A Fairer Society: Promoting Social Cohesion and Diversity in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Deadline: 17-July-2025

The United Nations Development Programme is pleased to announce its public call for project “A Fairer Society: Promoting Social Cohesion and Diversity in Bosnia and Herzegovina – Dialogue for the Future 3” (DFF3 project).

The general objective of the Public Call for Project Proposals is to select proposals from civil society organizations (CSOs) and/or educational and/or cultural institutions for funding, which support initiatives aimed at building trust and peace, promoting social cohesion and intercultural dialogue, as well as equality and respect for diversity within and between communities. Civil society organizations, especially youth and women’s organizations, as well as public educational and cultural institutions, are encouraged to apply with project proposals that promote the engagement and empowerment of youth in the community and society.

Focus Areas

• The general theme of this Public Call is peacebuilding and the promotion of social cohesion and diversity in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a particular focus on:
  • youth engagement,
  • trust-building within and between communities,
  • gender equality and women’s empowerment,
  • support for vulnerable groups, and
  • contributing to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG 16), which promotes peaceful, inclusive and just societies, access to justice for all, and the development of effective and accountable institutions at all levels.

Areas and Priority Themes

• Regardless of the specific area or priority theme, all project proposals must include elements of peacebuilding, inclusive community engagement especially youth and the promotion of cultural diversity. The ultimate goal is to contribute to strengthening social cohesion and generating positive and sustainable social impact:
  • Area: Education
    • Priority themes:
      • Inclusive education and education for all
      • Lifelong learning
      • Improving (modernizing) teaching methods and using digital tools in learning
      • Critical thinking and media literacy
      • Socio-emotional learning for adolescents
      • Human rights learning and intercultural dialogue, with an emphasis on promoting the rights of children and adolescents
      • Prevention of violence and bullying in schools
      • Active citizenship and young leaders in their schools and communities
  • Area: Culture
    • Priority themes:
      • Shared heritage as a bridge between communities
      • Creative industries for sustainable peace and inclusion
      • Art as a tool for dialogue and intercultural understanding
      • Intercultural dialogue through cultural activities
      • Access to culture for marginalized groups
      • Culture and strengthening gender equality
      • Cultural events for connecting different communities
      • Intercultural workshops and artist residencies
  • Area: Environment
    • Priority themes:
      • Preservation of natural resources and biodiversity
      • Waste reduction and recycling
      • Climate change and local responses to it
      • Environmental education and citizen awareness
      • Sustainable use of public spaces
      • Youth engagement in local communities for environmental protection
  • Area: Volunteerism and youth
    • Priority topics:
      • Volunteerism and social cohesion
      • Youth as drivers of positive change
      • Development of youth empowerment programs
      • Volunteering and solidarity
      • Active citizenship and young leaders
  • Area: Sport and healthy lifestyles
    • Priority topics:
      • Healthy lifestyle and nutrition
      • Promotion of healthy lifestyles
      • Sport and mental health
      • Sport as a tool for social cohesion
  • Area: Support for women’s activism and gender equality
    • Priority topics:
      • Empowerment of women and girls through activism and leadership
      • Inclusion of women and girls in decision-making processes
  • Area: Human rights and social cohesion
    • Priority topics:
      • Promotion of intercultural dialogue and mutual trust between ethnic groups
      • Prevention of hate speech and discrimination
      • Protection and promotion of the rights of minority and vulnerable groups (Vulnerable groups refer to internally displaced persons (IDPs),
      • returnees, children, children and adults with developmental disabilities, Roma, and older persons)
      • Gender equality and empowerment of women in the community
      • Rights of persons with disabilities and inclusion in society
      • Conditions for support
      • Project proposals will be evaluated only if they meet

Funding Information

• The “Dialogue for the Future 3” project has funds available in the amount of up to 600,000.00 KM for this Public Call.
• The value of project proposals to be approved under this call must be within the following minimum and maximum amounts:
  • LOT 1: from 10,000.00 KM to 20,000.00 KM
  • LOT 2: from 20,001.00 KM to 60,000.00 KM

Target Groups

• Projects supported under this Public Call should primarily target citizens of the partner local self-government units, with a particular focus on the following characteristics of the target groups:
  • Young people aged 15 to 30, from different ethnic groups, with the aim of strengthening their participation in social dialogue, peacebuilding and joint action within and between local communities.
  • Members of different ethnic groups, with a particular emphasis on mutual networking and cooperation between communities that otherwise rarely meet.
  • Citizens from partner local communities, including those from rural or underdeveloped parts of municipalities.
• Special attention should be paid to the inclusion of vulnerable and marginalized groups, including:
  • Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)
  • Returnees
  • Children and adults with developmental disabilities
  • Roma
  • Older persons
  • The participation of these groups should be substantive, not symbolic – through their active role in project activities, decision-making and the creation of solutions that respond to their needs.

Eligibility Criteria

• Project Applicant (Application Holder)
  • The right to participate in this Public Call, under equal conditions, is open to civil society organizations, educational institutions (public primary and secondary schools and faculties) and cultural institutions from all over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
    • If the project holder comes from one of the partner local self-government units (LSG), project partners may be civil society organizations, educational or cultural institutions from any part of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
    • If the project holder is located outside the territory of the partner LGUs, the project proposal must include a partnership with civil society organizations, educational or cultural institutions from the territory of the partner LGUs, as well as target groups/beneficiaries from those areas. In such cases, part of the project activities must be implemented on the territory of at least one partner LGU and include beneficiaries from that area. This does not exclude the possibility of organizing additional activities or involving beneficiaries from other locations.
• Partners of The Project Proposal Holder (Applicant)
  • Project partners may be civil society organizations, educational and cultural institutions. Particular value is given to partnerships that include additional partners from communities in which ethnic and national groups that are not the majority in the local community of the project holder are represented.
    • The project holder must be clearly identified in the application.
    • Private companies cannot be formal partners in the application, but may participate as donors by providing co-financing for the project holder.

Ineligibility Criteria

• Applicants will be excluded from participation in the Call for Proposals or from the award of grants if, at the time of submission of proposals:
  • They are in a conflict of interest. A conflict of interest means any situation in which a personal or professional relationship could influence the impartial assessment and award of funds.
  • They are guilty of providing false information to the competent authority, which is a prerequisite for participation in the Call for Proposals, or if they fail to provide the required information.
  • They attempt to obtain confidential information, or influence the Project Selection Committee or the competent authorities during the evaluation process of the project proposals.
  • Applicants may only qualify for the award of grants if they are not under contract to one of the UN agencies (UNDP, UNICEF, UNESCO) for the implementation of the core activities of the DFF3 project.

For more information, visit UNDP.