Announcing the EU Civil Society Facility 2019 Call for Applications for the Western Balkans and Turkey: 

Support to regional thematic networks of civil society organisations, support to a regional network for women’s rights and gender equality and support to small scale projects promoting co-operation between communities and citizens from Serbia and Kosovo*

In the framework of the Civil Society Facility and Media Programme 2018-2019 (CSF Programme 2018-2019), the 2019 Call for Applications  – Support to regional thematic networks of civil society organisations, support to a regional network for women’s rights and gender equality and support to small scale projects promoting cooperation between communities and citizens from Serbia and Kosovo* has been launched.

In an overall vision of enhanced regional cooperation, good neighbourly relations and reconciliation, the overall objective of this Call for Applications is to strengthen participatory democracies and the EU approximation process in the Western Balkans and Turkey by empowering civil society to actively take part in decision making and by stimulating an enabling legal and financial environment for civil society and pluralistic media.

The Call for Applications is aligned with the Guidelines for EU support to civil society in enlargement countries, 2014-20, which offer a concrete results’ framework for support to Civil Society, containing outcomes to be achieved as well as indicators to monitor progress.

Under this Call for Applications, a number of long-term grants will be awarded to create and support regional thematic networks of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) active in various sectors that are identified as relevant for the region, including in the area of women’s rights and gender equality. A specific lot relating to cooperation between communities and citizens in Kosovo and Serbia is also foreseen. Through financial support to third parties, participation of grassroots organisations across the region in the networks will be supported.

The call envisages partnerships primarily between different CSOs, but also in some instances between CSOs and profit-making organisations and between CSOs and local authorities, depending on the lots and actions.

The overall indicative amount made available under this Call for Applications is EUR 18.700.000.

Deadline for submission of concept notes is 23/05/2019 at 20:00 (Brussels date and time)

Details about this Call for Applications and application procedure can be found in the following link: https://bit.ly/2VB6J5c


*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.