Month: January 2020

Experts must fulfil the following requirements:

• they must have knowledge of a minimum of one of the thematic areas and be familiar with the activities of CSOs active in this area,
• they must have the ability to apply their knowledge and experience when analysing and evaluating projects,
• they must have an ability to formulate evaluations and opinions concerning applications clearly and communicatively in writing,
• they must guarantee that projects are evaluated impartially,
• they must be available at the times specified on the application form.

The experts’ task will be to evaluate project outlines and detailed projects, and attend three meetings during each of the calls, including two training sessions on the subject of application evaluation and one meeting of experts subsequent to evaluation of detailed projects.

Online  recruitment system

We will announce the results of the recruitment process by 2 March 2020. Prior to applying, please read in particular the information on the areas for financing for which applications can be submitted. The Operator reserves the right to hold meetings/interviews with applicants using new technology such as Skype. Successful applicants will be asked to sign an agreement for a specified task (umowa o dzieło) specifying the terms of employment and remuneration according to the rates given below:

Small grants (up to EUR 25 000): project outline – PLN 55 gross, detailed project – PLN 210 gross. Large grants (up to EUR 62 500): project outline – PLN 70 gross, detailed project – PLN 280 gross. These rates cover all costs related to evaluation, including attendance at meetings.

The experts we select will be required to sign a conflict of interest declaration/deklaracja bezstronności eksperta/ki, which is an appendix to the agreement.

If you have any questions regarding recruitment please contact:

regarding areas 2 and 3 – the Batory Foundation

tel. (22) 536 02 00

[email protected]

regarding area 1– the “Shipyard” Foundation
tel. (22) 100 55 94
[email protected]

Please be informed that for the sake of transparency and openness of evaluation of applications submitted in the Programme, when the calls for projects are completed, personal data of experts who evaluate applications in the Programme, being the first name, surname, and brief description of their occupation, will be posted on the Programme website on the grounds of legitimate interest of the Programme Operator (art. 6(1)(f) of the GDPR).

At the briefings, the organisers will talk about the main precepts of the Programme and the first call for projects, and the challenges related to areas for which funding is provided. They will present inspirational examples of activities and answer questions. The briefing will also include a workshop for attendees can work on preliminary ideas for projects. This is something to consider beforehand.

Opole – 5.02 – registration closed
Koszalin – 13.02 – registration closed
Białystok – 18.02 – registration closed
Zielona Góra – 20.02 –  registration closed
Rzeszów – 24.02 – registration closed
Ełk – 27.02 – registration closed
Olsztyn – 2.03 – REGISTRATION until 24.02
Kielce – 4.03 – REGISTRATION until 26.02

Important! Due to popularity, the venues selected for the meetings may change (locations in particular cities). Registered attendees will be notified.

The programme, for which the budget is EUR 30 million in aid from EEA countries (Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein), will provide support for social organisations such as associations, foundations, social cooperatives, and rural housewives’ circles working towards greater civic participation in public life, protection of human rights and equality, environmental protection, preventing climate change, and empowering vulnerable groups. The programme is run by a consortium of three organisations, the Stefan Batory Foundation (leader), the “Shipyard” Centre for Social Innovation and Research Foundation, and the Academy of Civic Organizations Foundation.

– I would like to congratulate you for showing such determination and strength. It is due to that determination and strength, and the action taken to overcome a range of different obstacles, that the Fund is able to operate in a spirit of independence, with due regard for the values set out in the Polish Constitution, international treaties to which Poland is party, and European values – Adam Bodnar, Polish Commissioner for Human Rights, said at the official launch of the programme in Warsaw.

The Active Citizens Fund – National programme will provide support for projects put forward by organisations throughout Poland, but in particular activities of less experienced organisations based outside large conurbations and in areas where access to aid programmes is limited. Our aim is to offer the opportunity for funding to those most in need: groups that face discrimination on the grounds of race or ethnic origin, belief, gender, age, or sexual orientation, and vulnerable groups: people with disabilities, people facing homelessness, the elderly, and victims of violence … –Sylwia Sobiepan, programme director, said. – Young people are an important group in all areas in which support is given, Zofia Komorowska from the “Shipyard” Foundation added.

The programme will provide grants for awareness-raising activities, including grants to improve awareness of civic, equality and discrimination issues, for activation activities and activities related to voluntary work, and action and campaigns to improve awareness of climate change issues, combating prejudice, hate speech, and violence, projects to increase civic participation in decision-making, watchdog activities, intervention in matters concerning respect for human rights and the rule of law, measures to empower vulnerable groups and help them to become independent, measures towards integration in local communities, advocacy for better public policies and law and better policies for enforcing the law, and measures to improve the standards of public institutions and the services they provide.

– Providing support for development of social organisations will be an important element of the programme. Each organisation that applies for grants for a project will be entitled to a further grant to build the organisation, by investing in team-building, improving skills, raising funds for its activities, and improving management and communication etc.  – Lidka Kuczmierowska of the Academy of Civic Organizations Foundation said.

A separate call will be held for grants for projects to support the civic sector, such as infrastructure funding (training, awareness-raising, consultancy), measures to increase public awareness about what organisations do, or for instance monitoring laws that affect their activities.

On the second day of the official launch, more than eighty representatives of organisations from Poland, Iceland, and Norway met in Warsaw to discuss ideas for collective projects.

Applications can be submitted in the first call from 3 February. Another call – for sectoral projects, will be held in April 2020. The programme team will be organising a series of meetings in the coming months in a number of regions in Poland, to provide information about the programme.

Broadcast of the general session of the conference

Presentation on the Programme 

Programme leaflet

Conference agenda