News and updates from BCSDN and the region
Slovenia has renewed its partnership with Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein under the EEA and Norway Grants framework for 2021–2028, securing €50 million to support democratic resilience, social inclusion, public health, and local development. Civil society remains a key priority within the new funding period, with the EEA Civil Society Fund continuing to support grassroots initiatives,
Read more →Target Group: Independent journalists from Montenegro and Kosovo with 3–5 years of journalism experience, including freelancers and affiliated contributors working on anti-corruption reporting. Aim: To support independent journalists in investigating and reporting on corruption-related issues affecting local communities, particularly in healthcare, education, and environmental governance, while strengthening accountability, public awareness, and anti-corruption journalism in the
Read more →Target Group: CSOs, educational institutions, media associations, business associations, and cultural or sports associations from the Western Balkans working on gender equality, women’s empowerment, civic participation, and regional cooperation. Aim: To advance gender equality and women’s empowerment in the Western Balkans by supporting regional cooperation, advocacy, and innovative initiatives addressing social, economic, digital, environmental, and
Read more →Target Group: CSOs and foundations in Serbia working on good governance, citizen participation, transparency, accountability, and public interest issues at the local level. Aim: To strengthen the strategic, programmatic, and financial sustainability of CSOs working on good governance through community engagement, local cooperation, citizen mobilization, and local fundraising mechanisms. Countries: Serbia Amount: Basic grant: up
Read more →Target Group: Domestic non-governmental organisations in Kosovo working on democratization, civic participation, advocacy, watchdog activities, human rights, youth engagement, and inclusion of marginalized groups. Aim: To strengthen the organizational capacities, internal governance, constituency engagement, and sustainability of CSOs through tailored organizational development support under the Engagement for Joint Action (EJA Kosovo) programme. Countries: Kosovo Amount:
Read more →Target Group: CSOs, sectoral CSO networks and platforms in North Macedonia engaged in EU accession reforms, rule of law, governance, public policy, and Growth Plan monitoring. Aim: To strengthen structured, systematic, and evidence-based civil society participation in North Macedonia’s EU accession negotiations and the implementation of the Growth Plan Reform Agenda, including monitoring, advocacy, public
Read more →Short Description: CoE has launched applications for the 2026 Democracy Hackathon, bringing together tech developers, designers, and democracy experts to develop innovative solutions against online hate speech and strengthen democratic resilience. The hackathon offers selected teams mentorship, implementation support, and the opportunity to compete for a €50,000 Microsoft grant. Target Group: Tech developers, designers, democracy
Read more →Short Description: Within the Hartefakt project “Culture for Democracy” (CfD), supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, applications are open for grants supporting job shadowing, internships, and on-the-job training in the fields of culture and arts. The programme aims to strengthen the capacities of cultural professionals and organisations in Serbia through peer learning,
Read more →Short Description: MCIC has launched the 2026 Carol Bellamy Leadership Award, supporting women and women-led organisations working at the intersection of women’s empowerment and prevention of violent extremism (P/CVE). Established by Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF), the award provides financial support for local initiatives focused on leadership development, strengthening women-led organisations, and supporting
Read more →Short Description: Western Balkans Fund and Open Society Foundation Western Balkans have launched the first edition of the Regional Academy on Dialogue and Culture of Cooperation, a new initiative bringing together junior professionals and emerging leaders from across the Western Balkans. The programme aims to strengthen regional cooperation, democratic values, intercultural dialogue, and peacebuilding through
Read more →Short Description: Heinrich Böll Foundation has launched the Global Majority AI Fellowship 2026 to support stronger participation of Global South civil society experts in international AI governance discussions. The fellowship will support participation in the first United Nations Global Dialogue on AI Governance, taking place in Geneva in July 2026, focusing on issues such as
Read more →Short Description: Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA) has launched the InvigoratEU public contest “What Future for the European Continent?”, inviting citizens, students, and young professionals to share creative perspectives on Europe’s future and EU enlargement. Participants can submit essays, poetry, or audiovisual works exploring topics such as European security, competitiveness, resilience, and the benefits
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