Apply for EU Civil Society Facility Programme in Serbia

Deadline: 10-May-24

The European Commission is looking applications for Civil Society Facility to strengthen participatory democracies and the EU integration and approximation process in Serbia, through an enhanced contribution by civil society.

Objectives

The action will focus on:
- Improving the conducive environment for civil society,
- Improving cooperation and partnership between the Civil Society and all levels of the government institutions,
- Increasing capacities and effectiveness of the Serbian Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to monitor and participate in reform processes and the overall capacities of grassroots movements through flexible financial support to third parties mechanisms in all fields relevant to Serbia’s accession to the EU.
The specific objective(s) of this call for proposals are:
- To strengthen more gender-responsive civil society organisations through a more conducive environment,
- To strengthen cooperation and partnership between CSOs and public institutions at all levels, and
- To reinforc CSO capacity and resilience.

Priorities

The priorities of this call for proposals are:
- To contribute to expanding the space to policymaking and community engagement for civil society;
- To expand and strengthen civil society’s active engagement with their constituency, allowing citizens to become active participants of Serbia’s EU accession process;
- To promote the values at the core of the EU, as enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty of the EU, by engaging with the citizens through participatory and deliberative methods;
- To support youth initiatives and dialogue in relation to the above priorities.

Funding Information

The overall indicative amount made available under this call for proposals is EUR 6,700,000 €. The contracting authority reserves the right not to award all available funds.
- LOT 1: Rule of Law (anti-corruption, migration, LGBTI) 1,200,000.00€
- LOT 2: Social inclusion, public and mental health, support to the most vulnerable women and men, girls and boys – 1,000,000.00€
- LOT 3: Environment and climate change, biodiversity – 1,500,000.00 €
- LOT 4: Local and regional development, social enterprises – 1,000,000.00 €
- LOT 5: Culture (Culture heritage, culture initiatives) – 1,000,000.00 €
- LOT 6: Sustainable agriculture and cooperation, urban planning and mobility, consumer protection – 1,000,000.00 €
- Any grant requested under this call for proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum amounts:
  - LOT 1: minimum amount: 300,000.00 EUR, maximum amount: EUR 600,000.00 EUR
  - LOT 2: minimum amount: 300,000.00 EUR, maximum amount: EUR 500,000.00 EUR
  - LOT 3: minimum amount: 500,000.00 EUR, maximum amount: EUR 750,000.00 EUR
  - LOT 4: minimum amount: 300,000.00 EUR, maximum amount: EUR 500,000.00 EUR
  - LOT 5: minimum amount: 300,000.00 EUR, maximum amount: EUR 500,000.00 EUR
  - LOT 6: minimum amount: 300,000.00 EUR, maximum amount: EUR 500,000.00 EUR
The initial planned duration of an action may not be lower than 24 months nor exceed 48 months.

Types of action

Types of action which may be financed under this call:
- Strengthening the role and capacity of civil society in advocacy and promoting human rights and good governance in the Republic of Serbia;
- Protection of social, economic and cultural rights, including persons with disabilities, children, women, elderly, homeless and the rights of persons belonging to minorities (also Roma inclusion).
- Engagement in the local communities via direct contact with the citizens/constituencies;
- Ensuring evidence-based public debates with actors of different educational and cultural backgrounds and ideological stances;
- Creation of innovative methods of participatory engagement with the citizens, including youth, both in vivo and online;
- Advocacy and public campaigns.

Eligibility Criteria

Lead applicant
- In order to be eligible for a grant, the lead applicant must:
  - be a legal person and
  - be non-profit-making and
  - be a specific type of organisation such as: civil society organisation including nongovernmental organisation
  - Be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action with the co- applicant(s) and affiliated entity(ies), not acting as an intermediary and be established in the Republic of Serbia.
Co-applicant(s)
- Co-applicants participate in designing and implementing the action, and the costs they incur are eligible in the same way as those incurred by the lead applicant.
- Co-applicants must satisfy the eligibility criteria as applicable to the lead applicant himself.
- Co-applicants must sign the mandate.
- If awarded the grant contract, the co-applicant(s) (if any) will become beneficiary(ies) in the action (together with the coordinator)