Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — At the Aral Cultural Summit, organized on the initiative of Gayane Umerova — Chair of the Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF) of Uzbekistan and a newly appointed member of the ALIPH Board — Valéry Freland, Executive Director of the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas (ALIPH), announced the launch of a new project competition.

This initiative, implemented in partnership with the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI), aims to strengthen efforts to safeguard the cultural heritage of Central Asian countries — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan — from growing risks associated with climate change and natural disasters.

The funding is provided by the European Union, while ALIPH will be responsible for coordinating and monitoring the implementation of the grants.

According to Valéry Freland, two types of grants are available: small grants of up to €27,000 and medium grants of up to €180,000.

The funding will support local initiatives that can demonstrate clear and measurable socio-economic outcomes.

This is ALIPH’s second climate-focused competition in less than a year. The European Union, in collaboration with ALIPH, continues to work actively to protect both tangible and intangible cultural heritage in the region, in cooperation with local authorities and specialized institutions.

Eligible applicants include institutions, private organizations, universities, and research centers engaged in cultural heritage preservation.

Applications are open until Thursday, 31 July 2025, at 15:00 Central European Time, and the results are expected to be announced in December 2025.