NEW EUROPEAN PROGRESS’ CALL FOR PROPOSALS FOR PARTNERSHIP PROJECTS OF MUNICIPALITIES AND CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS

22. March 2016.

The European Progress program issued the second call for proposals (CfP) for supporting the projects that are to be implemented in cooperation between civil society organizations and local self-governments, which are aimed at social and economic empowerment of vulnerable groups in 34 municipalities in the southeastern and southwestern parts of Serbia. The European Union and the Swiss Government will support these projects with 345,000 euros through the Citizens Involvement Fund (CIF).

All project proposals will have to be based on municipal sustainable development strategies and contribute to one of the following priorities: employment, education and training of the vulnerable and marginalized groups; improvement of equal access to public services; promotion of multi-ethnic dialogue and intercultural cooperation; improved transparency of financing local civil society organizations out of the local self-governmental funds that will increase the overall degree of good governance in the municipality.

Up to 15,000 euros per project will be provided for individual projects while partnership organizations should ensure financial contribution of minimum 10% of the donor’s share. The total value of the project may not exceed 25,000 euros.

As part of the first CIF call for proposals, twenty projects were approved and they, among other things, contributed to the economic empowerment of women, improved the accessibility and quality of healthcare services, helped social inclusion of the Roma population and disabled persons and promoted interethnic tolerance.

“We wish to show by the Citizens Involvement Fund that civil society is a key partner to local self-governments for solving community-related problems and that such joint efforts lead to long-term solutions to the problems that citizens are faced with, especially those that are most vulnerable, said Biljana Keric, the Social Inclusion Program associate.

The associations and organizations eligible to participate in the CfP are those that have their seats in at least one of the 34 municipalities covered by the European Progress program. The projects must be implemented within a ten-month period at the maximum and a seven-month period at the minimum.

The call is open until May 4, 2016, while further information on the CfP and the application documents are available on the European Progress website http://www.europeanprogres.org/pozivi/en/

Source: European Progress and Coordination Body