IDB forges alliances with artistic and cultural institutions through its Cultural Development Grants Program

Over the past two decades, through the Cultural Development Grants Program of the External Relations Office, the Inter-American Development Bank has partnered with more than 650 institutions working in the world of art and culture.

The goal of these grants is to encourage the preservation and recovery of traditions and cultural heritage projects that contribute to the development of the target communities through activities that are socio-economically sustainable.

The projects are evaluated through a competitive process that looks at their educational scope, the effective use of resources, the ability to mobilize additional financial resources and the long-term impact on the community.

In 2014, 30 non-profit institutions from 24 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean were chosen; initiatives were financed in such diverse areas as cultural tourism, heritage assessment and transmission of ancestral knowledge, promotion of creative cities and training of cultural managers, among other issues.

These projects help strengthen the creative and cultural economy for the overall development of the countries of the region, so that they can be replicated and are sustainable in the communities where they are implemented. The call for applications was launched in February of this year through an electronic system through which more than 1,000 institutions applied.