On 1 September 2020, an agreement was signed with the Financial Mechanism Office in Brussels for implementation of the Active Citizens Fund – Regional programme, with a budget of EUR 23 million.
The Active Citizens Fund – Regional programme is financed using EEA Financial Mechanism funds (EEA funds), from Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.
The programme will be implemented from 2020-2024 by a consortium made up of the Foundation in Support of Local Democracy/Fundacja Rozwoju Demokracji Lokalnej (consortium leader), the Information Society Development Foundation/Fundacja Rozwoju Społeczeństwa Informacyjnego, the Education for Democracy Foundation/Fundacja Edukacja dla Demokracji.
The aim of the programme is to enable long-term enhancement of social welfare organisations in Poland (in particular those that operate in small towns) and develop the civil society, for which social diversity, equality, and dialogue are of particular value.
Under the programme, CSOs will be able to apply for co-financing of projects in the following areas:
- Defending human rights (including gender equality issues).
- Measures to further social diversity and empowerment of vulnerable groups.
- Building a culture of democratic values and civil involvement at a local level (including environmental protection issues).
- Providing support for the social welfare sector.
In addition to the calls for projects, awareness-raising measures will also be conducted to improve the skills of persons connected with the social welfare sector.
The programme is officially scheduled to start in January 2021.
The website for the Programme will be created at: https://aktywniobywatele-regionalny.org.pl/.
