Building Strong International Partnerships | ZMINA:Resilience Capacity Building

Aims

This capacity building webinar addressed one of the most practical and under-discussed challenges in EU project work: how to find the right partners, build credible collaborations under time pressure, and turn short-term project contacts into lasting strategic relationships. The session was delivered in a conversation format between two practitioners who have worked together since 2016, using their own partnership as a live case study throughout.

The session aimed to help participants:

• Understand the fundamental difference between random/project-based partnerships and strategic partnerships — and why this distinction matters for both project quality and long-term organisational development
• Find international partners quickly using specific platforms, databases, and network entry points
• Identify warning signs of bad partnerships before committing time and resources to them
• Structure new partnerships credibly through clear roles, governance frameworks, and Memoranda of Cooperation
• Build long-term relationships methodically: starting small, increasing trust gradually, and using network memberships strategically
• Manage the ongoing side of partnerships between projects: governance, communication, and risk management
• Understand the practical and financial dimensions of deep partnership, including how organisations can work through banking and legal geography challenges

Trainers

Michal Klembara is Director of the cultural centre Malý Berlín in Trnava, Slovakia. He works on the development of independent culture, civil society, and international cooperation in Central and Eastern Europe. He served for seven years as Chair of Anténa — the Slovak network for independent cultural organisations — and since 2023 has been a member of the Board of Directors of Trans Europe Halles, the European network of cultural centres in repurposed spaces. He has extensive experience in advocacy, policy development, and strategic planning at local and regional levels.

Mykhailo Glubokyi is Development Director of the IZOLYATSIA Foundation based in Ukraine. He has participated in the creation and development of the foundation since 2010, originally established in Donetsk and relocated to Kyiv following the Russian occupation of 2014. He leads the creation of international projects and partnership development for IZOLYATSIA, and represents the organisation in networks including Trans Europe Halles and the European Creative Hubs Network. He serves as a consultant to the Trans Europe Halles network on cooperation development and support for organisations from Eastern Europe.

Content

The webinar was structured in two parts: a first part covering tactical and short-term partnerships, and a second part addressing the building of long-term strategic relationships. The Malý Berlín–IZOLYATSIA partnership timeline served as a live case study throughout.

1. Introduction & the two models of partnership
2. Finding and evaluating partners
3. Structuring a credible collaboration
4. Long-term partnerships: model and case study
5. Networks: how to choose and use them strategically
6. Governance, communication and risk management

The session was held on March 4, 2026 in English.