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The European Union (EU) is Georgia’s largest development partner, providing significant financial and technical support to foster the country’s development. The main financial instrument for this cooperation is the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe (NDICI), which facilitates the EU’s engagement with external partners, including Georgia.

From 2021 to 2024, the EU has allocated €340 million in grants to Georgia.

Regional and thematic programmes, funding through loans and guarantees, and the EU’s support for Georgia through the Eastern Partnership (EaP) post-2020 agenda further supplement the financial assistance. The EaP is a collaborative initiative involving the EU, its Member States, and six Eastern European countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine. For example, the economic and investment plan under the EaP is supported by up to €2.3 billion of EU funding, which is estimated to potentially mobilise up to €17 billion in public and private investments.

Here are some other key programmes and opportunities in which Georgian organisations can participate:

– Georgia joined the Creative Europe Programme in 2015. Since then, the Creative Europe Desk Georgia (CEDGE) has been operating as a Creative Europe Programme information point for professionals in the culture, creative and audiovisual sectors. CEDGE encourages and enhances Georgian professionals’ access to the Programme to achieve the goals outlined in the calls. More specifically, its participation is possible into the “Culture” and “Cross-Sectoral” strands and the “Talent & Skills”, “European Festivals and Festival networks”, and “Audience development and Film education” actions (part of the “Media” strand).

– Within Erasmus Plus, Georgia is considered a partner country and can participate mainly as a partner, not as a coordinator, depending on the specific calls. Such projects allow international mobility and exchange of youth, students, and university teachers. Interestingly, Georgia and Ukraine were the countries with the highest participation rates in Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees (EMJMD) programmes. Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University and Ilia State University from Georgia were the top participating institutions – each involved in 2 EMJMDs. In this factsheet (Erasmus plus-regional-easternpartnership2017.pdf (Europa.eu)), you can find several examples of projects funded by the Erasmus programme involving Georgia.

The EU’s support for Georgia is comprehensive, encompassing various sectors and providing numerous opportunities for growth and development. Whether you are an association in the cultural, youth, or social field or a university, the programmes offered by the EU can significantly benefit your initiatives. Participating in such actions can enhance Georgian organisations’ capabilities, foster international collaborations, and contribute to the country’s overall development. Exploring and participating in these EU-funded programmes is highly encouraged to maximise the potential benefits for Georgian society.

Written by: Cristina Ceccarelli