sustainable development. Grants up to €250,000 per project are available, with guidelines emphasizing proximity (engaging disadvantaged communities), creativity (adopting digital and new technologies), and necessity (upgrading facilities). Over 25 years, the foundation has funded more than 11,000 projects for youth enterprises, cultural districts, and art conservation. President Giovanni Fosti stated the foundation's commitment to culture as a collective effort to navigate the pandemic, urging a rethinking of cultural spaces to reach marginalized communities. The call has two deadlines: September 29 and December 15, 2020.