The International Council on Archives (ICA) is pleased to announce a call for applications for bursaries to attend the ICA Congress 2025, which will take place from 27 to 30 October in Barcelona, Spain.  

This call is open exclusively to applicants from Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Least Developed Countries (LDC), Developing Economies (excluding high-income economies), and Fragile and Conflict-affected Situations (FCS). To see the list of eligible countries, please scroll down to the end of the Call. 

Successful applicants will receive a bursary covering their congress registration fees, travel expenses, and accommodation. Recipients will have the opportunity to attend a wide range of activities within the Congress’s Professional Programme, including paper presentations, panel discussions, co-lab sessions, lightning talks, and poster sessions. In addition, they will be required to participate in a dedicated knowledge-sharing forum and a workshop on documentary heritage held in collaboration with UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme, during the Congress days, and to present a short post-Congress report on their experience. 

Below, you will find all the essential information to submit your application for this exciting opportunity. 

Who can apply? 

To apply, applicants must meet the following criteria: 

• Currently work in an organisation, project or initiative related to the management, preservation and/or access to documentary heritage located in a country or territory under one of the following categories*: 

• • Small Island Developing States 

• • Least Developed Countries and Heavily indebted countries 

• • Developing economies (except high-income economies) 

• • Fragile and Conflict-affected Situations (FCS) 

*Please see the list of eligible countries below.  

• Be committed to transferring the knowledge and skills acquired at the Congress by organising training or dissemination activities in their country or territory afterwards. 

Please note that this call does not require applicants to be ICA members. If you meet the criteria stated before, we invite you to not miss this opportunity! 

What is the bursary covering?

• Registration to the ICA Barcelona Congress 2025
• Airfare
• Accommodation (5 nights)
• Cost of travel visa fees (up to 100 EUR –to be reimbursed upon presentation of the paid invoice or receipt)
• Allowance (150 EUR in total)

Selection criteria

The assessment of applications and the final selection of workshop participants by the Selection Committee will be based on the following criteria:

• Relevance and alignment of the Congress with the applicant’s current professional role, position, or overall career trajectory, as explained by the applicant in their justification in the application form
• Gender balance
• Balanced representation of the countries and territories eligible under this call
• Quality and potential impact of the applicant’s proposed activities to transfer knowledge following the congress

How to apply?

You can apply by clicking below and completing the application form (available in English, French and Spanish)

The deadline for submitting your application is Sunday, July 6, 23:59 CET (Paris time). 

Questions?     

If you have questions about this call, please email us at training@ica.org.