Engaging Central Europe

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 will be held on September 28, 2023, at 12:00 (noon). You may register for the event 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 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 will be held on September 28, 2023, at 12:00 (noon). You may register for the event 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 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 will be held on September 28, 2023, at 12:00 (noon). You may register for the event 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.