Call No. 7 for Bilateral Cooperation in Civil Society Sector

Deadline: 31-Aug-2026

The EEA Civil Society Fund Slovakia has opened Call No. 7 for Bilateral Cooperation to strengthen partnerships between civil society organisations in Slovakia and organisations from Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. The call supports structured cooperation focused on knowledge exchange, capacity-building, and long-term collaboration aimed at reinforcing democratic values, human rights, and civic engagement.

With a total allocation of €80,000, the programme funds initiatives that build sustainable partnerships and enhance professional and organisational capacity across participating civil society actors.

About the Programme

• The call supports bilateral cooperation between Slovakia and EEA Donor States.
• It promotes democracy, rule of law, human rights, and civic participation.
• The programme encourages structured networking and knowledge exchange.
• It strengthens organisational and professional capacities of civil society organisations.
• It supports transfer of expertise, methodologies, and best practices.
• The initiative aims to build sustainable, long-term partnerships.
• It enhances mutual understanding between civil society actors.
• The fund is part of the EEA and Norway Grants framework.

Programme Objectives

• Strengthen bilateral cooperation between civil society organisations.
• Promote democratic values, human rights, and rule of law.
• Enhance organisational capacity and professional development.
• Support peer learning and exchange of expertise.
• Facilitate access to thematic knowledge and innovation.
• Encourage sustainable and strategic partnerships.
• Improve collaboration between Slovakia and Donor States.
• Build stronger and more resilient civil society networks.

Priority Focus Areas

• Bilateral cooperation between Slovakia and Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.
• Democracy promotion and civic engagement.
• Protection and advancement of human rights.
• Rule of law strengthening initiatives.
• Capacity-building for civil society organisations.
• Exchange of knowledge, methodologies, and best practices.
• Networking and structured collaboration activities.
• Development of sustainable cross-border partnerships.
• Professional training and peer learning initiatives.

Funding Information

• Total funding available: €80,000.
• Maximum grant per initiative: up to €25,000.
• Project duration: up to 12 months.
• Funding supports bilateral cooperation activities.
• Grants are intended for structured partnership initiatives.

Who Can Apply?

Eligible applicants include:

• Non-profit voluntary civil society organisations based in Slovakia.
• Civil society organisations based in Iceland.
• Civil society organisations based in Liechtenstein.
• Civil society organisations based in Norway.

Applicants must be independent from:

• Public administration bodies.
• Political parties.
• Commercial entities.
• Religious institutions.
• Social partner organisations.
• Profit-sharing cooperatives.

Each application must include at least one Slovak organisation and one organisation from a Donor State.

Who Can Benefit?

The programme supports organisations working in areas such as:

• Democracy and civic participation.
• Human rights protection and advocacy.
• Rule of law strengthening.
• Civil society development and networking.
• Policy engagement and community empowerment.
• Capacity-building for non-profit organisations.
• Cross-border collaboration in civil society work.

Expected Outcomes

Funded projects are expected to result in:

• Stronger partnerships between civil society organisations.
• Improved exchange of expertise and methodologies.
• Enhanced organisational and professional capacity.
• Increased cooperation across participating countries.
• Development of sustainable collaboration models.
• Greater mutual understanding between partners.
• Strengthened democratic and civic structures.
• Expanded access to innovative practices and approaches.

Why This Programme Matters

• Civil society collaboration strengthens democratic resilience.
• Cross-border partnerships improve knowledge sharing and innovation.
• Capacity-building enhances the effectiveness of organisations.
• Exchange of best practices improves service quality and impact.
• Cooperation between countries supports shared European values.
• Strong networks increase sustainability of civil society work.
• Investment in collaboration helps address complex social challenges.

Application Tips

• Clearly define roles of Slovak and Donor State partners.
• Emphasise structured knowledge exchange and peer learning.
• Highlight capacity-building and long-term collaboration goals.
• Demonstrate relevance to democracy, human rights, or civic participation.
• Include clear methodology for cooperation and knowledge transfer.
• Show added value of cross-border partnership.
• Provide a realistic implementation plan within 12 months.
• Ensure objectives align with programme priorities.
• Present measurable outcomes and impact indicators.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is Call No. 7 for Bilateral Cooperation?

• It is a funding call under the EEA Civil Society Fund Slovakia supporting partnerships between Slovak civil society organisations and organisations from Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.

How much funding is available?

• The total allocation is €80,000, with individual grants of up to €25,000 per initiative.

What is the project duration?

• Projects can run for up to 12 months.

Who can apply?

• Non-profit civil society organisations from Slovakia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway, with at least one Slovak and one Donor State partner required.

What types of activities are supported?

• Networking, knowledge exchange, capacity-building, peer learning, and development of sustainable partnerships.

What is the main goal of the programme?

• To strengthen civil society cooperation and promote democracy, human rights, and rule of law across participating countries.

Conclusion

The EEA Civil Society Fund Slovakia – Call No. 7 for Bilateral Cooperation supports structured partnerships that strengthen civil society across Slovakia and the EEA Donor States. By funding knowledge exchange, capacity-building, and long-term collaboration, the programme helps build stronger organisations, deeper cooperation, and more resilient democratic systems.

For more information, visit EEA Civil Society Fund.