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It was not easy to choose who would take part in the visit: we received seventy applications from teams of two, from whom we eventually selected eleven pairs to take part in the trip and who will go to Utøya not only to learn about the work of local educators and the experience of rebuilding the island’s identity after the tragic events of 2011, but also to work on their ideas and the challenges they face in their work in aid of dialogue, counter-radicalisation and remembrance.

The organisations whose representatives will be invited to take part in the trip are:

• EduKABE Foundation for Creative Solutions with Women’s Association Lodz,
• Autonomy Foundation,
• Bezkres Foundation,
• Fruit of the Meeting Foundation,
• Borussia Foundation,
• Common Forms Foundation,
• Shtetl Foundation Mszana Dolna,
• Actions for Peace Laboratory – Salam Lab,
• The Polish Platform for Homeland Security,
• Witold Dynowski Ethnographic Workshop Association,
• Subcarpathian Association for Active Families

All the organisations on the list above will be contacted in the coming days to work out the logistical details of the trip.

We are organising the visit as the Active Citizens Fund – National Programme in cooperation with the Active Citizens Fund – Regional Programme.

Individuals from civil society organisations who are active in their local communities, particularly in facilitating discussions on issues of common interest, and those who specialise in issues related to social divisions, are invited to participate in the training.

NOTE: The workshop will mainly include elements from the courses on the basics of dialogue and dialogue facilitation conducted by the Nansen Centre for Peace and Dialogue, and is therefore not intended for people who have already completed other courses provided by NCPD trainers, e.g. under the programme “Turn off the Ego, Understand the Other Person” or the project “How to talk? Fostering Information Literacy as a Core Competence for Informed Citizenship in Participatory Democracy”, implemented by FRSI under the Active Citizens Fund – Regional Programme, or training organised directly by NCPD.

The workshop will address topics such as:

• Dialogue and facilitation: dialogue as a method, perspective and approach, introduction to the role of the facilitator(s) and their tasks;
• Active listening and asking the right questions;
• Creating a safe space for dialogue;
• Conducting public dialogue.

The workshop will take the form of training (interactive) and, in addition to providing an introduction to understanding what dialogue is and how to create the conditions for it, it will also enable the participants themselves to practice facilitating (conducting) dialogue .

The training will be conducted by Christiane Seehausen (Nansen Centre for Peace and Dialogue) and Agata Urbanik (Facilitation Support, graduate of the NCPD dialogue facilitation courses).

The Nansen Centre for Peace and Dialogue (Nansen Fredssenter) is a peace, dialogue and human rights institution based in Lillehammer, Norway. The core work of the NCPD is to create spaces for dialogue across conflict lines. Its working methodology and approach to dialogue is the result of more than thirty years of practical experience in Norway and internationally. NCPD runs educational programmes and courses on dialogue and conflict transformation, facilitates dialogue between conflict parties by working directly with them, and organises public dialogue on topical issues in Norway and with international partners.

For more information on NCPD’s approach to dialogue, please visit the organisation’s website.

Logistics:

• The workshop will take place on two dates (of your choice): 7-11 October 2024 (in Warsaw) and 21-25 October 2024 (in Gdansk). Each course will have the same programme and speakers – a person can only attend one of the training dates.
• Please state all dates and locations that suit you on the application form. We will invite you to attend the workshop on one date in accordance with your preference indicated on the application form, but if you are able to attend on either of the dates – this will enable us to be flexible in assigning people to the workshop groups.
• To participate in the workshop, you must commit to attending the full five days of training (approximately seven hours per day).
• The workshop will be held in English, but simultaneous PL/ENG translation (via headphones) will be available. Please indicate this requirement on the registration form.
• The workshop is free of charge: The organisers will cover the costs of travel to the training venue, accommodation on site (for those living elsewhere on a daily basis) and meals on all days of the workshop.

How to apply:

If you would like to attend the training, please complete the application form [here] by 15 May this year.

NOTE: Completion of the form does not guarantee a place on the training. If there are more applications than places available, the organisers will select trainees on the basis of the information provided on the application form, with the primary aim of ensuring that they represent a variety of organisations and the diversity of issues they cover.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact the bilateral and regional cooperation coordinators:

• Anna Fedas (Active Citizens Fund – National, [email protected], tel. +48 22 536 02 41) and/or
• Ewa Stokłuska (Active Citizens Fund – Regional, [email protected], +48 720 801 013).

Has your project with a foreign partner come to an end? Do you want to take stock of what went well and what did not go as planned and expected? Would you like to draw conclusions from the cooperation in order to better prepare for the next time, to make effective use of its benefits, but you do not have the opportunity and resources for such an educational and evaluation activity? Come to a workshop we are organising to take stock of international cooperation.

Dear Project Promoters of the Active Citizens Fund – National and Active Citizens Fund – Regional programmes, we would like to offer you an opportunity to jointly summarise your international cooperation (bilateral and/or regional) concluded or ongoing, under our programmes – whether part of bilateral/regional initiatives or in in a project conducted with a partner from Donor States and/or Beneficiary States.

The workshop will take place on 5-6 September 2024 in Warsaw and is free of charge for promoters of the Active Citizens – National Fund and Active Citizens – Regional Fund programmes and their project partners (we will cover the costs of travel, accommodation in Warsaw and meals during the workshop – also for a representative of foreign partners). The workshop will be held in English (no translation).

The objectives of the workshop are:

• to take stock of the cooperation with the foreign partner,
• to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the partnership in terms of the expectations of those involved,
• to try to determine why expectations are not being met, as well as possible misunderstandings in the partnership,
• to plan internal changes and other strategic activities (e.g. fundraising, how to talk to partners) to prepare for further collaboration with a foreign organisation as effectively as possible.

The workshop will be conducted by facilitators with experience in international cooperation, who will conduct the workshops to the highest standards (including confidentiality, respect and sensitivity to cultural differences, etc.).

We invite one person representing a Polish organisation and one person representing a foreign partner with whom you have implemented a project or initiative to participate in the workshop. The participation of a person representing a foreign partner is not a prerequisite for participation in the workshop, but such applications will be given priority.

If you would like to participate – please complete the application form [here].

One application (completed form) should list both people – representing the organisation and its partner.

Applications will be accepted until 5 May and you will be informed of your eligibility by 13 May.

NOTE: Completion of the form does not constitute admission to the workshop. Priority will be given to those organisations that register their participation together with their foreign partner. Participation of a representative of a foreign partner is not obligatory, but we encourage you to persuade them to come. The organisers will also cover the travel expenses of the foreign partner.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact the bilateral and regional cooperation coordinators:

• Anna Fedas (Active Citizens Fund – National, [email protected], tel. +48 22 536 02 41) and/or
• Ewa Stokłuska (Active Citizens Fund – Regional, [email protected], +48 720 801 013).

The visit will take place from 3-7 June 2024 and will include a three-day stay at the Utøya Learning Centre and a workshop with UTC educators on countering radicalisation and their experiences with remembrance.

Teams of two people are invited to participate, representing the organisation concerned (or the organisation and its main partner in the activities to which the trip relates, e.g. a local institution).

During the workshop, participants will learn about the working methods and experiences of those involved in the UTC, but will also work with them on the challenges they face in their work, e.g. discussing the difficulties they face or planning activities together.

On the application form for the visit, please describe specific challenges/actions/action plans related to counter-radicalisation, dialogue, and local memory or remembrance that you deal with in your organisations. In the first instance, we will invite those who have an idea of specific issues they would like to work on.

 On 22 July 2011, a Norwegian right-wing extremist killed 69 people on the island of Utøya, most of them young people at a summer youth camp run by the Norwegian Labour Party. The terrorist believed that people from different cultural backgrounds could not coexist in society and spread a conspiracy theory that Europe was slowly being taken over by the Arab world.

Since 2016, the Utøya Learning Centre has been operating on the site – the island’s infrastructure has been redeveloped as a centre for remembrance and education, in an effort to balance the need for remembrance with the need for new life, learning and commitment to a more inclusive, democratic society. Today, Utøya is a testament to why values such as tolerance, equality and diversity cannot be taken for granted, but must be promoted and practised in everyday life.

Logistics:

• The organisers of the visit will cover all costs related to transport, accommodation and meals during the visit (as well as travel and possible accommodation at the place from where the flight to Oslo will take place).
• The working language of the visit will be English. However, a translation into Polish will be available (via headphones) on site – please request this on the application form.
• In Utøya we will share cabins in the area where the tragic events of 2011 took place. (two people per room). These cabins are not locked. If you do not consent to this condition, you will not be able to participate in the visit, as we will not be able to provide accommodation elsewhere.

How to apply:

If you would like to participate in the visit, please complete the application form here by 15 April and we will inform you of your eligibility by 19 April 2024.

Please apply in teams of two people: two people from each organisation or one person from one organisation and one person representing its main partner in the activities to which the visit relates.

One application (completed form) should list both people representing the organisation (or the organisation and its partner).

NOTE: Completion of the form does not guarantee eligibility for the visit. If there are more applications than places available, the organisers will select the organisations on the basis of the information provided on the application form, giving priority to the diversity of the issues they deal with.

The study visit is jointly organised by the Active Citizens Fund – National Fund and the Active Citizens Fund – Regional programmes.

The opening discussion of the event identified various factors that will affect the functioning of the third sector: demographic change, money, environmental issues, cultural change, technological developments, global and local politics, and migration and refugees. This was followed by project presentations on different strategies for community organisations.

The meeting was organised by the Academy of Civic Organizations Foundation and was attended by representatives from the Association Krakow Smog Alert, Rule of Law Institute Foundation, Copernicus Science Centre, Club of Catholic Intelligentsia, Rak’n’Roll Foundation, Krzyżowa Foundation, Civil Society Development Foundation, SYNAPSIS Foundation, Polish Scouting and Guiding Association (ZHP), Ronald McDonald House,  Committee For Children Rights Protection

Find out more about the event [here]

MANGO is a project that aims to support the work of civil society organisations, particularly those working outside major cities and in rural areas. The Mobile NGO Academy provides training and support to organisations wishing to expand or improve their activities.

Photo: Anna Liminowicz

List of grants – XLS file 

Grants awarded in the Stronger Voice call will be used to disseminate in Poland products developed as part of projects funded in previous calls of the Programme. This time we want to support effective dissemination of information about products (e.g. website resources, tutorials, workshop scenarios, working methods) as well as activities that increase the chances that they will be used in other places and by other organisations or institutions. 

Details of the call can be found HERE.  

Below are the minutes of the Selection Committee and Programme Committee meetings: 

Selection Committee meeting minutes 

Programme Committee meeting minutes 

If you have any questions or concerns about the call, please contact the Shipyard Foundation team responsible for organising the competition. This can be done by email ([email protected]) or phone (+48 500 142 994). 

Grants awarded in the Stronger Voice call for proposals will be used to disseminate in Poland the products developed in projects supported in previous calls of the Programme. This time we would like to support effective dissemination of information about the products (e.g. website resources, tutorials, workshop scenarios, working methods), as well as activities that increase the chances that they will be used in other places and by other organisations or institutions. 

Applications can be submitted from 8 January 2024 (12:00 noon) to 22 January 2024 (12:00 noon) via the Online Application System. Award decisions will be made by 13 February 2024. 

The call offers grants of between 5,000 EUR and 10,000 EUR, with an optional own contribution. Projects can run from 13 February to 30 April 2024.  

 Details of the call can be found HERE.  

If you have any questions or concerns about applying for a grant, please contact the Shipyard Foundation team responsible for organising the competition. This can be done by email ([email protected]) or phone (+48 500 142 994).

The workshop was attended by representatives of: The Active Elderly Association in Wojkowice, Through the Eyes of Women, Association for the Development of Civic Counseling, In the Landscape Foundation, Foundation of Active People and Places, HereTogether Association, Foundation Pieknolesie, Polish Judges’ Association “Iustitia”, ECOLOGICAL FOUNDATION “GREEN ACTION”, Association for people with disabilities “Trójka” from Śrem.  

Many thanks to the Wrocław Centre for Social Development for co-organising!  

We invite you to watch and listen to the inspiring stories of the participants of the meeting: 

video and photos: Skill Media

During the two-day seminar, participants discussed what research should be used to look at the state of philanthropy and fundraising in former eastern bloc countries and explored examples of successful campaigns to raise funds for non-obvious objectives, such as supporting minorities or defending the rule of law. They also discussed whether, and what experiences are worth learning from, when it comes to the developed UK fundraising market. 

An important part of the educational event was the space for sharing experiences. During group work, alternative scenarios for the development of fundraising in our part of Europe were built. The biggest threats and barriers to the development of philanthropy were also considered, as well as what advocacy actions should be taken to respond to them. There were also discussions on the quality of services offered to organisations in fundraising training and consultancy. 

Speeches recorded during the seminar: Richard Docwray from ChangeStar agency (UK), Eduard Marček from Slovak Fundraising Centre, Marina Škrabalo from Croatian organisation Solidarna, Giedrė Šopaitė-Šilinskienė from Lithuanian agency Fundraising@LT, Zoran Grozdanova from the Croatian Centre for Dialogue Culture, Jan Gregoraz from the Czech organisation Svět Neziskovek and Marianna Wartecka from the Ocalenie Foundation, will be published on the e-learning platform FAOO kursodrom. pl and on the organisation’s YouTube channel. 

CEE Fundraising 2023: Sharing Experience – Expert seminar on fundraising capacity building was organised by the Academy of Civic Organisations Foundation in cooperation with Croatian organisations SMART and Solidarna, as a so-called regional initiative under the Active Citizens Fund -National Programme. The meeting was held in the Jerzy Turowicz Conference Room, at the headquarters of the Batory Foundation. 

The invitation is primarily addressed to Project Promoters from the Beneficiary States of the Active Citizens programme, but also to anyone interested in the topic. As part of the initiative, we are planning: a webinar (already on 29 June!), desk research and a two-day live event (in October) for organisations that are involved in these types of participatory processes. 

Detailed information can be found HERE. 

Results update – 23 June 2023: 

We would like to thank you for your patience while waiting for the final results of call for proposals for bilateral and regional initiatives of the Active Citizens Fund – National Programme and we rush to give you a happy update. 

Well, the Selection Committee, consisting of the project supervisors of the projects funded under the Programme, has decided that all applications qualified for the post-award round will receive funding. Congratulations! The competition was very evenly balanced and the applications dealt with so many different topics that it would have been very difficult to choose just 1 of them. Therefore, funding is also awarded to: 

• Koszarawa and Kocierzanka River Partnership Foundation in partnership with Press – Redd Barna Ungdom from Norway, 
• LEVEL UP Association in partnership with Reykjavík City Library | Culture Houses from Iceland, 
• ‘No grades school’ Foundation in partnership with Centre for Language and Literacy Rejkjavik from Iceland 
• FestivALT Association in partnership with The Falstad Centre Foundation from Norway, 
• The Committee for the Defence of Democracy in partnership with Center for Development and the Environment, Oslo University (SUM) from Norway, 
• The Working Community of Associations of Social Organisations in partnership with European Anti Poverty Network from Portugal. 

By the decision of a Selection Committee made up of project supervisors of projects funded under the Active Citizens Fund – National Programme, the initiatives that have been supported are: 

• Foundation of Active People and Places in partnership with Bjerkaker Learning Hub from Norway 
• Volunteers of Equality Foundation in partnership with Hinsegin dagar í Reykjavík from Iceland 
• Autonomy Foundation in partnership with Slagtog z Islandii i Riposta from Romania 
• Foundation Towards Dialogue in partnership with Habitat for Humanity Hungary from Hungary 
• Womenstate Collective Association in partnership with Cultural and Artistic Society ZIZ from Slovenia. 

Initiatives that have been invited to correct and resubmit their application and which will be reassessed are: 

• Koszarawa and Kocierzanka River Partnership Foundation in partnership with Press – Redd Barna Ungdom from Norway, 
• LEVEL UP Association in partnership with Reykjavík City Library | Culture Houses from Iceland, 
• ‘No grades school’ Foundation in partnership with Centre for Language and Literacy Rejkjavik from Iceland 
• FestivALT Association in partnership with The Falstad Centre Foundation from Norway, 
• The Committee for the Defence of Democracy in partnership with Center for Development and the Environment, Oslo University (SUM) from Norway, 
• The Working Community of Associations of Social Organisations in partnership with European Anti Poverty Network from Portugal. 

Initiatives that have not been supported:  

• Regional Information and Support Centre for NGOs in partnership Contextos from Portugal  
• Foundation Institute for Socio-Economic Balance in partnership with Make it Better- Association for Innovation and Social Economy from Portugal 
• Women in Forestry Association in partnership Skogarkonur from Iceland 
• Foundation Pieknolesie in partnership with The Science and Education Innovation Center from Latvia 
• Kwadrofonik Association in partnership with Kristania University College from Norway. 

The Committee’s decision is due to the reduction of funds for bilateral and regional initiatives and the high competition in the 3rd round among the proposed initiatives (a total of 16 proposals out of 6 initiatives remaining to be supported). We wish all those who sent in their proposals – regardless of the Committee’s decision – the best of luck in implementing their ideas internationally! 

So far, we have selected four initiatives from the seven proposals submitted. These are: 

• You Plan Culture Foundation with partner G.F.C. Generation Change CY from Cyprus, 
• NOVA Foundation with partner PlanBe Plan It Be It from Cyprus, 
• ‘We are for you’ Foundation with partner ‘Stigamot’ from Iceland, 
• The Intro Association with partner Asocciation for the Prevention and Handling from Cyprus.
  

Congratulations! 

We would like to remind you that the deadline for the call for proposals is 30 April 2023 and all details can be found HERE. We will announce the results of the final round of calls on our website on 29 May 2023. 

We also encourage you to watch an informative webinar. 

On 21-26.05.2023, together with our sister programme Active Citizens – Regional Fund and the Icelandic Focal Point (led by Icelantic Human Right Centre), we are organising a study visit to Iceland on the topic of youth civic engagement. 

This study visit is for you if: 

• you and the organisation you represent are committed to strengthening the voice of young people in the decision-making process of local government/city/national government 
• you are involved in youth education in the field of democracy and participation  
• you need to exchange know-how and experiences between Icelandic and Polish actors in the field of citizen youth participation  
• you want to discuss potential areas for future partnership and cooperation between Icelandic and Polish actors in the field of youth involvement and empowerment  
• you are a Project Promoter of the Active Citizens Fund- National Programme or a formal partner in a project supported by the Programme (regardless of the project start and end date).
  

The organisers of the visit (Active Citizens Fund – National and Active Citizens Fund – Regional programmes) provide all travel costs (flight Warsaw-Keflavik and transport/reimbursement to and from the Warsaw airport to the place of residence, as well as all costs of the stay (accommodation, food, local transport) and translation from and into English (so no knowledge of English is required), as well as travel insurance. 

To take part in the visit, you need to fill in the recruitment form at the link below no later than 16 April 2023. 

The number of participants is limited. One person per organisation is welcome to attend. 

If you have any questions or comments, please contact the coordinator for bilateral and regional cooperation: Anna Fedas ([email protected], tel. +48 22 536 02 41).

We invite proposals for international initiatives aimed at the exchange of knowledge, know-how and experience between Polish social organisations and entities from:

• Donor States of EEA Grants (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway),
•  Beneficiary States of EEA Grants (Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia),
• Ukraine.

The call for applications started on 23 January and will run until 30 April 2023. The evaluation of the submitted applications will be carried out on a rolling basis and decisions on funding initiatives will be made three times during this period, unless funds are used up earlier.

What can funding be obtained for?

Funding is available under the competition for:

• an internship in a foreign organisation (an educational experience involving the performance of practical tasks related to the area of activity of the organisation concerned),
• job-shadowing in a foreign organisation (educational experience involving observation of another, more experienced person at work),
• other forms of exchange of knowledge, know-how and experience, such as: study trips, joint workshops and training with entities from different countries, mentoring, etc.

The funding of the initiative can amount up to 6 000 EUR for a bilateral initiative and 5000 EUR for a regional initiative.

Funding under this mechanism is available for NGOs that are established and registered in Poland, and:

• in case of ACF–Regional: are eligible for Active Citizens Fund – Regional grants and do take at least some of their statutory actions related to the goals of the ACF Programme outside of the city of Warsaw,
• in case of ACF–National: are already project promoters (have been awarded at least one grant
  or are partners of project promoters) under the ACF–National Programme.

The initiative (including preparation and evaluation) may last from 1 to 6 months. All activities should terminate no later than 30 April, 2024.

Please note that the application under this call can only be submitted in English.

Information webinar

Anyone interested in applying is invited to attend an information webinar on 9 February 2023 (Thursday) at 11:00 a.m. More information in Polish can be found HERE.

Documents relating to the call

Call for proposals (PL version)

Call for proposals (EN version)

Grant application form

Template of the grant form evaluation sheet

Should you have any questions about the mechanism and/or application procedure, please contact:

• for Active Citizens Fund – National: Anna Fedas ([email protected], +48 791 413 200),
• for Active Citizens Fund – Regional: Ewa Stokłuska ([email protected], +48 720 801 013).

Of the 37 applications, 36 have passed formal evaluation and will go to substantive evaluation.

List of applications – formal evaluation (XLS file)

Of the 36 applicant organizations whose applications passed formal evaluation, nine were invited to the next stage of evaluation, i.e. interviews with experts. In accordance with the rules of the competition, the highest rated applications, whose total requested grant amount does not exceed 150% of the allocation planned for the competition, qualify for the meetings.

List of applications – organizations qualified for interviews (XLS file)

We will publish the results of the call along with the list of grants by the end of October 2022.

Young people from Norway are ambassadors of the No hate speech/Stop hatprat campaign. The young people from Poland represented the EcoAs Academy project implemented in our Programme by the Kocierzanka and Koszarawa River Basin Partnership Foundation and the Generation Change project coordinated by the Stanisław Brzozowski Association (Krytyka Polityczna – Political Critique).

After the spring visit, the young people met in July at a camp for active young people in Norway organised by the Redd Barna organisation, and are already planning further initiatives!

The meeting took place within the framework of bilateral cooperation in the Active Citizens Fund – National programme.

photo: Krzysztof Pacholak

We invite persons representing non-governmental organisations dealing with women’s rights in politics (both local and national), in the broadly understood public sphere and in the collective memory of a given community, in the labour market, in the area of reproductive rights and bodily self-determination to take part in the visit. 

The visit will take place from 28.06-1.07 2023 and will consist a series of meetings with people representing civil society organisations and public institutions from Liechtenstein, including: 

• Office for Foreign Affairs (https://www.llv.li/inhalt/114773/amtsstellen/english-version),  
• Office for Equal’s Opportunity Office (https://www.equalitylaw.eu/country/liechtenstein),  
• LI Institut (https://www.liechtenstein-institut.li/),   
• Love.li (https://www.love.li/vorarlberg/ueber-uns/loveli/wer-wir-sind.html),   
• Uni Liechtenstein (https://www.uni.li/de),  
• AIBA (https://www.aiba.li/).   

The study visit is organised together by the Active Citizens Fund – National and Active Citizens Fund – Regional programmes in cooperation with the Representation of the Principality of Liechtenstein to the European Union. The organisers cover all costs associated with participation in the visit, including travel, accommodation, simultaneous translation from German, meals and travel insurance. 

To participate in the visit, please complete the recruitment form found HERE no later than 29 March 2023. One person from each organisation is welcome to participate. 

If you have any questions or comments, please contact the bilateral and regional cooperation coordinators: 

• for persons representing organisations that are Project Promoters or partners in projects funded by the Active Citizens Fund – National Programme: Anna Fedas ([email protected], +48 791 413 200),  
• for persons representing other organisations: Ewa Stokłuska ([email protected], +48 720 801 013). 

You can read more about the situation of women’s rights in Liechtenstein in the publications below and learn from the recording of a webinar on women’s rights in Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and the Czech Republic which was held on 8 December 2020. 

Liechtenstein in numbers: 

https://www.statistikportal.li/de/uebersichten-indikatoren/liechtenstein-in-figures  

Basic information about Liechtenstein: 

https://www.liechtenstein.li/en (tourism website)  

https://www.regierung.li/default.aspx?lang=en (government’s website)  

Women’s rights and the civic sector in Liechtenstein: 

• https://aktywniobywatele.org.pl/o-sektorze-obywatelskim-w-liechtensteinie/ 
• https://www.llv.li/inhalt/114760/amtsstellen/frauenrechte   
• https://www.menschenrechte.li/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/2018-17-05-CEDAW-Schattenbericht-final.pdf  
• https://www.infra.li/application/files/6316/7454/6529/2022_GREVIO_Schattenbericht_final.pdf 

The speakers were: 

• Anna Fedas – coordinator of bilateral and regional cooperation in the Active Citizens Fund – National Programme, works at the Stefan Batory Foundation; 
• Ewa Stokłuska – coordinator of bilateral and regional cooperation in the Active Citizens Fund – Regional Programme, works at the Education for Democracy Foundation; 
• Agnieszka Podgórska – director of education and networking at the Watchdog Polska Civic Network. Organises and conducts activities aimed at local activists: monitoring, trainings on watchdog activities, the course ‘(Without)Hope’ of small and big municipality, School of Watchdog Initiatives. 

The webinar was hosted by Bogna Mrozowska – a member of the Programme’s communication team and works at The Information Society Development Foundation. 

To download (PL version): 

• Presentation ‘Bilateral and regional initiatives’
• Answers to questions that were asked during the webinar 09.02.2023

Grants may be used for the following:
a) activities to strengthen and develop an organisation in line with the long–term strategy/action plan adopted by the organisation
b) ongoing activities consistent with the organisation’s mission and with the long– term strategy/action plan adopted by the organisation.

The call is funded from the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014–2021.

List of granted organisations – XLS format

All Applicants have access to the assessment sheets of their applications through the Online Application System.

More information can be found HERE.

The grant budget of the call is: 750 000 EUR, increased by unused funds from the call for organisational grants.

Grants can be used to implement activities aiming at strengthening the media in Poland – particularly local and civic ones – so that they can more comprehensively and more effectively pursue functions that are essential from the perspective of contemporary democracy and protection of the democratic order

Applications can be submitted: between 14 July 2022 (from 12.00 pm midday CET) and 5 September 2022 (up until 12.00 pm midday CET)

Deadline for announcing the results: 31 October 2022

Grants may be used no earlier than 1 November 2022 and must be used by 30 April 2024 at the latest.

The full text of the “Call for applications”, and “Applicant and Project Promoter Guide”, other documents concerning the call for projects, and information about scheduled online training sessions can be found HERE. 

If you have any questions or concerns regarding application for a grant, please contact the Operator team at [email protected] or call +48 500 142 994.

Types of activities eligible for support:
• monitoring the development and application of laws and public policies which affect the functioning of social organizations and civic movements,
• advocacy of rights and interests aimed at improving conditions for the activities of social organizations and civic movements.

List of granted projects – XLS format

All Applicants have access to the assessment sheets of their applications through the Online Application System.

On 16 February at 12.00 p.m. CET the following will talk about the not easy, but very educational experiences and proven solutions in their many years of advocacy work:

• Oana Preda expert from Resource Center for Public Participation – CeRe and TamTam – an informal coalition fighting for citizens’ right to participate in decision-making processes in Romania
• Tina Divjak from Centre for NGOs Slovenia (CNVOS) – expert on legislation for Slovenian social organisations and citizen participation in public policy-making

On 18 February at 12 p.m. CET, proven methods and latest trends in advocacy and monitoring to improve the health of the civil sector will be talked about:

• Cezara Grama – expert on the rule of law, working with the Romanian think-tank Expert Forum
• Guri Idsø Viken representing Frivillighet Norge/The Association of NGOs from Norway – policy advisor to a Norwegian organisation of other social organisations
• Olivia Vereha from Code for Romania – an expert on new technologies to make life easier for social organisations working in the service of democracy

Both meetings will be held in English, recorded and – after adding Polish subtitles – published on our website and social media. If you are interested in taking part, please fill in the registration form.

Below are biographies of all invited persons (alphabetical order by first name):

Cezara Grama is a rule of law expert working with Expert Forum, a Romanian think-tank, since 2014 on issues of justice, transparency, rule of law and active citizenship. Since joining EFOR’s team she has played an active role in monitoring elections (2014-2019). She has been involved with EFOR’s School for Democracy Program since 2015, training and supporting teachers to engage their students and communities on issues of active citizenship and democracy. In recent years, she has been focusing on how to engage teachers and particularly students on the topic of civic education and active citizenship.

Guri Idsø Viken is a senior political adviser in The Association of NGOs in Norway (Frivillighet Norge), where she, among other things, is responsible for the involvement in Active Citizens Fund Romania. She has been working on politics and communication for the last 16 years, and is also a journalist and media commentator in several Norwegian newspapers and on radio. She lives in a small island in southern Norway and volunteers for several small and large NGOs within sports and culture.

Oana Preda has been part of the Romanian nongovernmental sector since 1996. She worked with Pro-Democracy Association, where got experienced in promoting democracy and public participation. After that, Oana worked for the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) in Romania supporting NGOs in their advocacy efforts. In 2006, Oana Preda took part in the establishment of the Resource Center for Public Participation – CeRe, one of the most relevant NGOs in the area of activism and citizens participation. Currently, she is the Director of CeRe.Apart her professional activity, preoccupied by social justice, Oana is a civic activist fighting for many causes relevant for the Romanian society. CeRe’s mission is to contribute to a just and equitable society, where people stand together and their voices are central to the decision-making processes. CeRe works with citizens’ groups and NGOs to help them have a stronger voice. Currently, CeRe is facilitating the TamTam – NGOs group for citizens – an informal coalition which defends the civic space for participation.

Olivia Vereha – co-founder / Chief Operations Officer @ Code for Romania
Holding a background in communications and customer and user experience design, since 2016, Olivia Vereha is dedicating her entire time to managing the delivery flow for all Code for Romania projects. She is passionate about how technology can shape and improve our day to day lives and she is always willing to help in any way she can in building great digital tools for our society. Having a strong focus on usability and learning, her work focuses on user research, analysis and functionality and how all these translate in better digital services and solutions in the public space.

Tina Divjak is a head of advocacy at CNVOS. She has been working on different issues of NGO development since 2003. She has been focusing on enabling environment for NGOs – legislation, public funding, public participation in policy-making, transparency and accountability of NGOs. She has authored or co-authored several analyses, studies and manuals in Slovenia and abroad (Western Balkan and Eastern Partnership countries). She has worked as an expert for Council of Europe, Regional Cooperation Council, TACSO, different ministries, etc. From 2011 – 2020 she was a president of the Government Council for the development of NGOs. In 2018, she authored the study, commissioned by EESC, “The future evolution of civil society in the European Union by 2030”.

What the webinar covered:
• who can submit an application in the call for sectoral projects concerning advocacy and monitoring activities,
• the types of activities for which grants are available,
• what is meant by sectoral activities,
• whether you have correctly understood the call rules on amounts of grants, the timeframe, devising the budget, and cooperation in a partnership,
• the application assessment procedure.

The meetings was led by Academy of Civic Organizations Foundation experts.

More information about the call can be found HERE. Applications must be submitted by midday on 15 March 2021.

The project outlines are now being reviewed to check that they fulfil administrative requirements. A list of the projects accepted for content-related assessment will be published soon. Each application will be assessed by two or three experts. Following the content-related assessment, a list will be provided of the organisations invited to submit a detailed project. These will be submitted between 8 March and 19 April 2021. Good luck to all of the Applicants!

More information about the second call can be found HERE.

The recordings of the webinars can be viewed HERE.

The webinar was held on 9 December 2020.

These centres can help by providing consultations on an idea for a project, or helping to clarify the wording of the  Applicant and Project Promoter Guide.

More information can be found HERE.

A consortium of the Stefan Batory Foundation, the “Shipyard” Foundation and the Academia of Civic Organisations Foundation issues the second call for thematic projects in the Active Citizens Fund – National, financed from the EEA Financial Mechanism 2014-2021 (EEA Grants).

The amounts allocated to particular support areas are:

• Area 1: civic participation in public affairs and social activities: EUR 4 500 000, increased by unused funds from the first call,
• Area 2: protection of human rights and equal treatment: EUR 2 985 000, increased by unused funds from the first call,
• Area 3: empowerment of vulnerable groups: EUR 2 970 000, increased by unused funds from the first call.

The envisaged results of the Programme and particular areas for which support is provided are listed on the Programme website: https://aktywniobywatele.org.pl/en/about-the-fund/results/

There are two types of grants available in the call for proposals:

Small grants:

• Minimum grant: EUR 5 000
• Maximum grant: EUR 25 000
• Project implementation period: between 8 and 24 months
• Co-financing: optional

Large grants:

• Minimum grant: EUR 25 000
• Maximum grant: 62 500 EUR
• Project implementation period: od 8 do 24 months
• Co-financing: optional.

Applications can be submitted via the Online Application System available at wnioski.aktywniobywatele.org.pl

Deadlines for applications:

• Project outlines can be submitted between 7 December (from 9.00 am CET) and 11 January 2021 (up until 12.00 pm midday CEST).
• Detailed projects can be submitted between 8 March 2021 (from 12.00 pm midday CEST) and 19 April 2021 (until 12.00 pm midday CEST).

Second call for thematic projects – full text 

All the documents relating to call II for thematic projects can be found HERE.

Join us for live information webinar on Friday, December 4th 2020 at 2 pm.

We also invite for a series of inspiring online meetings with foreign organisations which we organize between 7th and 11th of December.

277 applications did not attain a score making them eligible for the detailed project stage. 51 applications were found by experts not to be in line with the Programme objectives and the basic principles in the field “Support for development of the civic sector”, and thus were not assessed further.

Due to the low number of applications judged eligible for stage II and concerning activities relating to “Monitoring of formulation of the law and the practice of enforcing the law and public policies” and “Advocacy for rights and interests”, the Operator is considering launching a separate call for projects aimed solely at supporting sectoral monitoring and advocacy initiatives. Details will be published in a separate statement.

Detailed projects can be submitted from noon on Thursday 27 August 2020 until noon on Monday 26 October 2020.

All applicants submitting proposals for stage II are encouraged to make use of the content-related support provided by the Programme Operator. We have scheduled webinars, a special workshop, and publication of additional information packs. Detailed information will be posted regularly on our website and social media sites.

What it is worth looking at before writing the detailed project proposal?

We recommend the following:

• webinar on finances and budgeting tools/webinarium finansowe i narzędzie do planowania budżetu,
• webinar on communication, and the publication on “Active promotion – a brief guide for Applicants/webinarium komunikacyjne i publikację “Aktywna promocja – krótki poradnik dla Wnioskodawców”,
• instructions for submitting an application via the Online Application System (in PDF format and a video)/instrukcję wypełniania wniosku w Internetowym Systemie Wniosków (plik PDF oraz film),
• product and results guides/poradniki dot. produktów i rezultatów,
• miniguide on how to incorporate cross-cutting issues when planning and implementing projects/miniporadnik dotyczący uwzględniania zagadnień przekrojowych przy planowaniu i realizacji projektów,
• an awareness-raising series on capacity building (webinars and a workshop)/cykl edukacyjny dot. rozwoju instytucjonalnego (webinaria i warsztat),
• frequently asked questions/listę najczęściej zadawanych pytań wraz z odpowiedziami.

We also recommend the guide to filling in a detailed project application (format PDF).

Grants will be awarded for projects to support the civic sector at nationwide level and in particular regions or subsectors. They must focus on activities such as provision of services and other activities that support capacity building of CSOs and civic movements, measures to increase public awareness about what organizations do, or to monitor the laws that affect how CSOs and civic movements function.

The organizations which meet requirements following administrative and eligibility assessment will be invited to submit detailed project proposals from 25 August onwards.

Organizations currently drawing up applications for sectoral projects do not have to account for the required contribution in their applications. Any applications that have been submitted can be amended (an amendment will be made to the form in the Online Application System on Wednesday 10 June).

In the first webinar of 27 May 2020, we explain what the call for sectoral projects is, what its objectives are, and who can implement them, and we describe types of activities for which grants can be awarded.
The webinar video can be viewed HERE.

All of the important details concerning partnership cooperation in sectoral projects are provided in the next training session held on 29 May 2020.
The webinar video can be viewed HERE.

An online workshop was held on 4 June 2020 on how to draw up an application for a sectoral project grant. This meeting is recommended for people in organizations that will be named as the leader in the grant application.
The workshop video can be viewed HERE.

The aim of the meeting is to facilitate networking  of Polish civil society organizations with their potential project partners from Donor States (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway). We also want to deliver and discuss information on the current condition of the civic sector in Poland and in Donor States and to share recommended activities empowering the civic sector from each country.
The meeting will be also the opportunity to deliver information about Active Citizens Fund – National application submission rules (call for proposals for sectoral projects) and answer concerns/questions addressed at the meeting.

In order to fulfill expected aims we decided to divide the meeting into two parts (you can find the full meeting’s agenda below). First part is a webinar and consists of presentations and time for participants’ questions. We invited representatives of Icelandic, Liechtenstein, Norwegian and Polish CSOs who will share their knowledge and reflections on the most common and effective CSO’s capacity building and civic sector empowerment and development activities.

The second part of the meeting is going to be a moderated discussion which will be based on the participants’ preferences marked in the registration forms. We proposed 3 topics. Let’s see which of them are going to be most interesting for matchmaking meeting’s participants. That is why we would like to ask you to fill the registration form (link below) in order to help us prepare the matchmaking meeting as much based on your needs and choices as it is possible.

The working language of both parts is English.

After filling in the registration form you will receive more information about the meeting including the link to the online meeting platform. When it comes to the technical equipment there is only computer with loudspeakers/headphones needed.

Having applications exceeding our technical capacity we are going to decide on the participation based on the diversity of participants and on the quality of their applications.
In order to register please use this link:
https://crm.batory.org.pl/formularz-online/matchmaking-online-meeting

Having any questions or remarks, please do not hesitate to contact Anna Fedas from Batory Foundation: [email protected]

Matchmaking meeting’s agenda

Part 1 (recorded and available online after the meeting)
10-11.30 a.m. CET
1. Welcoming remarks (representatives of the Active Citizens Fund – National Program Operator consortium)
2. Presentation on the civic sector in Iceland – a representative of the Icelandic Human Right Centre (10 minutes)
Q&A
3. Presentation on the civic sector in Liechtenstein – a representative of the CSO from Liechtenstein (10 minutes)
Q&A
4. Presentation on the civic sector in Norway – a representative of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee (10 minutes)
Q&A
5. Presentation on the civic sector in Poland – Lidia Kuczmierowska from the Academy of Civil Organizations Foundation (10 minutes)
Q&A
6. Presentation on the “Sectoral projects call for applications” – Andrzej Pietrucha from the Academy of Civil Organizations Foundation (10 minutes)
Q&A
short break
Part 2 (not recorder) in 2 working groups:
11.45 a.m.-1 p.m. CET
1. Discussion on the common challenges of the civic sector in each country and brainstorm on potential solutions.
Identifying potential barriers and supporters to one chosen activity responding to the challenges/solutions discussed before.
or/and*
2. Golden practices and failures (for those who want to share it with other participants).
or/and*
3. Presentation of the projects’ ideas (for those who want to share it with other participants).
Concluding remarks & goodbye (in one common session)

* depends on the topic(s) chosen by participants in the registration form

Increased citizen participation in civic activities

53 small grants for a total of  EUR 1 334 826

47 large grants for a total of EUR 3 131 431

 Increased support for human rights and antidiscrimination practices

25 small grants for a total of EUR 655 631

33 large grants for a total of EUR 2 316 742

 Increased empowerment of vulnerable groups

34 small grants for a total of EUR 870 710

31 large grants for a total of EUR 2 068 706

All Applicants have access to the assessment sheets of their applications after connecting the Application System to the Internet.

HERE are the details of the results presented according to supported areas (in small and large grants).