WHO WINS AFCN FUNDING V2 · 2021–2026 Română
367 scores · final August 2026 results

A tenth of a point can decide who gets funded.

At AFCN, 0.17 points separate the last funded application from the first eligible one left unfunded in two of the lists analysed. We compare scores, title language and applicant names alongside a separate map of six years of funding.

Scores and decisions use the final lists: four cultural areas, session II/2026, 18 August; Magazines and Cultural Publications, session III/2026, 19 August. The map retains its separate series documented in July.

Where the line falls
Choose an area and an information layer. Each dot is one application.
FundedUnfunded
95.83
Delta Collective. Stories about food and infrastructures
Asociatia Young Actions and Abstractions
Funded
367
applications with a score
85
funded applications
17.41
million lei allocated
42
applications within one point below the cutoff

English titles appear more often among the winners. We still do not know why.

Across these five lists, applications with English in the title were funded more often. The gap remains when applications from the same funding area are compared, but the data cannot show whether the title influenced evaluators. Title language may travel with experience, networks or the quality of the application.

Source: five final AFCN lists dated 18–19 August 2026, 367 scored applications.

How many applications were funded, by title language

Clearly English
30.9%
Mixed RO-EN
25.5%
Undetermined / another language
46.2%
Clearly Romanian
17.7%

Clearly English titles: 21 of 68 funded. Clearly Romanian titles: 40 of 226.

The scores are very close

Clearly English
89.50
Mixed RO-EN
89.33
Undetermined / another language
90.66
Clearly Romanian
87.91

Each bar counts applications within a five-point score band. The red line marks the median. The common 30–100 scale includes every score.

How much confidence can we place in this signal?

All three calculations lean in the same direction, but the size of the advantage is not yet stable.

The first two intervals include “no difference”. The clearly English versus clearly Romanian comparison has an interval above zero, but depends on title classification. These 95% intervals describe model uncertainty and do not cover possible classification errors.

Any English, compared with the restsignal still unclear
+8.1 points
The same comparison, within the same funding areasignal still unclear
+9.8 points
Clearly English titles, compared with clearly Romanian titlesclearer difference
+13.2 points

How to read this: the blue dot is the central estimate. The black line shows the range of plausible results. When the line crosses the “no difference” marker, the data also allow a scenario in which the advantage is very small or absent.

The budget cuts the ranking at decimal points.

The gap between the highest-scoring eligible unfunded application and the lowest funded score ranges from 0.16 to 0.66 points. One recurring project scoring 94.83 was eliminated after stage two, and two editorial projects were withdrawn; they are marked separately and do not define the cutoff gap.

Cutoff = the lowest score selected for funding. Near-cutoff counts include only eligible unfunded applications more than zero and at most one point below that cutoff.

ASM
89.67
Music
gap: 0.17
11 within one point
award: RON 3,378,339
AV
91.33
Visual arts
gap: 0.16
20 within one point
award: RON 5,454,433
PCM
91.33
Tangible cultural heritage
gap: 0.33
4 within one point
award: RON 3,377,375
PR
94.67
Recurring projects
gap: 0.17
6 within one point
award: RON 4,616,067
RPC
89.33
Magazines
gap: 0.66
1 within one point
award: RON 585,000

Repeated applicant names have a higher funding rate.

Names appearing twice in the final lists have a 33.3% funding rate. Names appearing once have 21.4%. Exact matching of published names can separate different spellings of the same name and does not identify shared teams.

The same legal name

33.3%
appears twice
18 of 54 funded
21.4%
appears once
67 of 313 funded
Within the same funding area, the estimated funding odds ratio is 1.78, with a 95% interval of 0.94–3.40. The interval includes 1, meaning no difference; the data do not establish a definite advantage from a repeated name.

Applicant type, read from the published name

Public / educational institution
36.0%
Other / unclear
32.5%
Association / foundation
21.9%
Company / sole trader
16.9%

Categories are inferred from names without a legal check of every applicant. There are 25 applications from public or educational institutions; a few cases can shift their rate substantially.

Six years. The centre of gravity barely moves.

The series now reaches back to 2021. In each of the six years, Bucharest–Ilfov accounts for 50% to 56% of projects with identified headquarters. Together, Bucharest–Ilfov, Transylvania and Banat account for 81% to 89%.

2,413 funded projects · 11 comparable areas · 2,008 projects with identified headquarters.

2,413
funded projects in the comparable series
2,008
83.2% with identified headquarters
53.1%
of located projects are headquartered in Bucharest–Ilfov
84.7%
are in Bucharest–Ilfov, Transylvania and Banat

How each year is divided

Bars use projects with identified headquarters only. The badge shows how each row was assembled.

2021reconstructed316/349
B–I 54.1% · 3 areas 84.2%
2022reconstructed319/351
B–I 55.8% · 3 areas 82.1%
2023reconstructed294/321
B–I 56.5% · 3 areas 81.3%
2024published429/596
B–I 51.0% · 3 areas 84.4%
2025published328/422
B–I 50.3% · 3 areas 87.2%
2026published322/374
B–I 52.2% · 3 areas 88.8%
Bucharest–IlfovTransylvaniaBanatMoldaviaOther regions

How much the centre of gravity actually moves

Choose one series or keep the overview.

0%25%50%75%100%202120222023202420252026reconstructedpublished2021: 84.2%2022: 82.1%2023: 81.3%2024: 84.4%2025: 87.2%2026: 88.8%Three areas2021: 54.1%2022: 55.8%2023: 56.5%2024: 51.0%2025: 50.3%2026: 52.2%Bucharest–Ilfov2021: 6.6%2022: 7.5%2023: 8.5%2024: 6.8%2025: 4.9%2026: 5.9%Moldavia

Bucharest–Ilfov stays in a narrow 50.3%–56.5% band. The three areas range from 81.3%–88.8%, while Moldavia ranges from 4.9%–8.5%.

Project counts and money tell nearly the same story

Award amounts are available for 2021–2023. We compare project shares with funding shares among located cases only.

projectsawards
Bucharest–Ilfov
55.4%
55.9%
Transylvania
21.1%
21.0%
Banat
6.0%
6.0%
Moldavia
7.5%
7.6%
Other regions
9.9%
9.5%
Across 2021–2023, Bucharest–Ilfov accounts for 55.4% of located projects and 55.9% of located award value. The gap between the two maps is only 0.5 percentage points.

How much of each year is visible

Coverage differs because the two series were documented at different times and with different resources. Projects without a reliable headquarters are not pushed into a region simply to complete the chart.

2021reconstructed90.5%
316 identified · 33 without headquarters
2022reconstructed90.9%
319 identified · 32 without headquarters
2023reconstructed91.6%
294 identified · 27 without headquarters
2024published72.0%
429 identified · 167 without headquarters
2025published77.7%
328 identified · 94 without headquarters
2026published86.1%
322 identified · 52 without headquarters
documented reconstructionpublished series
Headquarters are not project locations.

The map shows where the organisation contracting the grant is based. A Bucharest beneficiary may work in Botoșani, while a Cluj organisation may operate nationwide. For 2021–2023, every attribution retains its source; for 2024–2026, we use George Pleșu’s published series. The geographic segment for 2026 retains the July version, before appeals; it has not been reconciled with the final August results.

All 367 scores from 2026 remain open for inspection.

Search a title or applicant and compare decisions in the five final August 2026 lists. Withdrawn applications and the eliminated application are labelled separately.

The 13 applications without a score are excluded. Withdrawn or eliminated applications with scores remain in the total and descriptive rates as not funded.

367 applications
ScoreProject and applicantAreaLanguageDecisionAward
98.83
Asociatia REVIVART
ASMClearly RomanianFundedRON 249,714
98.67
Universitatea „Lucian Blaga” din Sibiu
RPCUndetermined / another languageFundedRON 45,000
98.50
Asociatia "Uniunea de Creatie Interpretativa a Muzicienilor din Romania"
ASMClearly EnglishFundedRON 247,400
98.00
IGLOO MEDIA
RPCClearly EnglishFundedRON 45,000
97.50
ASOCIATIA CULTURALA MANEKINO
PRClearly RomanianFundedRON 250,000
97.50
ASOCIATIA FAPTE
PRMixed RO-ENFundedRON 250,000
97.33
Academia Națională de Muzică ”Gheorghe Dima” din Cluj-Napoca
PRClearly RomanianFundedRON 250,000
96.33
Asociația Music Hub
PRClearly RomanianFundedRON 250,000
96.33
Asociatia Culturala Metropolis
PRClearly RomanianFundedRON 249,997
96.17
Citizenit
PCMClearly RomanianFundedRON 250,000
96.17
SG STUDIO SRL
RPCClearly RomanianFundedRON 45,000
96.00
Asociația HEARTH
PRClearly RomanianFundedRON 250,000
95.83
Asociatia Young Actions and Abstractions
AVClearly EnglishFundedRON 250,000
95.83
Asociatia Make Better
PCMClearly RomanianFundedRON 250,000
95.83
Asociația Animest
PRClearly RomanianFundedRON 250,000
95.83
Asociatia de dezvoltare a filmului romanesc
RPCClearly EnglishFundedRON 42,995
95.67
Asociația ,,ANTIQVA''
ASMUndetermined / another languageFundedRON 249,923
95.67
COMUNITATEA156
PRMixed RO-ENFundedRON 231,970
95.50
Centrul Român OISTAT (Organizația Internațională a Scenografilor, Tehnicienilor și Arhitecților de Teatru)
PRMixed RO-ENFundedRON 250,000
95.33
IVY DESIGN CONSULT SRL
AVUndetermined / another languageFundedRON 249,656
95.33
Centrul Român OISTAT (Organizația Internațională a Scenografilor, Tehnicienilor și Arhitecților de Teatru)
PRClearly RomanianFundedRON 250,000
95.33
SAVE OR CANCEL production SRL
RPCClearly RomanianFundedRON 45,000
95.17
Asociația Culturală PLAY
PRClearly EnglishFundedRON 250,000
95.17
Asociatia META Spatiu
PRClearly EnglishFundedRON 250,000
95.00
DC COMMUNICATION
PCMClearly RomanianFundedRON 247,873
95.00
CASA DE CULTURĂ KONYA ADAM
PRMixed RO-ENFundedRON 134,100
95.00
Art Conservation Support
RPCClearly RomanianFundedRON 19,700
94.83
OVERGROUND MUSIC S.R.L.
ASMMixed RO-ENFundedRON 241,863
94.83
ASOCIAȚIA DELAZERO
PRClearly RomanianFundedRON 250,000
94.83
ESUA-Asociație Culturală Româno-Germană
PRClearly RomanianEliminated after stage two-
94.83
Muzeul National al Taranului Roman
RPCMixed RO-ENFundedRON 45,000
94.67
Fundatia Plan B
PCMClearly RomanianFundedRON 250,000
94.67
Asociația Culturală PLAY
PRClearly RomanianFundedRON 250,000
94.67
Asociatia Tinerilor Cineasti
PRClearly EnglishFundedRON 250,000
94.67
Asociatia Ideo Ideis
PRClearly RomanianFundedRON 250,000
94.67
ASOCIAȚIA BUCHARTEST
PRMixed RO-ENFundedRON 250,000
94.67
Asociația Tangent
PRClearly EnglishFundedRON 250,000
94.67
ASOCIAȚIA ROMÂNĂ PENTRU PROMOVAREA ARTELOR SPECTACOLULUI
RPCClearly RomanianFundedRON 45,000
94.50
Asociația REC (RESURSE PENTRU EDUCATIE ȘI CULTURĂ)
AVMixed RO-ENFundedRON 190,161
94.50
INOMUSICART
ASMClearly RomanianFundedRON 250,000
94.50
ASOCIAȚIA SOCIO-CULTURALĂ HIC ART
PRClearly RomanianUnfunded-
94.33
Asociația Forumul Artelor Vizuale
PRClearly RomanianUnfunded-
94.33
Asociatia C4Company
PRMixed RO-ENUnfunded-
94.33
ASOCIATIA PROPATRIAVOX
PRMixed RO-ENUnfunded-
94.33
ASOCIATIA IGLOO HABITAT SI ARHITECTURA
RPCClearly RomanianFundedRON 45,000
94.17
Asociatia Culturala Marginal
AVClearly EnglishFundedRON 249,998
94.00
GHEORGHE ADRIANA-GABRIELA PERSOANĂ FIZICĂ AUTORIZATĂ
AVClearly RomanianFundedRON 210,010
94.00
Asociatia culturala Solitude Project
AVClearly RomanianFundedRON 250,000
94.00
Centrul de Ecologie Montana
PCMClearly RomanianFundedRON 203,707
93.83
CIOBART
ASMMixed RO-ENFundedRON 249,960
93.83
Teatrul De Nord Satu Mare
PRClearly RomanianUnfunded-
93.67
Fundatia DALA
AVMixed RO-ENFundedRON 249,350
93.67
CASA DE CULTURĂ
ASMUndetermined / another languageFundedRON 207,000
93.67
Asociația Da'DeCe
PCMClearly RomanianFundedRON 249,993
93.67
Filarmonica de Stat „Transilvania” Cluj-Napoca
PRClearly RomanianUnfunded-
93.50
Asociația Salonul de proiecte
AVClearly RomanianFundedRON 249,972
93.50
Asociatia Este Film
PRClearly RomanianUnfunded-
93.33
Asociația ,,ANTIQVA''
ASMUndetermined / another languageFundedRON 246,625
93.33
Asociatia Culturala Cetatea Alba - Filiala Cluj
PRClearly EnglishUnfunded-
93.17
Muzeul Casa Mureșenilor Brașov
PCMClearly RomanianFundedRON 219,451
93.17
Asociația Elite Art Club UNESCO
PRClearly RomanianUnfunded-
93.00
Varga M Paula Viorela PFA
PCMClearly RomanianFundedRON 250,000
93.00
ASOCIATIA UNDERGROUND FESTIVAL
PRClearly RomanianUnfunded-
93.00
Asociația OM Centru Coregrafic
PRMixed RO-ENUnfunded-
93.00
Asociația Harmonia Cordis
PRClearly RomanianUnfunded-
93.00
Asociația Bis
PRClearly RomanianUnfunded-
93.00
Asociatia de Prietenie Korunk
RPCClearly RomanianWithdrawn-
92.83
Asociatia Living Content
AVClearly EnglishFundedRON 141,266
92.83
Fundația Art Encounters Foundation
AVClearly EnglishFundedRON 250,000
92.67
GALERIA CATINCA TABACARU S.R.L.
AVClearly RomanianFundedRON 250,000
92.67
Asociația Prietenii Mocăniței
PCMClearly RomanianFundedRON 229,365
92.67
Asociația Graphic Front
PRMixed RO-ENUnfunded-
92.67
ASOCIAȚIA LOCAL DESIGN CIRCLE
PRClearly EnglishUnfunded-
92.67
Asociatia The Story of Autism
PRClearly RomanianUnfunded-
92.67
ORGANIZAȚIA CULTURALĂ PENTRU INOVAȚIE ÎN ARTE ȘI INDUSTRII CREATIVE
RPCUndetermined / another languageFundedRON 33,346
92.50
ONE NIGHT GALLERY SRL
AVClearly EnglishFundedRON 249,480
92.33
Asociatia Tehnoarte
AVClearly EnglishFundedRON 180,000
92.33
Atelierele Scanteia
AVClearly EnglishFundedRON 235,050
92.33
Galeria Ivan srl
AVClearly RomanianFundedRON 249,867
92.33
Asociatia Forums
PCMClearly RomanianFundedRON 232,960

1,021 projects, one by one.

These are the funded projects in the 11 comparable areas for 2021–2023. You can inspect the beneficiary, score, award, identified headquarters and the source used for each location.

929 located projects · 92 projects kept off the map rather than placed by assumption.

1,021
funded projects
84.6m lei
awarded in 2021–2023
929
91.0% located
92
left unidentified

What the numbers show — and what they cannot settle alone.

The lists show scores, cutoffs and awards. They do not show why each evaluator decided as they did, which organisations share a team, or where every activity took place.

Two datasets, two questions

The 367 scored applications use final decisions dated 18–19 August 2026. Four lists are from cultural session II/2026; the magazines list belongs to editorial session III/2026, a different category from Written Culture Promotion. The geographic series of 2,413 funded projects across 2021–2026 retains its own sources and versions; updating scores does not update it automatically.

Regime change from 2027

On 31 August 2026, AFCN announced that funding areas will open once a year, with larger budgets and a different structure. The institution says it aims to reduce cases where projects scoring above 90 remain unfunded and to improve territorial distribution. Results from 2027 mark the beginning of a new funding regime and should not be added automatically to the comparable 2021–2026 series.

How 2021–2023 were reconstructed

We extracted beneficiaries from 66 final AFCN lists, covering two sessions a year in the same 11 areas. Names were checked against the corresponding yearly editions of the National NGO Registry and, where the registry was not enough, against other public sources. Only locations clearly supported by evidence enter the percentages.

Title language

Titles are classified as clearly English, mixed Romanian–English, clearly Romanian, or undetermined/another language. The last category has 26 titles. Classifications for the original 357 applications were retained; the ten added titles were classified separately. Unadjusted comparisons use 95% Newcombe intervals built from Wilson proportion intervals. Within-area comparisons use logistic regression with area indicators; the standardized mean difference has a 95% delta-method Wald interval. Association does not establish a causal effect of title language.

How to read the map

Shares use projects with identified headquarters only. Bucharest–Ilfov, Transylvania and Banat are shown separately, as is Moldavia. Crișana–Maramureș, Dobrogea, Oltenia and Muntenia outside Ilfov are grouped as “Other regions” to keep the same convention across all years.

Why 92 projects remain off the map

Companies and sole traders with changed, highly similar or poorly documented names are the hardest cases. They remain in the totals, but are not placed on the map simply to fill the gaps.

Administrative headquarters or project location?

The analysis uses the beneficiary’s headquarters. This captures where the capacity to write, contract and administer projects is concentrated; it does not directly measure where cultural activity reaches audiences.

What would make the conclusions stronger

Individual evaluator scores, tax identifiers published in the result lists, affiliations between entities and a record of implementation locations would allow firmer conclusions.

Lists analysed in 2026
AFCN: Arte vizuale, sesiunea II/2026Final results after appeals, 18 August 2026.
AFCN: Proiecte cu caracter repetitiv, II/2026Final results after appeals, 18 August 2026.
AFCN: Patrimoniu cultural material, II/2026Final results after appeals, 18 August 2026.
AFCN: Artele spectacolului — muzică, II/2026Final results after appeals, 18 August 2026.
AFCN: Reviste și publicații culturale, 2026Final Magazines and Cultural Publications results, session III/2026, 19 August 2026. Two withdrawals are kept separate from funding selections.
The change for 2027
AFCN: comunicat de presă, 31 august 2026 (AGERPRES)The new funding structure and the 1/2027 session.
Map and historical reconstruction
George Pleșu, „Cine câștigă la AFCN”, 11 iulie 2026Geographic data and an explanation of how headquarters were assigned.
AFCN: arhiva rezultatelor 2022–2024Final lists used to extract funded projects for 2022 and 2023.
AFCN: arhiva istorică a rezultatelorFinal lists used for 2021 and to cross-check historical documents.
Ministerul Justiției: Registrul Național ONGThe 2021, 2022 and 2023 editions used for associations, foundations, federations and unions.
AFCN: Raport de activitate 2023Total check: 374 cultural-project contracts and 60 publication contracts.