PROTEUS

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 (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 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.

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 Romania

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. 

• Application form 

• Budget form 

• Declaration of honor 

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 information session for applicants will be held on June 8, 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 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. 

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. 

• Application form 

• Budget form 

• Declaration of honor 

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 information session for applicants will be held on June 8, 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 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. 

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. 

• Application form 

• Budget form 

• Declaration of honor 

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 information session for applicants will be held on June 8, 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 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.