Deadline: 10-May-25
The Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) has launched a new Open Call for project proposals for CSO, called “YPS Granting Scheme”
The Rycognizing YPS is a project implemented by the Regional Youth Cooperation Office and fundedby the German Federal Foreign Office. The project aims to empower Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)in the Western Balkans to advance youth-led initiatives directly aligned with the Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS) agenda. Specifically, RYCO supports CSOs in scaling up efforts across the five pillars of YPS: Participation, Protection, Prevention, Partnerships, and Disengagement and Reintegration.
This Call for Proposals aims to support youth-led, youth-responsive, and civil society-driven initiatives that create tangible, localized impact on peace and stability. The focus is on municipality-level interventions that contribute to improving the security of young people while also fostering engagement in governance and policy processes.
General Objective
- The project focuses on providing targeted support to youth-led and youth-responsive initiatives that advance peace and stability in the Western Balkans. Specifically, it will empower selected youth actors, organizations, and multipliers that have the potential to make a local impact and contribute to the Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS) agenda. Through a competitive call, CSOs and youth organizations that meet specific criteria for local impact will be identified and supported.
- The project’s core objective is to equip young leaders and organizations with essential tools for human rights advocacy and political participation, demonstrating how democratic engagement and human rights are integral to effective peacebuilding. By enhancing the competencies of youth in these areas, the initiative aims to strengthen their capacity to contribute meaningfully to peace and security efforts at the local level. This approach concretely supports increased youth participation and engagement in peace and security processes within the region.
- RYCO believes that empowering young people to learn, grow, and express their voices benefits entire communities in the long run. This call aims to support actors committed to this vision, whether they are initiating new efforts or expanding existing work.
- All funded projects must align with RYCO’s core values: accountability, inclusion, reconciliation, regional cooperation, and transparency. All initiatives should foster dialogue, mutual understanding, and sustainable peace, while actively avoiding any actions that may deepen divisions.
Thematic Areas
- This call is structured around the five pillars of the Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS) agenda, providing applicants with the flexibility to tailor their project proposals to the most pressing needs in their local communities. While each project should primarily focus on at least one pillar, applicants are encouraged to integrate elements from multiple pillars, preferably the first three, to ensure a more comprehensive and impactful approach to peace and stability at the local level.
- To ensure meaningful and lasting change, projects should be rooted in the local context, actively involving municipalities, local government institutions, and public bodies. Concrete interventions and policy measures should be developed in partnership with these stakeholders, ensuring that efforts go beyond short-term initiatives and contribute to longterm systemic change. Each proposal should include clear mechanisms for youth participation, institutional engagement, and policy advocacy, ensuring that young people are actively involved in decision-making processes that shape their communities.
The Five YPS Pillars & Areas of Intervention
This initiative supports projects that align with the YPS agenda, focusing on strengthening youth participation, protecting their rights, preventing conflicts, fostering partnerships, and supporting reintegration efforts.
- Participation – Young people must have a seat at the table in municipal governance, policymaking, and civic engagement. Projects under this pillar should aim to increase youth influence in decision-making processes and governance structures.
- Youth-led consultations with municipal authorities to co-design local policies and action plans.
- Establishing or strengthening local youth councils and advisory groups to institutionalize youth participation.
- Training programs for young leaders on public policy, democratic engagement, and advocacy.
- Protection – Ensuring that young people live in safe environments is crucial, particularly in fragile areas affected by violence, discrimination, or human rights violations. This pillar focuses on youth-centered safety measures and rights protection initiatives.
- Community-based security initiatives where youth collaborate with law enforcement and local authorities.
- Advocacy campaigns pushing for stronger policies that protect youth from violence, abuse, and exploitation.
- Workshops on youth rights and legal protections, equipping young people with knowledge on how to safeguard themselves.
- Prevention – Preventing conflict requires addressing the underlying causes, such as extremism, corruption, and discrimination. This pillar supports youth-led initiatives that actively counter these threats at the local level.
- Conflict resolution & mediation training for youth to foster nonviolent approaches to
- disputes.
- Anti-corruption youth forums & watchdog initiatives to promote transparency and
- accountability.
- Community dialogues addressing interethnic, interreligious, and social tensions,
- strengthening mutual understanding.
- Partnerships – Sustainable change requires collaboration between youth, municipalities, civil society, and international actors. This pillar supports cross-sectoral partnerships that enhance youth engagement in peace and security efforts.
- Joint projects between youth organizations and municipal institutions to co-develop peacebuilding initiatives.
- Networking events and forums that connect youth, CSOs, and government representatives for better cooperation.
- Involvement of international partners and experts to bring global best practices to local peace efforts.
- Disengagement & Reintegration – Many young people face challenges in reintegration due to past conflict involvement, marginalization, or social exclusion. This pillar promotes community-driven programs that support at-risk youth in rebuilding their lives.
- Mental health and psychosocial support programs helping youth cope with trauma and reintegration challenges.
- Vocational training and employment programs providing young people with skills and economic opportunities.
- Social inclusion activities that foster reconciliation, such as intercultural exchanges and community-building programs.
Youth Mobility & Collaboration
- To further strengthen regional cooperation and exchange of best practices, applicants should incorporate youth mobility components into their projects. If a proposal focuses on one or two specific YPS pillars, it should also include a youth exchange activity involving young participants from another CP. These exchanges will enable youth to learn from successful interventions in other municipalities and apply shared knowledge to their own communities. By prioritizing youth mobility, projects will not only address local issues but also contribute to a more interconnected and resilient Western Balkans region.
Funding Information
- Any grant requested under this call for proposals must fall under two LOTs:
- LOT 1: EUR 40 000
- LOT 2: EUR 60 000
- LOT 1: Local CSOs (Projects that will target one municipality within the same Contracting Party as the applicant s with a strong focus on the local impact). LOT I is dedicated for CSOs with a previous year income up to € 60,000.(95% covered by RYCO, 5% co-funded by applicants)
- LOT 2: Established CSOs with municipal and inter municipal target and reach (multi stakeholder initiatives fostering wider impact and measures on YPS Pillars). LOT 2 is dedicated for CSOs with a previous-year income above €60,000, (85% covered by RYCO, 15% co-funded by applicants)
Geographical Locations
All the project activities financed by RYCO must take place in the Western Balkans 6 ContractingParties (WB6): Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia.
Eligibility Criteria
- LOT 1
- Lot 1 is dedicated for CSOs that they will implement at least one pillar on YPS agenda on the local context and at least one partner on the municipality level interventions, public institutions or other relevant stakeholder. Financial Support for LOT 1 is up to 40 000 EURO.
- Applicants:
- CSOs working with young people on the YPS AGENDA.
- Proven Records of YPS projects.
- At least 2 years registered prior to the publication of the call.
- The Applicant (Lead Applicant) and partners involved must be established in the same Contracting Party.
- CSOs with last year’s income up to EUR 60,000.
- Partners:
- The focus of this LOT 1 is on local community engagement and the regional aspects. Potential partners can be;
- Public Institutions;
- Municipalities;
- CSOs;
- Local Authorities;
- Youth Offices/Centers;
- Mayor’s Office;
- OTHER.
- Their engagement could provide and secure more effective and meaningfullocal community engagement throughout the implementation of the supported project.
- LOT 2
- LOT 2 is dedicated to civil society organizations working with youth/youth organizations working in the field of YPS up to 60 000 EURO that will implement more than 1 pillar on the YPS agenda and wider focus on local level with involvement of partners from municipality level more than one.
- Applicants:
- CSOs working with young people on the YPS AGENDA.
- Proven Records of YPS projects.
- At least 2 years registered prior to the publication of the call.
- The Applicant (Lead Applicant) and partners involved must be established in the same Contracting Party.
- CSOs with last year’s income more than EUR 60,000.
- Partners
- Municipalities
- CSOs
- Local Authorities,
- Youth Office,
- Mayor’s Office,
- Other.
For more information, visit RYCO.