Mattei Award for Cultural Cooperation

Inaugurated in 2026, the Mattei Award for Cultural Cooperation is launched by the Italian Ministry of Culture, in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. Its objective is to foster cultural partnership between Italy and African countries by supporting cultural works, projects, and initiatives aligned with the goals of the Mattei Plan for Africa.

The Award promotes dialogue and mutual understanding between Italy and Africa, the international mobility of artists and cultural projects, the recognition of creative talent and excellence, and collaboration between institutions, cultural organizations, and educational entities across both continents.

Awards Categories

The Award is open to public and private companies, cultural institutions, Third Sector bodies, civil society organisations, local communities and institutes of the Ministry of Culture.

The Award categories

The Award is divided into two main categories:

• Mattei Art Award (Premio Mattei Arte): Dedicated to projects in visual, applied, performing, and audiovisual arts, literary arts, and the "Traveling Culture" (Cultura in viaggio) category.
• Mattei Academy Award (Premio Mattei Accademia): Dedicated to educational programs as well as cultural and artistic exchanges between Italy and Africa.

The total funding allocation for the Award is €1,000,000.

Eligibility

Applications are open to individuals, artistic or cultural collectives, and public or private non-profit entities that meet the requirements specified in the Official Call. Each application must be submitted by an Italian lead entity in partnership with at least one organization or partner based in an African nation.

Deadlines

The deadline for submitting applications is November 15, 2026.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted exclusively online through the Ministry of Culture's Services and Administrative Procedures Portal (Portale dei Procedimenti e dei Servizi del Ministero della cultura). Select the chosen award category (and sub-category, if applicable) and attach all required documentation.

The project proposal (maximum 6 pages) must be signed with a valid digital signature and include: project description, financial budget, timeline/implementation schedule, partners and entities involved, key performance indicators (KPIs) for monitoring result

Submit Your Application

Access the Mattei Award on the Servizi MiC portal.

For more information, read the full press release on the Ministry of Culture website.