Outcome 1: Increased citizen participation in civic activities – activities aimed at bringing about civic participation in public life and social activities, increasing the role of citizens in decision-making and public policy-making processes at local, regional, national, or European level, and raising the standard of public debate.

Types of activity for which support is provided:

a. awareness-raising activities relating to skills of citizens and various forms of social activity and democratic practices, such as civic participation, participation in public debate, voluntary work, work for the community or environment (protection of the climate, nature, air, species, soil) social self-organisation, communication that overcomes differences, and a critical approach to use of media

b. measures that activate citizens to become involved in neighbourhood, youth, and intergenerational initiatives, and other collective activities for the community or environment

c. action and campaigns that encourage involvement in public affairs and social activity, such as voluntary work, voting, taking part in public debate, and environmental protection

d. civic participation: initiating, conducting, and increasing the standard of participation processes; taking action to make public and social institutions more open to citizens; advocacy activities aimed at having a law and local, regional, and national public policies on active citizenship, civic awareness and environmental protection passed or amended,

e. watchdog activities: monitoring the activities and decisions of public institutions that affect the environment or concern active citizenship, monitoring activities of public officials or of persons running for public office; conducting fact-checking to raise the standard of public debate.

Important:
Financing cannot be provided for projects that consist solely of training, debate, or conferences.
With respect to watchdog projects, it is not sufficient to present the results of monitoring; citizens have to participate in implementation of the recommendations made.

Priority will be given to activities that lead to cooperation between citizens and residents with the broadest possible range of views, and authorities as well, and lead to development and implementation of joint solutions, and activities that lead to communication of citizens in public affairs while overcoming differences between them.

Each Applicant is entitled to apply for an additional grant designated in full for capacity building.  >>> more

Outcome 2: Increased support for human rights and antidiscrimination practices – activities aimed at protecting human rights, in particular women’s rights, and countering xenophobia, homophobia, racism, anti-Semitism, and any forms of discrimination on the grounds of race, belief, ethnic or national origin, gender or sexual orientation, disability, age, economic status, family situation, or other grounds.

Types of activity for which support is provided:

a. awareness-raising activities concerning human rights and equal treatment, including training and workshops combined with networking of various professional groups that encounter discriminated groups in their work; raising awareness of equal treatment and discrimination prevention issues, leading to involvement in specific activities to further human rights and equal rights of men and women; initiatives to counter hate in word and deed and violence, in particular gender-based violence

b. social action and campaigns (including elements of artistic activity) to influence public opinion, encourage a response to signs of xenophobia, homophobia, racism, anti-Semitism, discrimination, and violence (in particular gender-based violence) and promote attitudes of tolerance and respect for others; awareness-raising (including civic media, for example portals) to disseminate information about discriminated groups and counter prejudice against them

c. watchdog activities concerning respect for human rights and for the principles of a state governed by the rule of law: monitoring, documenting, and publicising cases of violation of human rights and principles of the rule of law and signs of intolerance (xenophobia, homophobia, racism, anti-Semitism, etc.) and discrimination in the public sphere and in daily life (hate speech, acts of physical aggression)

d. advocacy to improve the law and practices in enforcing it: creating local or central partnerships with public institutions to include all stakeholders in devising and modifying a system of protection and support for vulnerable groups, drafting proposals for regulations to provide legal protection for all vulnerable groups; networking for organisations representing minorities and groups vulnerable to discrimination to collectively influence public policy

e. intervention in cases relating to violation of human rights, discrimination, and violence: providing legal and psychological support for persons who experience discrimination and violence (including gender-based violence); measures to prosecute and convict perpetrators of hate crimes and of gender-based and domestic violence.

Important:
Financing cannot be provided for projects that consist solely of training, debate, or conferences.
Priority will be given to activities in which monitoring leads to advocacy measures to make changes to the law and practices in enforcing it, intervention, and measures that help to shape social awareness.

Each Applicant is entitled to apply for an additional grant designated in full for capacity building.  >>> more

Outcome 3: Increased empowerment of vulnerable groups – activities to empower vulnerable groups and enable them to become independent, creating a social support network which includes vulnerable persons, increasing the scope and form of support for vulnerable groups.

Types of activity for which support is provided:

a. community work, including working with the local community to create a support network for vulnerable persons; activities that include and integrate in local communities, schools, etc.

b. activities to empower vulnerable groups and enable them to become independent: organising and promoting various forms of self-help, self-organisation, and self-advocacy (support for self-advocates); networking and cooperation between vulnerable persons and their carers towards a common goal of improving access to services and making necessary changes to the system for providing them; promoting the rights of vulnerable persons, inclusion of users of services in the development and auditing of the services and in the testing of new solutions; providing support for participation of vulnerable persons in the work of a social organisation

c. promoting voluntary work with regard to social aid, training voluntary workers to provide aid to the needy (for example the elderly, people with disabilities, the sick); promoting voluntary work among vulnerable persons and giving them the opportunity to do voluntary work and/or an internship

d. providing consultations and support for vulnerable persons to enable them to become independent and empowered, aimed in particular at groups that have not benefited from aid of this kind in the past (for example assistant services, psychological aid, legal aid, educational activities to improve soft skills)

e. improving the quality of services for vulnerable groups and raising the qualifications and skills of people working with them; introducing new working methods and standards for providing services (in public organisations and services).

Important:
We do not provide a finite list of vulnerable groups – when an application is submitted, it must be demonstrated in the statement of reasons that the group being the subject of the envisaged activity is vulnerable, i.e. is unable to participate in important aspects of community life for reasons beyond their control.
We do not provide support for activities that provide material aid and activities in which a service is provided that do not lead directly to empowerment and strengthening of vulnerable persons.

Financing cannot be provided for projects that consist solely of training, debate, or conferences.

Priority will be given to activities that provide training and enable vulnerable persons to act as self-advocates, and to their advocacy activities in defence of rights and interests of vulnerable persons.

Each Applicant is entitled to apply for an additional grant designated in full for capacity building.  >>> more

Outcome 4: Enhanced capacity and sustainability of civil society organisations and the sector [sectoral projects] – activities to strengthen organisations and civic movements, creating friendly conditions for them to operate, and raising the standard of the services they offer.

Grants will be awarded for projects aimed at developing the social organisation sector and civic movements at national level, in particular regions or industries. The activities conducted may not focus on improving the situation of individual organisations or narrowly defined interest groups, and the benefits and results of the projects being implemented should be available for the broadest possible civic sector communities.

The envisaged results of projects being implemented are: increased potential of the organisation and civic movements, a greater ability of these organisations to conduct activities in cooperation with other organisations, effective communication with the public, and involvement of people and institutions in supporting various manifestations of activity in the civic sector. They are also the ability to successfully shape the organisation’s legal, political, and social environment, creating conditions for continuity and development of their activities.

Types of activity for which support is provided:

a. providing services and organising other activities to help capacity building of social organisations and civic movements, such as information and awareness-raising activities, consultations and advice, organising internships and sharing experience, publishing awareness-raising materials, and creating and providing access to infrastructure via which the services described above can be accessed (such as portals, platforms, forums, various types of shared resources). The activities listed above are intended to improve organisation management and/or improve the ability of social organisations to conduct monitoring and advocacy activities. Particular emphasis will be placed on providing support for organisational development in these areas: raising management standards, communication, fund-raising, transparency and accountability of an organisation, monitoring and evaluation, and commencing cooperation and forging partnerships with other organisations and communities. Priority will be given to support directed towards organisations with little experience located in areas in which it is difficult to obtain access to services of this kind or where the level of active citizenship is lower than in other regions, and to organisations that provide support for disadvantaged persons who experience social and economic hardship.

b. Monitoring law, practices in enforcing the law and applying public practices established centrally, regionally, and locally, and also at European level, that might affect how social organisations and civic movements operate (for example taxes, personal data protection, the right to assemble, accounting, philanthropy, etc.). Policies, legislative processes and practices for enforcing the law with respect to particular industries or areas of an organisation’s activities may also be monitored.

c. Advocacy for rights and interests conducted at central, regional, local, and also at European level in the form of campaigns and action (including intervention in response to unforeseen adverse events) or continuous activities to improve the legal, political, economic, and social climate in which social organisations and civic movements operate (the entire sector or industries in the sector).

d. Improving public awareness of the role and importance of the civic sector and the need to become involved in supporting it in the form of campaigns, action, and other information, awareness-raising, and promotional measures aimed at improving the image of the civic sector, improving public knowledge about social organisations and the way in which they operate, and promoting philanthropy, voluntary work or other ways in which the public can support organisations’ activities. Funding can be provided at national, regional, or local level, or with respect to industries.</li?

e. Research, analysis, opinions, and expert opinions necessary for proper planning and implementation of the activities described in points a-d to ensure that they are based on facts, scientific knowledge, and experts’ experience. The application must state specific recipients and the use made of the information, concept, and content supplied. The research and analyses conducted should correspond to the identified needs of social organisations or their declared expectations.

Priority will be given to ventures pursued as a partnership, coalition, network, or other forms of cooperation between civic organisations and between organisations and business and/or the public sector. The policy of giving priority to partnership and cooperation applies to all of the types of activity mentioned above for which funding can be provided. Regardless of how applicants define particular forms of cooperation, this cooperation is expected to take place on the basis of reciprocity, collective responsibility, equality of organisations, and participatory management.

Each Applicant is entitled to apply for an additional grant designated in full for capacity building.  >>> more