PROTEUS
Protecting EU Values and Fundamental Rights through Public Participation and Civil Society Assistance in Central EuropeA strong and vibrant civil society is an essential prerequisite for pluralist liberal democracy.
This crucial role has increasingly exposed civil society to attacks. Accelerating democratic demise, social polarization, and political autocratization undermine the functioning and vitality of civil society across the EU. The result has been, for at least a decade now, the phenomenon of “shrinking space” for civil society.
The EU Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) project consortium PROTEUS—led by the Transatlantic Foundation, GMF’s European arm—addresses these challenges to civil society in eight Central European countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
The overall aim of PROTEUS is to strengthen civil society organizations (CSOs) and civic initiatives, as well as to empower civil activists, so that they are able to protect, promote, and raise awareness of European values and fundamental rights--above all democracy, the rule of law, human rights, the equality of men and women, and the non-discrimination against persons belonging to minorities—and the rights of EU citizens as enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. The project does so by providing targeted grants and tailor-made capacity-building to Central European CSOs and increasing their fundraising, management, and advocacy capacities, with a strong focus on civic actors in peripheral and rural areas.
In its work, PROTEUS pursues the following four objectives:
- Supporting democratic participation, public deliberation, and inclusion
- Strengthening CSO resilience to shrinking space
- Protecting and promoting EU values and fundamental rights, with a special focus on peripheral and rural areas
- Supporting civic activism in peripheral and rural areas
As a CERV project, PROTEUS is funded by the European Commission and spans the period from January 2023 to December 2025.
An Info session on the currently open funding opportunities under PROTEUS (see section calls for proposals below) was held on July 15, 2024. The session was recorded and published on Engaging Central Europe YouTube Channel for further potential applicants. You may access the video recording here. The PowerPoint presentation from the session is available here.
“Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.”
Results
Expand AllD3.4/D18-CfP-INT7-Watchdog Strategic Litigation Capabilities
On October 31, 2024, the following project proposals were selected for support under the Call for Proposals: “Strengthening Watchdogs’ Strategic Litigation Capabilities”, published by the Transatlantic Foundation as part of the PROTEUS project. This initiative is co-financed by the European Union through its Citizens, Equality, Rights, and Values program (CERV).
Bulgaria
Applicant: Youth LGBT organization Deystvie
- Legal Name, Established in: Младежка ЛГБТ организация Действие, Bulgaria
- Project Title: Legal Guide: Structural Problems in Bulgaria and their Solution Through Strategic Lawsuits
- Project Country: Bulgaria
- Description: Enhancing the legal capacity of CSOs in Bulgaria by equipping them with skills and resources for strategic litigation
- Grant: € 29,484
- Duration: 12 months
Applicant: Bulgarian Platform – European Women’s Lobby
- Legal Name, Established in: Българска платформа - Европейско женско лоби, Bulgaria
- Project Title: Skills and Capacity To Assert the Right to Equality
- Project Country: Bulgaria
- Description: Capacity and knowledge-building on maternity rights and countering gender-based violence
- Grant: € 22,400
- Duration: 10 months
Croatia
Applicant: Gong
- Legal Name, Established in: Gong, Croatia
- Project Title: Information is Freedom: Enhancing Strategic Usage of FOI among CSOs
- Project Country: Croatia
- Description: Enhancing the watchdog capacities of CSOs in Croatia by empowering them to strategically use freedom of information (FOI)
- Grant: € 29,906
- Duration: 12 months
Hungary
Applicant: Rosa Parks Foundation
- Legal Name, Established in: Rosa Parks Alapítvány, Hungary
- Project Title: Law as a Tool To Combat the Educational Segregation of Children
- Project Country: Hungary
- Description: Maintaining a legal-aid hotline for school discrimination cases and conducting advocacy efforts, with a focus on the Council of Europe
- Grant: € 25,210
- Duration: 12 months
Applicant: Hungarian Civil Liberties Union
- Legal Name, Established in: Társaság a Szabadságjogokért, Hungary
- Project Title: Tasz Helps – Legal Awareness Roadshow
- Project Country: Hungary
- Description: Promoting the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union’s legal-aid offer in eight cities outside of Budapest, with a special focus on education and the environmental rights of local communities
- Grant: € 30,000
- Duration: 9 months
Applicant: Streetlawyer Association
- Legal Name, Established in: Utcajogász Egyesület, Hungary
- Project Title: Developing Skills for Strategic Litigation To Protect People Affected by Homelessness
- Project Country: Hungary
- Description: Providing free legal aid to homeless individuals and people living in poverty and strengthening the litigation capacity of Streetlawyer Association and creating a case-law database focused on European Court of Human Rights rulings related to the right to housing
- Grant: € 30,000
- Duration: 12 months
Applicant: Transparency International Hungary Foundation
- Legal Name, Established in: Transparency International Magyarország Alapítvány, Hungary
- Project Title: HOT: Hands-On Tools for Rights Defenders and Legal Practitioners To Build Capacity and Maintain Resilience
- Project Country: Hungary
- Description: A mutual learning and resilience-building project aimed at strengthening public accountability by promoting access to information and access to justice
- Grant: € 29,980
- Duration: 12 months
Poland
Applicant: Citizens Network Watchdog Poland
- Legal Name, Established in: Sieć Obywatelska Watchdog Polska, Poland
- Project Title: Transparency, Locally.
- Project Country: Poland
- Description: Enhancing legal and strategic capacities of local transparency activists in Poland
- Grant: € 29,995
- Duration: 10 months
Applicant: Panoptykon Foundation
- Legal Name, Established in: Fundacja Panoptykon, Poland
- Project Title: The End of Online Hate Speech and Private Censorship – DSA in Action
- Project Country: Poland
- Description: Strengthening awareness and legal capacities to execute citizens’ digital rights
- Grant: € 30,000
- Duration: 12 months
Romania
Applicant: E-Romnja Association (The Association for Promoting Roma Women’s Rights)
- Legal Name, Established in: Asociația E-Romnja (Asociația pentru Promovarea Drepturilor Femeilor Rome), Romania
- Project Title: Access to Justice for Women From Vulnerable Groups Through an Intersectional Perspective
- Project Country: Romania
- Description: Strengthening the capacity of local CSOs to monitor and to advocate changes in institutional practices related to handling cases of sexual violence
- Grant: € 30,000
- Duration: 12 months
Applicant: Association Bankwatch Romania
- Legal Name, Established in: Asociația Bankwatch Romania, Romania
- Project Title: Together for the Environment: Defending Biodiversity Through Civic and Legal Actions
- Project Country: Romania
- Description: Protecting Romania’s biodiversity and natural areas from the negative impact of hydropower projects and other harmful activities
- Grant: € 29,880
- Duration: 12 months
Applicant: Civic Radauti Association
- Legal Name, Established in: Asociația Rădăuțiul Civic, Romania
- Project Title: CIVIC-LIT – A Stronger Civil Society for the Protection of Fundamental Rights and Civic Space
- Project Country: Romania
- Description: Strengthening the capacity of local civic organizations to use strategic litigation to protect fundamental rights and safeguard civic space
- Grant: € 29,600
- Duration: 12 months
Slovakia
Applicant: Initiative Otherness
- Legal Name, Established in: Iniciatíva Inakosť, Slovakia
- Project Title: Strengthening the capacity of strategic litigation in the area of LGBTQ+ rights in Slovakia
- Project Country: Slovakia
- Description: Providing legal aid and improving the self-advocacy skills of LGBTQ+ people, while promoting expert debate on strategic litigation
- Grant: € 29,830
- Duration: 12 months
Applicant: Platform of Families of Children with Disabilities
Co-Applicant: Care Without Obstacles (Péče bez překážek, z. s.), Czechia
- Legal Name, Established in: Platforma rodín detí so zdravotným znevýhodnením, Slovakia
- Project Title: Training Watchdog Organizations and Utilizing Strategic Communication To Strengthen the Enforceability of the Rights of Families With Children With Disabilities in Slovakia and Czechia
- Project Country: Slovakia, Czechia
- Description: Empowering families of children with disabilities to assert their rights through legal instruments by strengthening the peer network of applicants, providing individual counseling, and conducting an awareness-raising campaign
- Grant: € 40,000
- Duration: 12 months
Unsuccessful applicants may file a complaint within seven calendar days from the date the decision was published if they believe they were subject to unprofessional or discriminatory treatment. Complaints must be submitted electronically to: [email protected]
D2.6/D6-CfP-INT1-Citizen Participation
The following proposals were selected for support:
Bulgaria
Applicant: Centre for Liberal Strategies Foundation (CLS)
- Legal Name, Established in: Фондация „Център за либерални стратегии'', Bulgaria
- Project Title: 100 Sofia Voices: Deliberating Inclusiveness
- Project Country: Bulgaria
- Description: Organizing a deliberative public discussion on urban policies for inclusion with citizens selected to be representative of the socio-demographic characteristics of Sofia
- Grant: € 24,775
- Duration: 12 months
Croatia
Applicant: Domino Association
- Legal name, Established in: Udruga Domino, Croatia
- Project Title: The right of women to a life without violence
- Project Country: Croatia
- Description: Reducing the number of women victims of domestic violence, introducing femicide into the legislative framework of Croatia and informing citizens
- Grant: € 24,989
- Duration: 9 months
Czechia
Applicant: Association for International Affairs
- Legal name, Established in: Asociace pro mezinárodní otázky, z.s. , Czechia
- Project Title: Czechia and the world: AMO discussions in the regions
- Project Country: Czechia
- Description: Increasing public participation in the peripheries by raising awareness on foreign politics, global affairs, and their impact on Czechia through 14 lectures followed by interactive discussion.
- Grant: € 24,940
- Duration: 24 months
Applicant: Hnutí DUHA - Friends of the Earth Czech Republic
- Legal name, Established in: Hnutí DUHA - Friends of the Earth Czech Republic, Czechia
- Project Title: Together for healthy forests
- Project Country: Czechia
- Description: Engaging public in advocacy actions for sustainable and climate-resilient forest management legislation.
- Grant: € 24,981
- Duration: 12 months
Hungary
Applicant: Citizens for Józsefváros Association
- Legal name, established in: Civilek Józsefvárosért Egyesület, Hungary
- Project Title: Citizens’ Assemblies to Empower Local Residents
- Project Country: Hungary
- Description: Strengthening local democratic decision making and accountability through the organization of citizens’ assemblies in the 8th district of Budapest
- Grant: € 24,740
- Duration: 14 months
Poland
Applicant: For Nature and Human Society
- Legal name, Established in: Towarzystwo dla Natury i Człowieka, Poland
- Project Title: Voice of Nature. Involvement in decision-making processes regarding investments in environmentally valuable areas of Lublin and Lublin Polesie.
- Project Country: Poland
- Description: Enhancing public participation and informed dialogue in natural resource management
- Grant: €24,320
- Duration: 12 months
Applicant: ResPublica Foundation
- Legal name, Established in: Fundacja ResPublica, Poland
- Project Title: Democracy on Edge
- Project Country: Poland
- Description: Foresight discussions and citizen’s podcast engaging communities in four mid-size Polish cities.
- Grant: €23,428
- Duration: 6 months
Applicant: The Childbirth with Dignity Foundation
- Legal name, Established in: Fundacja Rodzić Po Ludzku, Poland
- Project Title: Citizens safeguarding dignified childbirth
- Project Country: Poland
- Description: Engaging citizens in the fight for women’s rights.
- Grant: €25,000
- Duration: 10 months
Romania
Applicant: CIVICA Association
- Legal name, Established in: Asociația CIVICA, Romania
- Project Title: Program for civic involvement and innovation
- Project Country: Romania
- Description: Increase civic participation in Iasi (Eastern part of Romania) county by strengthening the capacity of six local groups to solve community-relevant issues and developing a network of 100 local supporters willing to support civic participation through time contributions, expertise and financial resources.
- Grant: € 25,000
- Duration: 12 months
Applicant: Tech&Tonic
- Legal name, Established in: Tech&Tonic, Romania
- Project Title: Platform 24 – Topics that matter for elections
- Project Country: Romania
- Description: To identify, analyze and debate important topics for Romanian citizens before and during the four different rounds of Romanian elections in 2024, within a platform created by NGOs, citizens, political candidates and journalists.
- Grant: € 24,900
- Duration: 14 months
Slovakia
Applicant: One parent
- Legal name, Established in: Jeden rodič, Slovakia
- Project Title: The strong voice of single parents
- Project Country: Slovakia
- Description: Strengthening public participation of single parents by mobilizing them into ‘’Single parents’’ CSO, accompanied by nation-wide advocacy campaign.
- Grant: € 25,000
- Duration: 22 months
Slovenia
Applicant: Bob, Institute for education and cultural activities
- Legal name, Established in: Bob, Zavod za izobraževanje in kulturne dejavnosti, Slovenia
- Project Title: First steps to active citizenship!
- Project Country: Slovenia
- Description: Fostering youth political participation and civic activism targeting first time voters ahead of the 2024 European Parliament election, through workshops and facilitated meetings in ‘Active citizens’ club’.
- Grant: € 25,000
- Duration: 9 months
Unsuccessful applicants may file a complaint within 7 calendar days from the date the decision was published if they believe they were subject to unprofessional or discriminatory treatment. Complaints must be submitted electronically to [email protected].
D2.7/D8-CfP-INT2-Enhancing Women Participation in Political and Policy Processes
The following project proposals were selected for support under PRO – INT 2: Enhancing the participation of women in political and policy processes through awareness raising and advocacy:
Bulgaria
Applicant: Female Entrepreneurship Bulgaria Foundation
- Legal Name, Established in: „Жените в предприемачеството в България“ Фондация, Bulgaria
- Project Title: EmpowerHER North: Enhancing Women’s Public Participation in Northwestern and Northern Central Bulgaria
- Project Country: Bulgaria
- Description: Increasing women’s public participation and catalyzing positive change.
- Grant: € 24,970
- Duration: 8 months
Applicant: Bulgarian School of Politics “Dimitry Panitza”
- Legal Name, Established in: Българско училище за политика „Димитър Паница“, Bulgaria
- Project Title: Active Women – Prosperous Democracy
- Project Country: Bulgaria
- Description: Strengthening the active participation of women in political life in the Blagoevgrad, Razgrad, and Kardzhali regions through trainings.
- Grant: € 24,967
- Duration: 8 months
Croatia
Applicant: DKolektiv – Organization for Social Development
- Legal name, Established in: DKolektiv – organizacija za društveni razvoj , Croatia
- Project Title: ALISA – Women’s Leadership for Social Inclusion and Active Participation
- Project Country: Croatia
- Description: Strengthening the personal and organizational capacities and potential of women in civil society.
- Grant: € 24,995
- Duration: 18 months
Czechia
Applicant: Forum 50%
- Legal name, Established in: Fórum 50 %, o.p.s. , Czechia
- Project Title: WomenPower: Strengthening the Voice of Women in Public Life
- Project Country: Czechia
- Description: Supporting women’s civic engagement in three structurally disadvantaged regions of Czechia: the Karlovy Vary, Ústí nad Labem, and Moravian-Silesian regions.
- Grant: € 24,994
- Duration: 12 months
Hungary
Applicant: Hungarian European Women's Association – MENŐK
- Legal name, established in: MENŐK – Magyar Európai Nők Fóruma Egyesület, Hungary
- Project Title: Let Female Voices Be Heard!
- Project Country: Hungary
- Description: Empowering female organizations in seven Hungarian municipalities and in Budapest to amplify female voices in the public discourse.
- Grant: € 25,000
- Duration: 12 months
Applicant: PATENT – Association of People Opposing Patriarchy
- Legal name, established in: PATENT Patriarchátust Ellenzők Társasága Jogvédeő Egyesület, Hungary
- Project Title: Still not Equal – Fostering Women’s Equality in Politics and Before Courts
- Project Country: Hungary
- Description: Fostering the equality of women in politics and before the law through the monitoring of gender-based harassment and hate speech against female candidates during the 2024 European Parliament elections campaign, as well as through the monitoring of gender-based discrimination cases before Hungarian courts with a special emphasis on domestic violence.
- Grant: € 24,143
- Duration: 12 months
Poland
Applicant: Casimir Pulaski Foundation
- Legal name, Established in: Fundacja im. Kazimierza Pułaskiego, Poland
- Project Title: Empowering Young Women Experts in Regional Security and Foreign Policy
- Project Country: Poland
- Description: Advancing women’s participation in political debate and processes through mentorship, skills development, and public exposure.
- Grant: € 24,980
- Duration: 6 months
Romania
Applicant: Center for Curricular Development and Gender Studies – FILIA
- Legal name, Established in: Centrul de Dezvoltare Curriculară şi Studii de Gen – FILIA, Romania
- Project Title: Women Participate for a Strong Democracy
- Project Country: Romania
- Description: Increasing the participation of young women in democratic processes by facilitating dialogue with political actors and raising awareness of the importance of women’s involvement in public life.
- Grant: € 19,490
- Duration: 6 months
Applicant: Funky Citizens
- Legal name, Established in: Funky Citizens, Romania
- Project Title: Budgeting for Change: Promoting Gender Equality in Local Budgets in Romania
- Project Country: Romania
- Description: Promoting gender equality at the local level in Romania through developing a research methodology for gender budgeting, conducting analyses of local budgets, and empowering local experts and activists to engage in shaping public policies.
- Grant: € 25,000
- Duration: 10 months
Slovakia
Applicant: Women’s Circles
- Legal name, Established in: Ženské kruhy, Slovakia
- Project Title: Engaging Women in Self-Efficient Advocacy
- Project Country: Slovakia
- Description: Creating systemic changes in public policies related to women’s reproductive rights through awareness raising as well as through fostering individual self-advocacy and collective advocacy at the regional and national levels.
- Grant: € 25,000
- Duration: 12 months
Applicant: Center for Community Organizing – CKO
- Legal name, Established in: Centrum komunitného organizovania, Slovakia
- Project Title: Invisible Heroines
- Project Country: Slovakia
- Description: Empowering the active participation of Roma women in public and community life in the Banská Bystrica region and sensitizing the general public to their experiences with the ultimate goal of fostering increased inclusion.
- Grant: € 15,000
- Duration: 12 months
Slovenia
Applicant: Cultural and Arts Association Transformator
Co-applicant: Amnesty International Slovenia (Društvo Amnesty International Slovenije), Slovenia
Co-applicant: Zavod Radio Študent, Slovenia
- Legal name, Established in: Kulturno umetniško društvo Transformator, Slovenia
- Project Title: Not One More
- Project Country: Slovenia
- Description: Awareness raising on women’s reproductive rights in Slovenia, including the right to equal access to safe and legal abortion.
- Grant: € 25,000
- Duration: 15 months
Unsuccessful applicants may file a complaint within seven calendar days from the date the decision was published if they believe they were subject to unprofessional or discriminatory treatment. Complaints must be submitted electronically to: [email protected].
D2.8/D10-CfP-INT3-Enhancing Participation of Vulnerable Groups in Political and Policy Processes
The following project proposals were selected for support under INT 3: Enhancing the participation of vulnerable groups in public deliberation and decision-making processes:
Bulgaria
Applicant: Student Society for the Development of Interethnic Dialogue Foundation
- Legal Name, Established in: Фондация „Студентско общество за развитие на междуетническия диалог“, Bulgaria
- Project Title: Mission Overview
- Project Country: Bulgaria
- Description: Building a long-term perspective for the empowerment of Roma.
- Grant: € 24,434
- Duration: 12 months
Hungary
Applicant: Minoritas Association of Somogy Country
- Legal Name, Established in: Somogy Megyei Minoritas Egyesület, Hungary
- Project Title: Minoritas Democracy Tour 2024
- Project Country: Hungary
- Description: Get-out-the-vote mobilization campaign in 30 municipalities of Somogy County, Hungary to support participation at the 2024 minority self-government elections. And, following the elections, providing capacity-strengthening trainings for the elected minority self-governments in the 30 municipalities.
- Grant: € 24,730
- Duration: 6 months
Applicant: Wildflower Foundation
- Legal Name, Established in: Vadvirág Alapítvány a sérült gyerekek integrációjának a támogatására, Hungary
- Project Title: Fostering Social Awareness in the Families of Children With Disabilities
- Project Country: Hungary
- Description: Mobilizing the families of children with disabilities, fostering information sharing among them about available social services, and supporting their engagement with authorities.
- Grant: € 12,140
- Duration: 10 months
Poland
Applicant: GrowSPACE Foundation
- Legal Name, Established in: Fundacja GrowSPACE, Poland
- Project Title: Take Matters Into Your Own Hands! – A Program to Support Civic Participation by Young People in the Podkarpackie Voivodship
- Project Country: Poland
- Description: Developing skills and anti-discrimination competencies’ among the youth in southeastern Poland.
- Grant: € 18,980
- Duration: 10 months
Applicant: BoMiasto
- Legal Name, Established in: BoMiasto, Poland
- Project Title: The Academy of Queer Silesia
- Project Country: Poland
- Description: Enhancing the skills and visibility of LGBTQ+ artists and performers to drive social change and nurture cultural growth.
- Grant: € 20,000
- Duration: 9 months
Applicant: Foundation “Institute Poland-Ukraine”
- Legal Name, Established in: Fundacja Instytut Polska-Ukraina, Poland
- Project Title: Information, Development, Advocacy: Strengthening the Ukrainian Community in Krakow
- Project Country: Poland
- Description: Enhancing local civic participation and self-advocacy among members of the Ukrainian community in Kraków.
- Grant: € 22,666
- Duration: 20 months
Romania
Applicant: MozaiQ LGBT Association
- Legal name, Established in: Asociația MozaiQ LGBT
- Project Title: Engage & Empower
- Project Country: Romania
- Description: Creating bridges between LGBTI citizens and local politicians in the context of the 2024 elections through awareness raising and inviting politicians to pledge publicly to support LGBTQI rights.
- Grant: € 25,000
- Duration: 6 months
Applicant: Fagaras Research Institute
- Legal name, Established in: Asociația Institutul de Cercetare Făgăraș, Romania
- Project Title: Media Lab for Sustainable Democracy
- Project Country: Romania
- Description: Providing democratic and human rights education to 120 citizens from disadvantaged groups in the Fagaras area through the creation and work of a local media lab.
- Grant: € 24,500
- Duration: 12 months
Slovakia
Applicant: Center for the Research of Ethnicity and Culture – CVEK
- Legal name, Established in: Centrum pre výskum etnicity a kultúry, Slovakia
- Project Title: VOICE FOR ALL – Training Module for Municipalities to Support Participation of Vulnerable Groups
- Project Country: Slovakia
- Description: Supporting local and regional governments in effectively involving vulnerable groups in decision-making processes through developing and testing a tailor-made training module.
- Grant: € 25,000
- Duration: 12 months
Applicant: Saplinq
- Legal name, Established in: Saplinq, o.z., Slovakia
- Project Title: Promoting the Role and Strengthening the Participation of the LGBTQI+ Youth in Political and Democratic Spaces in Slovakia
- Project Country: Slovakia
- Description: Increasing societal acceptance of LGBTQI+ individuals in Slovakia through 12 awareness-raising campaigns, promoting political engagement, enhancing LGBTQI+ movement capacities, and supporting vulnerable youth facing discrimination.
- Grant: € 24,710
- Duration: 11 months
Slovenia
Applicant: BOB, Institute for Educational and Cultural Activities, Ljubljana
Co-applicant: The Centre for oppressed POKAZ (Centar za kazalište potlačenih), Croatia
- Legal name, Established in: BOB, zavod za izobraževanje in kulturne dejavnosti, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Project Title: Act(ivate) Your Story
- Project Country: Slovenia, Croatia
- Description: Giving a voice to marginalized migrants, changing their public image through sharing their stories, and challenging their negative representation in the media.
- Grant: € 40,000
- Duration: 18 months
Unsuccessful applicants may file a complaint within seven calendar days from the date the decision was published if they believe they were subject to unprofessional or discriminatory treatment. Complaints must be submitted electronically to [email protected].
D2.9/D12-CfP-INT4-Supporting the Social Involvement of Children and Young People
The following project proposals were selected for support under INT 4: Supporting the social involvement of children and young people through democracy education and participation-based model projects:
Bulgaria
Applicant: The Association of European Journalists in Bulgaria
- Legal Name, Established in: Асоциация на европейските журналисти – България, Bulgaria
- Project Title: Beyond Borders: Journalism by and for Young People
- Project Country: Bulgaria, Romania
- Description: Providing media literacy and journalism trainings for young people from Bulgaria and Romania.
- Grant: € 40,000
- Duration: 8 months
Applicant: Bulgarian Euro-Atlantic Youth Club (BEAYC)
- Legal Name, Established in: Младежко евро-атлантическо дружество (МЕАД), Bulgaria
- Project Title: Youth Democracy: Together for the Future
- Project Country: Bulgaria
- Description: Fostering the active participation of young people in democratic processes through age-based educational sessions.
- Grant: € 20,000
- Duration: 9 months
Croatia
Applicant: Foundation Knowledge at Work
- Legal name, Established in: Zaklada Znanje na djelu, Croatia
- Project Title: Youth Forward: Democratic Pathway to Pupil-Led Career Development
- Project Country: Croatia
- Description: Enhancing the civic, democratic, and leadership skills of high school students through age-based educational sessions.
- Grant: € 19,430
- Duration: 12 months
Czechia
Applicant: NaZemi
- Legal name, Established in: NaZemi, z.s., Czechia
- Project Title: Generation symbiocene participates
- Project Country: Czechia
- Description: Empowering young people to address the challenges posed by climate change through transformative education.
- Grant: € 24,412
- Duration: 9 months
Hungary
Applicant: Alliance of Civic Activists – CSZE
- Legal name, established in: Civilek Szövetsége, Hungary
- Project Title: Fostering the Public Participation of High School Students
- Project Country: Hungary
- Description: Mobilizing high school students to support European values through online competitions, a summer camp, and the creation of local/regional student fora on the basis of student self-governments.
- Grant: €25,000
- Duration: 8 months
Applicant: Round Table Theatre
- Legal name, established in: Kerekasztal Színház, Hungary
- Project Title: You Can Have an Impact!
- Project Country: Hungary
- Description: Organizes 24 participatory theater plays for vocational school students in 12 county capitals of Hungary.
- Grant: € 24,620
- Duration: 18 months
Poland
Applicant: SocLab Foundation
- Legal name, Established in: Fundacja SocLab, Poland
- Project Title: Action Participation – Bialystok Incubator of Youth Initiatives
- Project Country: Poland
- Description: Developing the civic competences of secondary school students to increase their active involvement in Białystok’s public life.
- Grant: € 24,925
- Duration: 6 months
Applicant: Garden of Imagination
- Legal name, Established in: Ogród Wyobraźni, Poland
- Project Title: Freedom Games
- Project Country: Poland
- Description: Developing a participatory educational project and organizing a city-management simulation game for school youth in Wrocław.
- Grant: € 25,000
- Duration: 9 months
Applicant: OFF School Foundation
- Legal name, Established in: Fundacja OFF School, Poland
- Project Title: House of Democratic Youth
- Project Countries: Poland
- Description: Empowering young individuals to assert their rights through the production of creative video spots and peer learning.
- Grant: € 24,960
- Duration: 9 months
Romania
Applicant: Sibiu Community Foundation
- Legal name, Established in: Fundaţia Comunitară Sibiu, Romania
- Project Title: Urban Leadership Academy
- Project country: Romania
- Description: Fostering young citizens to become the next generation of local leaders, to shape their communities in a positive and sustainable way, and to be part of a global network of local change-makers.
- Grant: € 20,000
- Duration: 12 months
Applicant: Association Center for Public Innovation
- Legal name, Established in: Asociația Centrul pentru Inovare Publică (ACIP), Romania
- Project Title: Be Active in Your Community!
- Project Country: Romania
- Description: Developing the civic skills of high school students through age-based educational formats and providing them with opportunities to actively contribute to the civic life of their communities.
- Grant: € 24,700
- Duration: 10 months
Slovakia
Applicant: Model Parliament of Slovakia – MPS
- Legal name, Established in: MPS – Modelový parlament Slovenska, Slovakia
- Project Title: Model Parliament of Slovakia – MPS
- Project Country: Slovakia
- Description: Increasing the political engagement of 600 high school students through two model national parliament simulation games and three regional self-government conferences.
- Grant: € 16,337
- Duration: 15 months
Applicant: NGO PROXIMA
- Legal name, Established in: MVO PROXIMA, Slovakia
- Project Title: Democracy Training
- Project Country: Slovakia
- Description: Promoting active civic participation and advocacy for democratic principles among rural youth in the Košice region through nonformal educational activities.
- Grant: € 15,400
- Duration: 12 months
Applicant: SEEDS
- Legal name, Established in: Nezisková organizácia SEEDS, Slovakia
- Project Title: Freedom and Democracy: The Virtual World of Elections
- Project Country: Slovakia
- Description: Promoting civic participation among youth through interactive workshops, primarily targeting secondary vocational schools across the country.
- Grant: € 25,000
- Duration: 9 months
Slovenia
Applicant: Pro et Contra, Institute for Culture of Dialogue
- Legal name, Established in: Za in proti, zavod za kulturo dialoga, Slovenia
- Project Title: Advocacy for Democracy Academy — (AJDA)
- Project Country: Slovenia
- Description: Improving public participation in democratic processes and grassroots activism in the Pomurje region.
- Grant: € 25,000
- Duration: 12 months
Unsuccessful applicants may file a complaint within seven calendar days from the date the decision was published if they believe they were subject to unprofessional or discriminatory treatment. Complaints must be submitted electronically to: [email protected]
D3.3/D16-CfP-INT6-CSOs' Resilience in Shrinking Spaces
The following proposals were selected for support:
Bulgaria
Applicant: Bulgarian Helsinki Committee (BHC)
- Legal Name, Established in: Български хелзинкски комитет, Bulgaria
- Project Title: Strengthening BHC's organizational capacity for effective digital human rights advocacy
- Project Country: Bulgaria
- Description: Increasing BHC's resilience and online capacity for digital human rights advocacy
- Grant: € 24,941
- Duration: 12 months
Applicant: Association Startup Factory
- Legal Name, Established in: Сдружение Стартъп Фектъри, Bulgaria
- Project Title: InfoSec Skills+
- Project Country: Bulgaria
- Description: Improving the information security skills of CSO staff
- Grant: € 25,000
- Duration: 12 months
Applicant: Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law (BCNL)
Co-applicant: Political Accountability Foundation (Fundacja Odpowiedzialna Polityka), Poland
Co-applicant: Unhack Democracy, Hungary
- Legal Name, Established in: Български център за нестопанско право, Bulgaria
- Project Title: Rewire your mind / Rewire your country: Building CSO resilience through hope-based leadership
- Project Country: Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland
- Description: Disseminating the methodology of hope-based leadership and challenging illiberal structures through hope-based campaigns
- Grant: € 39,996
Duration: 8 months
Croatia
Applicant: Friends of the Earth Croatia
- Legal Name, Established in: Zelena akcija, Croatia
- Project Title: Resilient activism in times of uncertainty
- Project Country: Croatia
- Description: Strengthening of internal capacities and resilience
- Grant: € 24,980
- Duration: 12 months
Hungary
Applicant: School of Public Life Foundation
- Legal Name, Established in: Közélet Iskolája Alapítvány, Hungary
- Project Title: Strengthening CSOs in Shrinking Spaces – Fostering Organizational Development and Psychological Resilience
- Project Country: Hungary
- Description: Supporting CSOs’ sustainable operations in shrinking spaces through strategy and resilience building and organizational development
- Grant: € 23,900
- Duration: 20 months
Applicant: Hungarian Helsinki Committee (HHC)
- Legal Name, Established in: Magyar Helsinki Bizottság, Magyarország
- Project Title: Improving HHC’s resilience
- Project Country: Hungary
- Description: Enhancing the resilience of HHC—one of Hungary’s most important human rights watchdogs—amid shrinking civic space by increasing HHC staff’s digital security skill and psychological resilience
- Grant: € 24,980
- Duration: 12 months
Applicant: HAT Foundation
- Legal Name, Established in: HAT Alapítvány, Hungary
- Project Title: I am here! Let’s create a common place!
- Project Country: Hungary
- Description: Resilience building and mental health consulting for critical teachers and civic activists through regular workshops creating exchange and common space
- Grant: € 22,455
- Duration: 12 months
Applicant: PILnet Foundation
- Legal Name, Established in: PILnet Alapítvány, Hungary
- Project Title: eLECSO: Enabling Legal Empowerment of Civil Society Organizations
- Project Country: Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary
- Description: Empowering CSOs and enhancing their legal resilience through legal capacity building and risk assessment
- Grant: € 40,000
- Duration: 24 months
Applicant: Transvanilla Transgender Association
- Legal Name, Established in: Transvanilla Transznemű Egyesület, Hungary
- Project Title: Transvanilla - Legal Capacity Building and Institutional Development
- Project Country: Hungary
- Description: Countering shrinking spaces for transgender people in Hungary through extending the geographic scope of Transvanilla’s work and strengthening its legal aid program
- Grant: € 25,000
- Duration: 24 months
Applicant: NANE Association
- Legal Name, Established in: Nők a Nőkért Együtt az Erőszak Ellen Egyesület, Hungary
- Project Title: Cooperation, Unity, Resilience – Institutional Development and Networking to Provide Better Support for the Victims of Domestic Violence
- Project Country: Hungary
- Description: Internal capacity building and creation of cooperative ties with municipalities to enhance the standards of local institutions helping the victims of domestic violence
- Grant: € 23,439
- Duration: 16 months
Poland
Applicant: Czulent Jewish Association
- Legal Name, Established in: Żydowskie Stowarzyszenie Czulent, Poland
- Project Title: Securing Our Community, Preserving Our Democracy: Combating Antisemitism through Integrated Advocacy and Security Approaches.
- Project Country: Poland
- Description: Combatting online hate speech and strengthening cyber security of the Jewish community.
- Grant: €24,380
- Duration: 10 months
Applicant: Federation of Social Organisations of the Warminsko-Mazurskie Voivodeship - FOSa
- Legal Name, Established in: Federacja Organizacji Socjalnych Województwa Warmińsko-Mazurskiego FOSa, Poland
- Project Title: THE GAP - Networking without gaps in Warmia and Mazury
- Project Country: Poland
- Description: Capacity and resilience building among civil society networks and their individual members for a greater policy impact.
- Grant: €24,910
- Duration: 7 months
Applicant: Humanity in Action Poland
- Legal Name, Established in: Fundacja Humanity in Action Polska, Poland
- Project Title: Solidarity in action. Holding the space for each other. Support program for experts, activists, and teachers at risk of burnout and working environment difficulties.
- Project Country: Poland
- Description: Addressing burnout and fragmentation through training and sustainable network building.
- Grant: €25,000
- Duration: 12 months
Applicant: Polish Legal Clinics Foundation
- Legal Name, Established in: Fundacja Uniwersyteckich Poradni Prawnych, Poland
- Project Title: Deepening partnerships between the non-governmental sector and the private and public sectors and strengthening the effectiveness of NGOs' activities.
- Project Country: Poland
- Description: Legal support for civil society and networking as means to counter shrinking democratic space.
- Grant: €24,546
- Duration: 24 months
Romania
Applicant: ACCEPT Association
- Legal name, Established in: Asociația ACCEPT, Romania
- Project Title: Resistance through resilience for LGBTI civil society in Romania
- Project Country: Romania
- Description: To strengthen organizational resilience and the ability of human rights activists from LGBTI organizations and local groups to respond to the challenges that are faced in the context of shrinking space for civil society, growing wave of hate speech, and fake news phenomenon
- Grant: € 24,999
- Duration: 12 months
Applicant: Association Techsoup Romania
- Legal name, Established in: Asociația Techsoup, Romania
- Project Title: Cybersecurity Activator for NGOs in Romania
- Project Country: Romania
- Description: To raise awareness on the importance of cybersecurity readiness for NGOs, especially those which work with vulnerable groups or in critical areas of civic activism, justice and rule of law, Ukrainian refugees, LGBTQIA+
- Grant: € 25,000
- Duration: 12 months
Applicant: PACT Foundation - Partnership for Community Action and Partnership
- Legal name, Established in: Fundația PACT – Parteneriat pentru Acțiune Comunitară șI Transformare, Romania
- Project Title: DRIVE Network – Driven Responsibility & Integrated Vision Empowerment Network
- Project Country: Romania
- Description: To establish a network of Community Based Organizations – formal and informal – active in rural and small urban areas across Southern Romania
- Grant: € 24,975
- Duration: 12 months
Unsuccessful applicants may file a complaint within 7 calendar days from the date the decision was published if they believe they were subject to unprofessional or discriminatory treatment. Complaints must be submitted electronically to [email protected].
D4.3/D20-CfP-INT8-Watchdogs
The following proposals were selected for support:
Bulgaria
Applicant: Anti-Corruption Fund Foundation (ACF)
- Legal Name, Established in: Фондация Антикорупционен фонд, Bulgaria
- Project Title: Monitoring Local Authorities on Anticorruption and Conflict of Interest
- Project Country: Bulgaria
- Description: Monitoring and analysis of the work of the local anticorruption bodies, tasked with ascertaining conflict of interests and combatting corruption
- Grant: € 24,985
- Duration: 12 months
Applicant: Institute for Public Environment Development (IPED)
- Legal Name, Established in: Институт за развитие на публичната среда, Bulgaria
- Project Title: European elections 2024: the citizens' voice
- Project Country: Bulgaria
- Description: Contributing to stimulating the dialogue on European values and the importance of the upcoming European elections
- Grant: € 24,170
- Duration: 8 months
Czechia
Applicant: Frank Bold Society
- Legal name, Established in: Frank Bold Society, z.s., Czechia
- Project Title: Against corruption in public tenders in regions of Czechia
- Project Country: Czechia
- Description: Enhancing transparency in public tenders carried out by publicly owned companies in 5 peripheral municipalities/regions and empowering local stakeholders.
- Grant: € 17,646
- Duration: 10 months
Hungary
Applicant: Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (HCLU)
- Legal name, established in: Társaság a Szabadságjogokért (TASZ), Hungary
- Project Title: There shall be legal aid for the whole country! Enhancing HCLU's legal aid activities in Pécs, Debrecen and Miskolc
- Project Country: Hungary
- Description: Strengthening HCLU’s operative presence and regional hubs in the cities of Pécs, Debrecen and Miskolc
- Grant: €25,000
- Duration: 16 months
Applicant: Streetlawyer Association
- Legal name, established in: Utcajogász Egyesület, Hungary
- Project Title: Protecting Housing and Social Rights in Pécs
- Project Country: Hungary
- Description: Fostering access to housing and social rights in Pécs through providing legal aid, local awareness raising, and advocacy
- Grant: € 25,000
- Duration: 24 months
Poland
Applicant: Bender Society
- Legal name, Established in: Towarzystwo Benderowskie, Poland
- Project Title: Climate watchdog for peripheries
- Project Country: Poland
- Description: Enhancing public participation and informed dialogue in natural resource management
- Grant: €24,866
- Duration: 20 months
Applicant: Forests and Citizens Foundation
- Legal name, Established in: Fundacja Lasy i Obywatele, Poland
- Project Title: Forests are ours: strengthening social participation processes in public consultations of Forest Management Plans
- Project Country: Poland
- Description: Citizen-led watchdog activities for better management of natural resources.
- Grant: €24,633
- Duration: 12 months
Applicant: Ocalenie Foundation
- Legal name, Established in: Fundacja Ocalenie, Poland
- Project Title: International network of organizations for a report on the death toll of the humanitarian crisis on the European Union’s border with Belarus.
- Project Countries: Poland, Belarus, Latvia, and Lithuania
- Description: Cross-border research and advocacy efforts regarding the humanitarian crisis at the eastern borders of Europe.
- Grant: €40,000
- Duration: 8 months
Romania
Applicant: Expert Forum Association
- Legal name, Established in: Asociația Expert Forum, Romania
- Project Title: Participative and transparent EU parliamentary elections
- Project country: Romania
- Description: Increase the transparency and integrity of the electoral process for the European Parliament elections by strengthening a coalition of organizations to observe the elections and provide electoral assistance for voters across Romania and abroad.
- Grant: EUR 23,697
- Duration: 7 months
Applicant: ACCEPT Association
- Legal name, Established in: Asociația ACCEPT, Romania
- Project Title: Information and monitoring campaign of the rights of the LGBTQI+ persons in underserved areas
- Project Country: Romania
- Description: To reduce discrimination, lack of access to information and education for the LGBTQI+ community (with a focus on transgender people) in small cities, as well as for civil servants and other key professionals
- Grant: € 24,450
- Duration: 14 months
Slovakia
Applicant: Transparency International Slovakia
- Legal name, Established in: Transparency International Slovensko, TIS, Slovakia
- Project Title: How to reinforce regional control mechanisms?
- Project Country: Slovakia
- Description: Monitoring and strengthening formal and non-formal anti-corruption control mechanisms in rural Slovakia
- Grant: € 20,035
- Duration: 16 months
Slovenia
Applicant: Aspira Institute
- Legal name, Established in: Zavod Aspira, zavod za razvoj posameznika in družbe
- Project Title: Active citizens, strong region: Empowerment of non-governmental organizations for democratic cooperation in the Zasava region
- Project Country: Slovenia
- Description: Strengthening the civil society’s role in the Zasavje region as a watchdog and an important player in decision-making through capacity and partnerships building.
- Grant: € 24,521
- Duration: 12 months
Unsuccessful applicants may file a complaint within 7 calendar days from the date the decision was published if they believe they were subject to unprofessional or discriminatory treatment. Complaints must be submitted electronically to [email protected].
Our Implementation Partners
Expand AllSofia Platform Foundation-Bulgaria
The Sofia Platform Foundation is a nongovernmental organization established in 2013. For the last nine years, Sofia Platform has focused on civic activism, civic education, and the recent history of Bulgaria and Central Europe. It has reached thousands of citizens through public outreach, online and offline, and it has worked with over 1,500 students in over 100 schools and more than 800 teachers across Bulgaria.
CERANEO-Croatia
CERANEO is a think-and-do tank with a focus on social policy, which promotes innovative approaches and advocates for civic participation and a greater role for civil society. Since its establishment in 1995, CERANEO has been a key resource center for civil society development in Croatia. It analyzes civil-society-related legislative processes; promotes open, transparent, and responsive policymaking; organizes public discussions; and conducts civil-society-related advocacy work. For over ten years, CERANEO has been the Croatian national implementation and research partner in USAID’s CSO Sustainability Index.
Via Foundation-Czechia
The Via Foundation (VF) is an independent Czech community and philanthropy development foundation. VF supports CSOs and civic activists working collaboratively to improve their local communities. VF runs micro-grant programs for CSOs and engaged citizens of all ages, operates an online donation tool, and often combines grantmaking with capacity-building offers. Since its establishment in 1997, VF has supported more than 6,000 projects in one-fifth of all municipalities in Czechia.
Power of Humanity Foundation-Hungary
The Power of Humanity Foundation (PHF) works for a democratic society where human rights and equal opportunities prevail, and it fights against the negative impact of shrinking space for civil society. For that purpose, it strengthens local communities, fosters public participation, and raises awareness of fundamental rights. PHF was established in 2006 and since then it has emerged as a key civic resource center outside of Hungary’s capital city Budapest.
Shipyard Foundation-Poland
Over the past 13 years, the Shipyard Foundation has worked to create and promote effective solutions to social problems, involving citizens in deciding on public matters, and helping organizations and local governments to plan and implement social activities. Toward this end, Shipyard pursues activities in three key areas: research and counselling, social innovation, and civic participation.
Resource Center for Public Participation-Romania
The Resource Center for Public Participation (CeRe) is a Romanian CSO established in 2006. CeRe’s work is rooted in the belief that the state should serve its citizens and respond to their concerns in public matters. Toward this vision, CeRe supports citizens, activists, informal groups, and CSOs in engaging public institutions and making civic voices heard. CeRe is engaged in community organizing, and it supports advocacy and activism to improve public participation.
Partners for Democratic Change-Slovakia
Partners for Democratic Change Slovakia (PDCS) is a CSO providing education, capacity-building and facilitation services, consultancy, and counselling in the fields of conflict resolution, support of social dialogue, civic participation, and the development of civil society in Slovakia and abroad. PDCS’s mission is to educate people and activists to foster public participation. Since its founding in 1991, PDCS has focused on civil society development through training programs for CSOs and community leaders, contributing to civic actors’ strategic development, sustainability, self-financing, and fundraising.
SLOGA Platform-Slovenia
SLOGA is a CSO platform working in the fields of international development cooperation, CSO capacity-building, civic education, and humanitarian aid. It was registered in 2006 as a legal entity by 19 nongovernmental organizations in Slovenia. SLOGA’s main goal is to enhance respect for human rights, equal opportunities, civic education, sustainable development, and the greater integration of vulnerable social groups into decision-making processes on development cooperation at home and abroad. Since 2015, SLOGA has been coordinating the work of Slovenian CSOs and humanitarian organizations in the context of the refugee crisis.
Past Calls for Proposals
Expand AllStrengthening Watchdogs’ Strategic Litigation Capabilities
Program Description
In spite of the attempts of populists and illiberal leaders to undermine the independence of judiciary, domestic and international courts often provide the most effective fora to contest discriminatory laws, challenge the dismantling of checks and balances, enforce freedom of information, and resist authoritarian legal engineering. Strategic litigation is a key asset in the toolkit of human rights and anti-corruption watchdogs to pursue the protection of fundamental rights, transparency, and liberal constitutionalism with legal means.
For this reason, The Transatlantic Foundation (TF), in cooperation with the Engaging Central Europe (ECE) program of The German Marshall Fund of the United States, is launching a dedicated call for proposals. This funding opportunity aims to strengthen civil society watchdogs’ strategic litigation capabilities in Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia.
Eligibility
The call is open to CSOs and non-profit-making entities established in Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia. CSOs applying must demonstrate compliance with the fundamental rights and values that the EU is founded upon as well as a proven track record in human rights or transparency.
Natural persons and for-profit entities are NOT eligible. Further, applicants can neither be affiliated entity(ies), nor associates, nor contractors of TF.
Under this call, TF will support short-to-medium-term projects with a duration of 6 to 12 months, with a budget ranging from EUR 10,000 to EUR 30,000 for single-country projects and from EUR 10,000 to EUR 40,000 for cross-border projects.
Project co-financing in the form of own contribution or other non-EU grants is welcomed, but not mandatory. Administrative costs (i.e., utilities, accounting, and financial management) cannot exceed 7% of the total grant amount.
The available overall call budget is EUR 400,000. TF reserves the right not to award all available funds depending on the proposals received and the results of the evaluations.
Types of Eligible Activities:
- Provide legal aid to marginalized communities and individuals affected by human rights violations.
- Strengthen the strategic litigation capabilities of organizations representing aggrieved parties and victims of human rights violations with systemic importance before courts.
- Strengthen the strategic litigation capabilities of organizations using freedom of information (FOI) laws in a strategic manner to maintain transparency and to assist citizens and CSOs in filing FOI requests and appealing against denials.
- Conduct workshops, seminars, or training to enhance CSOs’ legal expertise, with a special focus on available domestic, international, and European legal venues.
- Build complex communication and advocacy strategies around watchdogs’ existing litigation work.
Important eligibility note:
Activities on strategic litigation can be supported limited to capacity building, awareness raising activities, training, mutual learning and exchange of good practices and analytical activities.
Court actions and direct litigation activities are not eligible for support under this action.
The project activities must take place in one or more of the targeted countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia. Cross-border activities involving other EU countries may be considered as well.
Special emphasis must be given to the promotion and protection of rights and values under the EU Treaties and the Charter of Fundamental Rights as well as to a gender-inclusive approach at all levels of the proposed project implementation.
Organizations that engage individuals or groups in peripheral areas are especially encouraged to apply.
Application Process
Project proposals must be sent to [email protected] by 24:00 (midnight) CET of September 1, 2024.
Call for proposals and application forms in Bulgarian
Call for proposals and application forms in Croatian
Call for proposals and application forms in Hungarian
Call for proposals and application forms in Polish
Call for proposals and application forms in Romanian
Call for proposals and application forms in Slovak
Please use the call’s reference D3.4/D18-CfP-INT7 in the subject line of your application email. You will receive a confirmation email upon receipt of your application.
To submit a project proposal, organizations must complete the forms below, in English or in one of the national languages.
- Application form (in both PDF and WORD format)
- Budget form
- Declaration of honor
Only proposals submitted using these forms will be considered.
The selected projects could commence as early as January 1, 2025, and conclude no later than December 31, 2025.
There is no limit on the number of applications submitted and calls participated in by one organization.
To learn more about ECE’s ongoing grantmaking program, civil society support, and democracy assistance work, please visit https://www.gmfus.org/grants/engaging-central-europe or email us at [email protected].
An information session for applicants was held on July 15, 2024. You may access the video recording of the session here, and the PowerPoint presentation here.
Award Criteria
Project proposals will be evaluated based on a standard set of award criteria, including:
- Demonstrated alignment with call objectives, quality of problem statement, needs assessment, and relevance in relation to those objectives. (10)
- Feasibility of goals, the action proposed and cost-effectiveness of the budget (5)
- Commitment to democratic values and fundamental rights (3)
- Synergies of proposed action with other publicly or privately funded actions, focused on avoiding duplication. (3)
- Capability, organizational knowledge, and technical expertise of the applicant (2)
- Creative approaches and ability to base activities on insights gained from past experiences, both successes and failures. (2)
All: 25 points
Bonus points will be awarded based on:
- The project’s activities take place in rural areas (+2), or in towns and regional capitals (+1).
The maximum score of a successful proposal is 28 points. The eligibility threshold is 15 points.
Applications will be evaluated and selected by experts affiliated with TF within the frame of a single-stage call. Information on the evaluation results will be communicated to applicants and presented on this website in November 2024.
In the event of inconsistency or discrepancy between the English version and any other language version, the English language version shall prevail.
This call for proposals was published as part of the EU CERV program PROTEUS by the Transatlantic Foundation and is co-funded by the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the Transatlantic Foundation and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
Published on June 28, 2024
Enhancing Women Participation in Political and Policy Processes
Enhancing Participation of Women in Political and Policy Processes through Awareness-raising and Advocacy
Program Description
Women and men should enjoy equal rights and opportunities. Yet political and social dynamics regularly challenge women’s participation in the making of political decisions and in public life, often with far-reaching consequences for women individually and collectively.
For this reason, The Transatlantic Foundation (TF), in cooperation with the Engaging Central Europe (ECE) program of The German Marshall Fund of the United States, is launching a dedicated call for proposals. This funding opportunity aims to support civil society organizations (CSOs) with the objective to empower women’s participation in civil society, politics, and public life in Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
Eligibility
The call is open to CSOs and non-profit-making entities established in Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. CSOs applying must demonstrate compliance with the fundamental rights and values that the EU is founded upon as well as a proven track record in fostering women’s participation in the respective EU member states.
Natural persons and for-profit entities are NOT eligible. Further, applicants can neither be affiliated entity(ies), nor associates, nor contractors of TF.
Under this call, TF will support short-to-medium-term projects with a duration of 6 to 18 months, with a budget ranging from EUR 10,000 to EUR 25,000 for single-country projects and from EUR 10,000 to EUR 40,000 for cross-border projects.
Project co-financing in the form of own contribution or other non-EU grants is welcomed, but not mandatory. Administrative costs (i.e., utilities, accounting, and financial management) cannot exceed 7% of the total grant amount.
The available overall call budget is EUR 300,000. TF reserves the right not to award all available funds depending on the proposals received and the results of the evaluations.
Types of Eligible Activities:
- Enhancing public participation of women through awareness-raising, advocacy, or educational campaigns
- Boosting and innovating civic engagement of women at the local, regional, or national level with special attention to their participation in public deliberation, political decision-making, and implementation or monitoring of policy processes
- Reaching out to new constituencies, attracting new activists, and responding to emerging needs
- Mobilizing constituencies in a sustainable way
- Furthering cross-sectoral cooperation of CSOs and strengthening networks of pro-democratic actors.
The project activities must take place in one or more of the targeted countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Cross-border activities involving other EU or non-EU countries may be considered as well.
Special emphasis must be given to the promotion and protection of rights and values under the EU Treaties and the Charter of Fundamental Rights as well as to a gender-inclusive approach at all levels of the proposed project implementation.
Organizations that engage individuals or groups in peripheral areas are especially encouraged to apply.
Application Process
Project proposals must be sent to [email protected] by 24:00 (midnight) of November 1, 2023.
Call for proposals and application forms in Bulgarian
Call for proposals and application forms in Croatian
Call for proposals and application forms in Czech
Call for proposals and application forms in Hungarian
Call for proposals and application forms in Polish
Call for proposals and application forms in Romanian
Call for proposals and application forms in Slovak
Call for proposals and application forms in Slovenian
Please use the call’s reference D2.7/D8-CfP-INT2 in the subject line of your application email. You will receive a confirmation email upon receipt of your application.
To submit a project proposal, organizations must complete the forms below, in English or in one of the national languages.
- Application form (in both PDF and WORD format)
- Budget form
- Declaration of honor
Only proposals submitted using these forms will be considered.
The earliest potential starting date of selected projects is February 1, 2024.
There is no limit on the number of applications submitted and calls participated in by one organization.
To learn more about ECE’s ongoing grantmaking program, civil society support, and democracy assistance work, please visit https://www.gmfus.org/grants/engaging-central-europe or email us at [email protected].
An information session for applicants was held on September 28, 2023. You may access the video recording of the session here, and the PowerPoint presentation here.
Award Criteria
Project proposals will be evaluated based on a standard set of award criteria, including:
- Relevance of the action (5 points)
- Quality of problems, needs, opportunities, and risks assessment (4 points)
- Feasibility of the goals, objectives, and timeframe (4 points)
- Synergies of proposed action with other publicly or privately funded actions focused on avoiding duplication (3 points)
- Sustainability (3 points)
- Innovative approaches and lessons learnt (5 points)
- Effective outreach/communication/advocacy strategy (4 points)
- Quality of the monitoring and evaluation plan, including data collection (3 points)
- Capability, organizational knowledge, and technical expertise of the applicant (3 points)
- Commitment to EU values and fundamental rights (3 points)
- Relevance and cost-effectiveness of the action costs (5 points)
The maximum score of a successful proposal is 42 points. The eligibility threshold is 25 points.
Applications will be evaluated and selected by experts affiliated with TF within the frame of a single-stage call. Information on the evaluation results will be communicated to applicants and presented on this website in January 2024.
In the event of inconsistency or discrepancy between the English version and any other language version, the English language version shall prevail.
This call for proposals is published as part of the EU CERV program PROTEUS by the Transatlantic Foundation and is co-funded by the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the Transatlantic Foundation and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
Published on September 1, 2023.
Enhancing Participation of Vulnerable Groups in Political and Policy Processes
Enhancing Participation of Vulnerable Groups in Political and Policy Processes through Awareness-raising and Advocacy
Program Description
People should enjoy equal rights and opportunities irrespective of their racial or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, age, or disability. Yet political and social dynamics regularly challenge the participation of vulnerable groups in the making of political decisions and public life, often with far-reaching consequences for their members individually and collectively.
For this reason, The Transatlantic Foundation (TF), in cooperation with the Engaging Central Europe (ECE) program of The German Marshall Fund of the United States, is launching a dedicated call for proposals. This funding opportunity aims to support civil society organizations (CSOs) with the objective to empower participation of vulnerable groups in civil society, politics, and public life in Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
Eligibility
The call is open to CSOs and non-profit-making entities established in Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. CSOs applying must demonstrate compliance with the fundamental rights and values that the EU is founded upon as well as a proven track record in fostering the civic participation of vulnerable groups in the respective EU member states.
Natural persons and for-profit entities are NOT eligible. Further, applicants can neither be affiliated entity(ies), nor associates, nor contractors of TF.
Under this call, TF will support short-to-medium-term projects with a duration of 6 to 18 months, with a budget ranging from EUR 10,000 to EUR 25,000 for single-country projects and from EUR 10,000 to EUR 40,000 for cross-border projects.
Project co-financing in the form of own contribution or other non-EU grants is welcomed, but not mandatory. Administrative costs (i.e., utilities, accounting, and financial management) cannot exceed 7% of the total grant amount.
The available overall call budget is EUR 300,000. TF reserves the right not to award all available funds depending on the proposals received and the results of the evaluations.
Types of Eligible Activities:
- Enhancing public participation of vulnerable groups through awareness-raising, advocacy, or educational campaigns
- Boosting and innovating civic engagement of these groups at the local, regional, or national level with special attention to participation in public deliberation, political decision-making, and implementation or monitoring of policy processes
- Reaching out to new constituencies, attracting new activists, and responding to emerging needs
- Mobilizing constituencies in a sustainable way
- Furthering cross-sectoral cooperation of CSOs and strengthening networks of pro-democratic actors
The project activities must take place in one or more of the targeted countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Cross-border activities involving other EU or non-EU countries may be considered as well.
Special emphasis must be given to the promotion and protection of rights and values under the EU Treaties and the Charter of Fundamental Rights as well as to a gender-inclusive approach at all levels of the proposed project implementation.
Organizations that engage individuals or groups in peripheral areas are especially encouraged to apply.
Application Process
Project proposals must be sent to [email protected] by 24:00 (midnight) of November 1, 2023.
Call for proposals and application forms in Bulgarian
Call for proposals and application forms in Croatian
Call for proposals and application forms in Czech
Call for proposals and application forms in Hungarian
Call for proposals and application forms in Polish
Call for proposals and application forms in Romanian
Call for proposals and application forms in Slovak
Call for proposals and application forms in Slovenian
Please use the call’s reference D2.8/D10-CfP-INT3 in the subject line of your application email. You will receive a confirmation email upon receipt of your application.
To submit a project proposal, organizations must complete the forms below, in English or in one of the national languages.
- Application form (in both PDF and WORD format)
- Budget form
- Declaration of honor
Only proposals submitted using these forms will be considered.
The earliest potential starting date of selected projects is February 1, 2024.
There is no limit on the number of applications submitted and calls participated in by one organization.
To learn more about ECE’s ongoing grantmaking program, civil society support, and democracy assistance work, please visit https://www.gmfus.org/grants/engaging-central-europe or email us at [email protected].
An information session for applicants was held on September 28, 2023. You may access the video recording of the session here, and the PowerPoint presentation here.
Award Criteria
Project proposals will be evaluated based on a standard set of award criteria, including:
- Relevance of the action (5 points)
- Quality of problems, needs, opportunities, and risks assessment (4 points)
- Feasibility of the goals, objectives, and timeframe (4 points)
- Synergies of proposed action with other publicly or privately funded actions focused on avoiding duplication (3 points)
- Sustainability (3 points)
- Innovative approaches and lessons learnt (5 points)
- Effective outreach/communication/advocacy strategy (4 points)
- Quality of the monitoring and evaluation plan, including data collection (3 points)
- Capability, organizational knowledge, and technical expertise of the applicant (3 points)
- Commitment to EU values and fundamental rights (3 points)
- Relevance and cost-effectiveness of the action costs (5 points)
The maximum score of a successful proposal is 42 points. The eligibility threshold is 25 points.
Applications will be evaluated and selected by experts affiliated with TF within the frame of a single-stage call. Information on the evaluation results will be communicated to applicants and presented on this website in January 2024.
In the event of inconsistency or discrepancy between the English version and any other language version, the English language version shall prevail.
This call for proposals is published as part of the EU CERV program PROTEUS by the Transatlantic Foundation and is co-funded by the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the Transatlantic Foundation and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
Published on September 1, 2023.
Supporting the Social Involvement of Children and Young People
Supporting the Social Involvement of Children and Young People through Democracy Education and Participation-based Model Projects
Program Description
There is no democracy without democrats and therefore no future for democracy without next generations of democrats. The seeding of basic democratic attitudes and experiences among young people is crucially important against the backdrop of low institutionalization of democratic education in the official curricula and the growing illiberal trends in Central Europe in order to create social resilience against anti-democratic tendencies.
For this reason, The Transatlantic Foundation (TF), in cooperation with the Engaging Central Europe (ECE) program of The German Marshall Fund of the United States, is launching a dedicated call for proposals. This funding opportunity aims to support civil society organizations (CSOs) with the objective to foster the social involvement of children (aged 14+) and young people through democracy education and participation-based model projects in Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
Eligibility
The call is open to CSOs and non-profit-making entities established in Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. CSOs applying must demonstrate compliance with the fundamental rights and values that the EU is founded upon as well as a proven track record in democracy education or youth work in the respective EU member states.
Organizations involving children in their activities must have a child protection policy compliant with the Keeping Children Safe - Child Safeguarding standards.
Natural persons and for-profit entities are NOT eligible. Further, applicants can neither be affiliated entity(ies), nor associates, nor contractors of TF.
Under this call, TF will support short-to-medium-term projects with a duration of 6 to 18 months, with a budget ranging from EUR 10,000 to EUR 25,000 for single-country projects and from EUR 10,000 to EUR 40,000 for cross-border projects.
Project co-financing in the form of own contribution or other non-EU grants is welcomed, but not mandatory. Administrative costs (i.e., utilities, accounting, and financial management) cannot exceed 7% of the total grant amount.
The available overall call budget is EUR 300,000. TF reserves the right not to award all available funds depending on the proposals received and the results of the evaluations.
Types of Eligible Activities:
- Offering age-specific, participation-based democracy education projects for children (aged 14+) or young adults (18+)
- Fostering grassroots democratic processes for the representation of student interests within schools and beyond
- Creating networks of democratic youth groups for coordination, joint activities, and development of a shared democratic agenda
- Amplifying the voice of democratic youths through online and offline campaigns
- Amplify the voice of students in the process of education-related decision-making at school, local, regional or national level
- Enhancing the democratic and civic skills of children (aged 14+) and young adults through community-development-oriented volunteering and internship programs
The project activities must take place in one or more of the targeted countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Cross-border activities involving other EU or non-EU countries may be considered as well.
Special emphasis must be given to the promotion and protection of rights and values under the EU Treaties and the Charter of Fundamental Rights as well as to a gender-inclusive approach at all levels of the proposed project implementation.
Organizations that engage individuals or groups in peripheral areas are especially encouraged to apply.
Application Process
Project proposals must be sent to [email protected] by 24:00 (midnight) of November 1, 2023.
Call for proposals and application forms in Bulgarian
Call for proposals and application forms in Croatian
Call for proposals and application forms in Czech
Call for proposals and application forms in Hungarian
Call for proposals and application forms in Polish
Call for proposals and application forms in Romanian
Call for proposals and application forms in Slovak
Call for proposals and application forms in Slovenian
Please use the call’s reference D2.9/D12-CfP-INT4 in the subject line of your application email. You will receive a confirmation email upon receipt of your application.
To submit a project proposal, organizations must complete the forms below, in English or in one of the national languages.
- Application form (in both PDF and WORD format)
- Budget form
- Declaration of honor
- Child Protection Policy of the Applicant
Only proposals submitted using these forms will be considered.
The earliest potential starting date of selected projects is February 1, 2024.
There is no limit on the number of applications submitted and calls participated in by one organization.
To learn more about ECE’s ongoing grantmaking program, civil society support, and democracy assistance work, please visit https://www.gmfus.org/grants/engaging-central-europe or email us at [email protected].
An information session for applicants was held on September 28, 2023. You may access the video recording of the session here, and the PowerPoint presentation here.
Award Criteria
Project proposals will be evaluated based on a standard set of award criteria, including:
- Relevance of the action (5 points)
- Quality of problems, needs, opportunities, and risks assessment (4 points)
- Feasibility of the goals, objectives, and timeframe (4 points)
- Synergies of proposed action with other publicly or privately funded actions focused on avoiding duplication (3 points)
- Sustainability (3 points)
- Innovative approaches and lessons learnt (5 points)
- Effective outreach/communication/advocacy strategy (4 points)
- Quality of the monitoring and evaluation plan, including data collection (3 points)
- Capability, organizational knowledge, and technical expertise of the applicant (3 points)
- Commitment to EU values and fundamental rights (3 points)
- Relevance and cost-effectiveness of the action costs (5 points)
The maximum score of a successful proposal is 42 points. The eligibility threshold is 25 points.
Applications will be evaluated and selected by experts affiliated with TF within the frame of a single-stage call. Information on the evaluation results will be communicated to applicants and presented on this website in January 2024.
In the event of inconsistency or discrepancy between the English version and any other language version, the English language version shall prevail.
This call for proposals was published as part of the EU CERV program PROTEUS by the Transatlantic Foundation and is co-funded by the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the Transatlantic Foundation and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
Published on September 1, 2023.
Citizen Participation in Public Deliberation and Democratic Processes
Enhancing Online and Offline Forms of Citizen Participation in Public Deliberation and Democratic Processes
Program Description
Public trust in government is dropping across Central Europe, while citizens disengage and lose interest in democratic processes. Insufficient transparency, lack of open governance, and too little accountability of public officials result in low levels of civic engagement.
In contrast, civil society and the enabling infrastructures it creates are crucial to counter the negative trends of low public participation and political apathy, to foster civic engagement, and to ensure the equal enjoyment of fundamental rights and EU values in society as a whole.
For this reason, The Transatlantic Foundation (TF), in cooperation with the Engaging Central Europe (ECE) program of The German Marshall Fund of the United States, is launching a dedicated Call for Proposals. This funding opportunity aims to support civil society organizations (CSOs) with the objective to enhance online and offline citizen participation in public deliberation and decision-making processes in Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
Eligibility
The call is open to non-profit-making CSOs established in Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. The CSO must demonstrate compliance with the fundamental rights and values that the EU is founded upon, and a proven track record in fostering civic participation in the respective EU member states.
Natural persons are NOT eligible.
Under this call, TF will support short-to-medium-term projects with a duration of 6 to 24 months, with a budget ranging from EUR 10,000 to 25,000 for single-country projects and from EUR 10,000 to 40,000 for cross-border projects.
The available overall call budget is EUR 300,000. TF reserves the right not to award all available funds depending on the proposals received and the results of the evaluations.
Types of Eligible Activities:
- organization of inclusive online and offline participatory processes, frameworks, event series and other participatory formats
- organization of inclusive online and offline issue-driven or community-based dialogue formats or other deliberative platforms
- organization of civic platforms and civic dialogues, awareness raising, outreach, communication and public information campaigns through social media
- building coalitions and partnerships among CSOs, coordination and strategic cooperation between CSOs and other stakeholders, including public or private sector entities
- other online/offline forms of supporting civic engagement at the local, regional, or national level in public deliberation, political decision-making, and implementation or monitoring of policy processes
The project activities must take place in one or more of the targeted countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Cross-border activities with other EU member states may be considered as well.
Special emphasis must be given to the promotion and protection of rights and values under the EU Treaties and the Charter of Fundamental Rights as well as to a gender-inclusive approach at all levels of the proposed project implementation.
Organizations that engage individuals or groups in peripheral areas are especially encouraged to apply.
Application Process
Project proposals must be sent to [email protected] by July 15, 2023.
Call for proposals and application forms in Bulgarian
Call for proposals and application forms in Croatian
Call for proposals and application forms in Czech
Call for proposals and application forms in Hungarian
Call for proposals and application forms in Polish
Call for proposals and application forms in Romanian
Call for proposals and application forms in Slovak
Call for proposals and application forms in Slovenian
Please use the call’s reference D2.6/D6-CfP-INT1 in the subject line of your application email.
To submit a project proposal, organizations must complete the forms below, in English or in one of the national languages.
Only proposals submitted using these forms will be considered.
Selected projects are expected to start as early as September 1, 2023.
To learn more about ECE’s ongoing grant-making program, civil society support, and democracy assistance work, please visit https://www.gmfus.org/grants/engaging-central-europe or email us at [email protected].
An Info session on the currently open funding opportunities under PROTEUS (see section calls for proposals below) was held on June 8, 2023. The session was recorded and published on Engaging Central Europe YouTube Channel for further potential applicants. You may access the video recording here.
Award Criteria
Project proposals will be evaluated based on a standard set of award criteria, including:
- Relevance of the action (5 points)
- Quality of problems, needs, opportunities, and risks assessment (4 points)
- Feasibility of the goals, objectives, and timeframe (4 points)
- Synergies of proposed action with other publicly or privately funded actions focused on avoiding duplication (3 points)
- Sustainability (3 points)
- Innovative approaches and lessons learnt (5 points)
- Effective outreach/communication/advocacy strategy (4 points)
- Quality of the monitoring and evaluation plan, including data collection (3 points)
- Capability, organizational knowledge, and technical expertise of the applicant (3 points)
- Commitment to EU values and fundamental rights (3 points)
- Relevance and cost-effectiveness of the action costs (5 points)
The maximum score of a successful proposal is 42 points. The eligibility threshold is 25 points.
Applications will be evaluated and selected by experts affiliated with TF within the frame of a single stage call. Information on the evaluation results will be communicated to applicants and presented on this website in August 2023.
This Call for Proposal was published as part of the EU CERV program PROTEUS by the Transatlantic Foundation and is co-funded by the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the Transatlantic Foundation and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Watchdogs
Strengthening the Presence of Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Watchdogs in Peripheral and Rural Areas
Program Description
Increasing political polarization of societies and deepening urban-rural and regional cleavages have a profound impact on democratic politics. To foster equal rights and opportunities and good governance for citizens irrespective of where they live within a country, the Transatlantic Foundation, in cooperation with the Engaging Central Europe (ECE) program of The German Marshall Found of the United States, is launching a dedicated Call for Proposals. The objective of the call is to strengthen the presence of human rights and anti-corruption watchdog civil society organizations (CSOs) in peripheral and rural areas and to enhance advocacy for human rights and transparency in peripheries, along with stronger engagement of rural citizens in asserting their voices and rights, in Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
Eligibility
The call is open to non-profit-making CSOs established in Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. The CSO must demonstrate compliance with the fundamental rights and values that the EU is founded upon and have a proven track record in the protection of democracy, transparency, and human rights.
Natural persons are NOT eligible.
Under this call, TF will support short-to-medium-term projects with a duration of 6 to 24 months, with a budget ranging from EUR 10,000 to 25,000 for single-country projects and from EUR 10,000 to 40,000 for cross-border projects.
The available overall call budget is EUR 300,000. TF reserves the right not to award all available funds depending on the proposals received and the results of the evaluations.
Types of Eligible Activities:
- awareness raising and outreach activities; communication and public information
- organization of civic platforms and civic dialogues
- building coalitions and partnerships among CSOs; coordination and strategic cooperation between CSOs and other stakeholders, including public or private sector entities
- watchdog and monitoring activities
- advocacy to influence local or regional policy and decision-making processes
- organizational and operational development projects that aim at extending the presence and activities of established watchdog CSOs to peripheral and rural areas
The project activities must take place in one or more of the targeted countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Cross-border activities with other EU member states may be considered as well.
Special emphasis must be given to the promotion and protection of rights and values under the EU Treaties and the Charter of Fundamental Rights as well as to a gender-inclusive approach at all levels of the proposed project implementation.
Application Process
Project proposals must be sent to [email protected] by July 15, 2023.
Call for proposals and application forms in Bulgarian
Call for proposals and application forms in Croatian
Call for proposals and application forms in Czech
Call for proposals and application forms in Hungarian
Call for proposals and application forms in Polish
Call for proposals and application forms in Romanian
Call for proposals and application forms in Slovak
Call for proposals and application forms in Slovenian
Please use the call’s reference D4.3/D20-CfP-INT8 in the subject line of your application email.
To submit a project proposal, CSOs must complete the forms below, in English or in one of the national languages.
Only proposals submitted using these forms will be considered.
Selected projects are expected to start as early as September 1, 2023.
To learn more about ECE’s ongoing grant-making program, civil society support, and democracy assistance work, please visit https://www.gmfus.org/grants/engaging-central-europe or email us at [email protected].
An Info session on the currently open funding opportunities under PROTEUS (see section calls for proposals below) was held on June 8, 2023. The session was recorded and published on Engaging Central Europe YouTube Channel for further potential applicants. You may access the video recording here.
Award Criteria
Project proposals will be evaluated based on a standard set of award criteria, including:
- Relevance of the action (5 points)
- Quality of problems, needs, opportunities, and risks assessment (4 points)
- Feasibility of the goals, objectives, and timeframe (4 points)
- Synergies of proposed action with other publicly or privately funded actions focused on avoiding duplication (3 points)
- Sustainability (3 points)
- Innovative approaches and lessons learnt (5 points)
- Effective outreach/communication/advocacy strategy (4 points)
- Quality of the monitoring and evaluation plan, including data collection (3 points)
- Capability, organizational knowledge, and technical expertise of the applicant (3 points)
- Commitment to EU values and fundamental rights (3 points)
- Relevance and cost-effectiveness of the action costs (5 points)
The maximum score of a successful proposal is 42 points. The eligibility threshold is 25 points.
Applications will be evaluated and selected by experts affiliated with TF within the frame of a single stage call. Information on the evaluation results will be communicated to applicants and presented on this website in August 2023.
This Call for Proposal was published as part of the EU CERV program PROTEUS by the Transatlantic Foundation and is co-funded by the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the Transatlantic Foundation and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
Civil Society Organizations’ Resilience in Shrinking Spaces
Supporting Civil Society Organizations’ Resilience in Shrinking Spaces
Program Description
Civil society is a key advocate and main bulwark of democracy, fundamental rights, and European values but its capacity and reach has become severely limited by the shrinking of space for it in several EU member states in Central Europe. Instead of enjoying a supportive environment, civil society organizations (CSOs) in these countries are often publicly intimidated and challenged by insufficient resources and legal attacks.
For this reason, the Transatlantic Foundation (TF), in cooperation with the Engaging Central Europe (ECE) program of The German Marshall Fund of the United States, is launching a dedicated Call for Proposals with the objective to support the organizational development and adaptation of watchdog, transparency, and inclusion CSOs in EU member states heavily affected by the shrinking space phenomenon, such as Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, and Romania.
Eligibility
The call is open to non-profit-making CSOs, established in Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, and Romania. The CSO must demonstrate compliance with the fundamental rights and values that the EU is founded upon, and a proven track record in the protection of democracy, transparency, and human rights.
Natural persons are NOT eligible.
Under this call, TF will support short-to-medium-term projects with a duration of 6 to 24 months, with a budget ranging from EUR 10,000 to 25,000 for single-country projects and from EUR 10,000 to 40,000 for cross-border projects.
The available overall call budget is EUR 450,000. TF reserves the right not to award all available funds depending on the proposals received and the results of the evaluations.
Types of Eligible Activities:
- organizational and operational development projects that aim at effective adaptation to the negative changes in the operational environment caused by the shrinking space phenomenon
- trainings increasing the IT security skills of CSO staff
- trainings increasing the psychological and emotional resilience of CSO staff to intimidation and other forms of psychological pressure
- awareness-raising campaigns and coalition building that may help adaptation of CSOs to an operational environment characterized by shrinking space
The project activities must take place in one or more of the targeted countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, and Romania. Cross-border activities with other EU member states may be considered as well.
Special emphasis must be given to the promotion and protection of rights and values under the EU Treaties and the Charter of Fundamental Rights as well as to a gender-inclusive approach at all levels of the proposed project implementation.
Organizations that engage individuals or groups in peripheral areas are especially encouraged to apply.
Application Process
Project proposals must be sent to [email protected] by July 15, 2023.
Call for proposals and application forms in Bulgarian
Call for proposals and application forms in Croatian
Call for proposals and application forms in Hungarian
Call for proposals and application forms in Polish
Call for proposals and application forms in Romanian
Please use the call’s reference D3.3/D16-CfP-INT6 in the subject line of your application email.
To submit a project proposal, organizations must complete the forms below, in English or in one of the national languages.
Only proposals submitted using these forms will be considered.
Selected projects are expected to start as early as September 1, 2023.
To learn more about ECE’s ongoing grant-making program, civil society support, and democracy assistance work, please visit https://www.gmfus.org/grants/engaging-central-europe or email us at [email protected].
An Info session on the currently open funding opportunities under PROTEUS (see section calls for proposals below) was held on June 8, 2023. The session was recorded and published on Engaging Central Europe YouTube Channel for further potential applicants. You may access the video recording here.
Award Criteria
Project proposals will be evaluated based on a standard set of award criteria, including:
- Relevance of the action (5 points)
- Quality of problems, needs, opportunities, and risks assessment (4 points)
- Feasibility of the goals, objectives, and timeframe (4 points)
- Synergies of proposed action with other publicly or privately funded actions focused on avoiding duplication (3 points)
- Sustainability (3 points)
- Innovative approaches and lessons learnt (5 points)
- Effective outreach/communication/advocacy strategy (4 points)
- Quality of the monitoring and evaluation plan, including data collection (3 points)
- Capability, organizational knowledge, and technical expertise of the applicant (3 points)
- Commitment to EU values and fundamental rights (3 points)
- Relevance and cost-effectiveness of the action costs (5 points)
The maximum score of a successful proposal is 42 points. The eligibility threshold is 25 points.
Applications will be evaluated and selected by experts affiliated with TF within the frame of a single stage call. Information on the evaluation results will be communicated to applicants and presented on this website in August 2023.
This Call for Proposal was published as part of the EU CERV program PROTEUS by the Transatlantic Foundation and is co-funded by the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the Transatlantic Foundation and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
