Call 1 – Financial Support to Third Parties focusing on the Right to Education

The grant opportunity under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) program is designed to support small and medium-sized civil society organizations (CSOs) in Greece. The focus of this funding is to promote fundamental EU rights and democratic values, particularly through educational initiatives targeted at vulnerable populations, specifically children and youth aged 8 to 17. The total funding available is €480,000, aimed at funding approximately 15 Greek CSOs which are expected to receive an average of around €32,000 each.

The application process follows an open call format with a multi-stage approach, allowing two key submission deadlines: one for a concept note due on March 27, 2026, and another for a full proposal due on June 15, 2026. The successful projects will implement educational initiatives that emphasize inclusivity, equity, and human rights, addressing global challenges such as climate justice and sustainable development goals.

Eligible applicants must be legally registered entities in Greece, and the application must include specific supporting documents. Projects can involve partnerships but must be led by a single legal entity. The projects should be at a maturity stage where they can demonstrate innovative educational approaches rather than purely conceptual ideas. Selected projects are anticipated to begin implementation on September 1, 2026, with a duration of 12 to 14 months.

Furthermore, while the specific success rates of the applications are not detailed, it is estimated that the chances of obtaining funding may be relatively modest due to the selective nature of the call. Importantly, co-funding is not explicitly required, suggesting that organizations may rely solely on the grant for project funding.

In summary, this funding opportunity aims to empower Greek civil society organizations to enhance educational systems and promote EU rights through practical initiatives, thereby fostering democratic values and strengthening community engagement around education in Greece.

The GROW Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) mechanism is a funding opportunity designed to support civil society organizations (CSOs) in Greece to promote fundamental EU rights and democratic values, specifically focusing on the right to education. The call for proposals is part of the broader EU-funded project "Strengthening CSOs in Greece to promote fundamental EU rights and democratic values," also known as GROW, with grant agreement number 101187659. The topic of the call is CERV-2024-CITIZENS-VALUES, which focuses on civil society organizations active in protecting and promoting Union values, specifically through intermediaries that provide financial support to third parties.

The total funding available for this call is 480,000.00 €. The expected duration of participation for selected projects is between 12 and 14 months. The opening date for the call was 27 January 2026. There are multiple cut-off deadlines. The first deadline for concept note submission is 27 March 2026 at 22:59 (Brussels time), and the second deadline for full proposal submission is 15 June 2026 at 22:59 (Brussels time).

The submission and evaluation process is structured in two stages to ensure transparency, inclusiveness, and accessibility for small and medium-sized CSOs.

Stage 1 involves the submission of a concept note. The call for proposals will be published on ActionAid Hellas’ website and shared through partner CSO networks. Interested organizations have two months to submit their concept notes electronically. The concept note submission must include all mandatory annexes, such as the organization's Statute, Financial Statements, Declaration of Honor, Declaration of No Conflict of Interest, and GDPR statement. After the concept note submission deadline, the FSTP Team will conduct an administrative and eligibility check to ensure compliance with eligibility and formal criteria. Eligible applicants will be informed by email about the evaluation results of the Concept Note stage and whether they proceed to the Full Proposal phase. The eligibility check and notification of shortlisted applicants will take place between 28 March 2026 and 30 April 2026.

Stage 2 involves the submission of a full proposal. Shortlisted applicants from Stage 1 will be invited to submit their full proposals, including a detailed project description, budget, CVs of key staff, and relevant supporting documents. The deadline for full proposal submission is 15 June 2026. Each proposal will be independently evaluated by two experts using a standard evaluation grid. In case of significant score divergence, a third evaluator will be appointed. The highest-ranked proposals will be selected for funding, and sub-grant agreements will be formalized with the successful applicants’ CSOs. The evaluation and contracting phase will take place between 16 June 2026 and 31 August 2026. Project implementation is expected to start on 1 September 2026, after the sub-grant agreements are signed with ActionAid Hellas.

The call aims to promote the right to education through projects led by Greek CSOs. Projects should focus on ensuring inclusive, equitable, and quality education for all, particularly for vulnerable children and youth aged 8–17 years old. Projects should integrate innovative pedagogical approaches and gender-sensitive methodologies. The expected results include strengthened educational inclusion, capacity-building of educators, and increased awareness of EU values and rights related to education. A total of 15 civil society organizations (CSOs) will receive financial support and capacity-building assistance to strengthen their operational and organizational sustainability.

Under this priority, applicant CSOs will be supported to strengthen inclusive education systems and contribute to reducing inequalities in access to quality education for all.

Projects may include initiatives such as: design and delivery of training initiatives on human rights and global challenges such as inclusion and diversity, inequalities, climate justice, and SDGs; advocacy and policy recommendations to promote the right to inclusive education; train-the-trainer programs involving educators of primary and secondary schools; and civic dialogues platforms with the involvement of students and relevant stakeholders focusing on awareness raising on EU rights and values.

In summary, this funding opportunity, under the GROW project, provides financial support to Greek CSOs to implement projects that promote the right to education, focusing on vulnerable children and youth. The projects should aim to strengthen inclusive education systems, reduce inequalities in access to quality education, and raise awareness of EU values and rights. The application process involves a two-stage submission and evaluation, starting with a concept note followed by a full proposal for shortlisted applicants. The selected projects will receive funding and capacity-building assistance to enhance their operational and organizational sustainability. The call encourages innovative pedagogical approaches, gender-sensitive methodologies, and initiatives such as training programs, advocacy, and civic dialogues.

Eligible Applicant Types: Small and medium-sized Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).

Funding Type: Grant (Financial Support to Third Parties - FSTP).

Consortium Requirement: It is not explicitly stated whether a consortium is required, but the focus on supporting individual CSOs suggests that single applicants are eligible.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): Greek CSOs.

Target Sector: Education, specifically inclusive, equitable, and quality education, human rights, inclusion and diversity, inequalities, climate justice, SDGs, EU rights and values.

Mentioned Countries: Greece.

Project Stage: The projects should be at a stage where they can be implemented, focusing on delivering training, advocacy, and civic dialogues. This suggests a stage of development, validation, or demonstration.

Funding Amount: The total funding available is 480,000 EUR. The amount each of the 15 selected CSOs will receive is not specified, but it can be inferred that the funding will be divided among them.

Application Type: Open call.

Nature of Support: Money (financial support) and non-monetary services (capacity-building assistance).

Application Stages: 2 (Concept Note submission and Full Proposal submission).

Success Rates: The success rate can be estimated as below 10%, as 15 CSOs will be selected from a likely larger pool of applicants.

Co-funding Requirement: Not explicitly mentioned, so it is unclear whether co-funding is required.

Summary:

This opportunity is a call for proposals under the GROW project, which aims to strengthen Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Greece to promote fundamental EU rights and democratic values, with a specific focus on the right to education. The call, managed by ActionAid Hellas, will provide financial support and capacity-building assistance to 15 small and medium-sized Greek CSOs. The total funding available is 480,000 EUR. Projects should focus on inclusive, equitable, and quality education for vulnerable children and youth (8–17 years old), integrating innovative pedagogical approaches and gender-sensitive methodologies. The application process involves two stages: a Concept Note submission followed by a Full Proposal submission for shortlisted applicants. The call is open from January 27, 2026, with deadlines on March 27, 2026, for the concept note and June 15, 2026, for the full proposal. Selected projects are expected to start implementation on September 1, 2026, and last for 12-14 months. The topic of the call is CERV-2024-CITIZENS-VALUES, which focuses on civil society organisations active on protecting and promoting Union values, specifically through intermediaries giving financial support to third parties. Projects may include initiatives such as training on human rights and global challenges, advocacy for inclusive education, train-the-trainer programs for educators, and civic dialogues on EU rights and values.