Call for proposal for or impact-oriented programme development and thematic resource centres

The EU has announced a grant opportunity under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) Programme, specifically targeting civil society organizations (CSOs) in Slovenia and Croatia through the call CERV-2024-CITIZENS-VALUES. The total budget for this initiative is €2.52 million, aimed at enhancing the capacity and impact of local CSOs in protecting EU values like democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.

The opportunity is divided into two distinct lots. LOT 1 focuses on impact-oriented program development, with eligible activities including advocacy, civic education, awareness campaigns, and strategic litigation support. This lot is designed to upgrade existing CSO activities and has a project duration of 18 to 24 months, with the possibility of a three-month extension. LOT 2 is aimed at establishing thematic resource centers for capacity building in areas such as democracy, human rights, and climate change. Projects under LOT 2 will last 24 months and may also have a three-month extension.

Eligible participants are CSOs registered in Slovenia and Croatia that show a commitment to advancing EU values. The grant provides non-repayable subsidies covering up to 90% of eligible costs, with a minimum funding request of €75,000 for LOT 1 and €100,000 for LOT 2. The submission deadline for applications is June 26, 2025.

The expected outcomes of the funded projects include systemic change, improved governance, and enhanced capacity for advocacy and community mobilization among CSOs. The application process involves a single-stage electronic submission and requires specific documentation, including a completed application form, financial plan, and organizational statutes.

The grant is structured to strengthen CSO roles in civic participation and to foster collaborations that ensure broader societal impacts. It also aligns with the European Commission’s priorities for 2025, emphasizing civic involvement in democratic processes and enhancing the capacity of organizations that advocate for fundamental rights. The submission and evaluation process is detailed, including the opportunity for applicants to appeal rejections.

Overall, this grant opportunity represents a significant funding source for CSOs in Slovenia and Croatia, aimed at bolstering their activities and promoting sustainable impacts that align with EU values.

The IMPACT4VALUES 2.0 call for proposals aims to support Slovenian and Croatian Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in their efforts to protect EU values and enhance their impact-oriented programs. It also seeks to bolster thematic resource centers that will build the capacities of CSOs in the priority areas of democracy, human rights, and climate change. The call is structured around two lots, each with specific objectives and eligible activities.

The call's specific objective is to support Slovenian and Croatian CSOs in implementing programs that strengthen the fundamental values of the European Union and improve the quality of life in local communities. It focuses on initiatives with the potential for long-term impact, systemic change, and capacity-building, particularly in the context of human rights, equality, the rule of law, democracy, and freedom of expression.

Expected results for both countries include strengthened capacity and sustainability of CSOs actively promoting and protecting fundamental EU values. Supported programs are expected to enhance the watchdog and advocacy roles of CSOs, improve organizational resilience, and increase collaboration with institutions, media, and citizens. The programs should contribute to better protection of human rights, democracy, the rule of law, freedom of expression, and equality in local communities. Through long-term program-based work, organizations will be better equipped to engage in public debate, influence public policy, and build partnerships that ensure broader social impact and systemic change. The call also aims to strengthen thematic resource centers that will serve as capacity-building and knowledge hubs for smaller CSOs working in the fields of democracy, human rights, and climate action. These centers are expected to provide specialized support, facilitate peer learning and mentoring, and contribute to the development of evidence-based advocacy and public engagement tools. Over time, resource centers should contribute to the increased visibility and relevance of civil society in the priority areas, foster cross-sector collaboration, and create a supportive ecosystem for the development of civic initiatives.

The submission process requires applications with the necessary attachments to be submitted electronically to specific email addresses: prijava.cerv@zaklada-slagalica.hr for Croatian applicants and prijava.cerv2@cnvos.si for Slovenian applicants. The deadline for submission is June 26, 2025, at 12:00 PM (noon Croatian/Slovenian time). Applications submitted through other means or to different email addresses will be rejected. Applicants will receive an automatic response upon submission, and they can contact CNVOS or CFS if they do not receive a response within two hours.

A complete application must include: a fully completed application form for LOT 1 or LOT 2 (Word format), a fully completed financial plan (Excel format), a completed form with applicant and project details (Excel format), a scanned, signed, and stamped Applicant's Statement (PDF format), and a scanned valid statute or founding act of the applicant (PDF format), if not available in a publicly accessible national electronic registry.

The evaluation process involves an administrative check of eligibility criteria. Applicants may have the opportunity to supplement missing documents or information within five working days of notification. Applicants will be notified of whether their application proceeds to the next stage. If rejected, applicants have eight working days to appeal the decision. Appeals are reviewed by the Compliance Committee, whose decision is final. Applications meeting the administrative and eligibility criteria will be evaluated by two independent external evaluators. If the difference between the evaluators' scores exceeds 30%, a third evaluator will assess the application, and the final score will be the average of the two closest evaluations.

Eligible organizations must be established in Slovenia or Croatia and must respect the fundamental rights and values on which the EU is founded.

Call documents and further information are available at Impact4values 2.0 - CNVOS for Slovenian applicants and Impact4Values 2.0 - Solidarna and Impact4values - Slagalica 2.0 for Croatian applicants. Help-desks are available via email at podpora.cerv@cnvos.si for Slovenian applicants and podrska.cerv@zaklada-slagalica.hr for Croatian applicants. Info sessions will be held on ZOOM on May 6, 2025, for Croatia and May 9, 2025, for Slovenia. Support is also available via phone and email for short questions, and regular weekly Q&A updates will be posted on sub-web pages.

LOT 1 includes ideas-development boot-camps in 13 locations (5 in Slovenia, 8 in Croatia) to develop impact-oriented project concept notes. LOT 2 offers individual live or online consultations to support and brainstorm for impact-oriented project proposals for up to 15 organizations, with the possibility of increasing this number if needed.

Eligible activities under LOT 1 include upgrading existing activities with new approaches, methods, tools, and defined objectives in areas such as evidence-based lobbying/advocacy, civic mobilization, civic education, awareness raising and outreach of EU rights and values, campaigns, communication and public information, provision of free advice, watchdog and monitoring activities, promotion of the implementation of adopted laws, monitoring of implementation of policies and legislation, research and analysis, strategic litigation, coordination and strategic cooperation between CSOs and other stakeholders, and provision of support services to the target group.

Eligible activities under LOT 2 include mentoring, job-shadowing, coaching, trainings, P2P and mutual learning activities, following, analysing and sharing international and national political, legislative and judicial practices, and sharing of good national and international practices.

The opening date for submissions is April 29, 2025, and the deadline is June 26, 2025, at 12:00 (Brussels time). The expected duration of participation is 18-24 months for LOT 1 (with a possible 3-month non-cost extension) and 24 months for LOT 2 (with a possible 3-month non-cost extension). The total funding available is 2,520,000.00 EUR. The project acronym is IMPACT4VALUES 2.0, and the full name of the EU-funded project is Increasing impact of CSOs for protection of EU values 2.0. The grant agreement number is 101187032. The topic is CERV-2024-CITIZENS-VALUES - Call for proposals for civil society organisations active on protecting and promoting Union values: call to intermediaries (giving financial support to third parties).

In summary, this call for proposals, IMPACT4VALUES 2.0, provides funding opportunities for Slovenian and Croatian CSOs to enhance their capacity and impact in promoting EU values, particularly in the areas of democracy, human rights, and climate change. It offers two distinct tracks: one focused on supporting CSO programs directly and another on strengthening thematic resource centers that can provide capacity-building support to smaller CSOs. The call aims to foster long-term, systemic change by equipping CSOs with the tools and resources they need to engage in public debate, influence policy, and build collaborative partnerships. Eligible organizations are encouraged to apply by the June 26, 2025 deadline, ensuring they meet all administrative and eligibility criteria and submit a complete application package.

Eligible Applicant Types: Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) established in Slovenia or Croatia are eligible applicants. The call specifically targets Slovenian and Croatian CSOs.

Funding Type: Grant, with cascade funding (financial support to third parties) indicated.

Consortium Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required or if single applicants are allowed. However, the description of LOT 2, which supports thematic resource centers, suggests that these centers may support smaller CSOs, implying that single applicants are possible. Further details would be available in the call documentation.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is limited to Slovenia and Croatia. Eligible organizations should be established in Slovenia or Croatia.

Target Sector: The program targets the following sectors: democracy, human rights, and climate change. It also focuses on strengthening the fundamental values of the European Union.

Mentioned Countries: Slovenia, Croatia

Project Stage: The call supports both the upgrade of existing activities and the development of new impact-oriented programs. This suggests that projects can be in the development, validation, or demonstration stages. LOT 1 focuses on upgrading existing activities, while LOT 2 supports the development of thematic resource centers. The Ideas-development boot-camp in LOT 1 also suggests support for projects in the idea stage.

Funding Amount: The total funding available is 2,520,000.00 €. The funding range for individual projects is not specified in the provided text, but it is likely variable depending on the LOT and the scope of the project.

Application Type: Open call. The deadline model is single-stage.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of grants. Additionally, non-monetary services are offered through LOT 1 (Ideas-development boot-camp) and LOT 2 (Individual live or online consultations).

Application Stages: The application process involves multiple stages: 1) Electronic submission of the application with required attachments. 2) Administrative check of administrative and eligibility criteria. Applicants may have the opportunity to supplement missing documents or information within 5 working days. 3) Notification of whether the project application proceeds to the next stage. 4) Appeal process for rejected applications based on administrative and eligibility criteria, with review by a Compliance Committee. 5) Evaluation of application quality by two independent external evaluators. 6) In case of significant score differences between the two evaluators, a third evaluator will assess the application.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required. This detail would likely be specified in the call documentation.

Summary:

This opportunity is a call for proposals under the CERV (Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values) program, specifically targeting Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Slovenia and Croatia. The IMPACT4VALUES 2.0 project aims to enhance the impact of these CSOs in protecting EU values and improving the quality of life in local communities. The total funding available is 2,520,000.00 €.

The call is divided into two LOTs:

LOT 1 focuses on supporting Slovenian and Croatian CSOs' impact-oriented program development and upgrade. This includes strengthening their watchdog and advocacy roles, improving organizational resilience, and increasing collaboration with institutions, media, and citizens. Eligible activities include evidence-based lobbying, civic mobilization, civic education, awareness raising, campaigns, provision of free advice, promotion of the implementation of laws, monitoring of policies, research and analysis, strategic litigation, coordination between CSOs and other stakeholders, and provision of support services to target groups. The expected duration of participation for LOT 1 is 18-24 months, with a possible 3-month non-cost extension. Ideas-development boot-camps will be held in 13 different locations (5 in Slovenia, 8 in Croatia) to develop impact-oriented project concept notes.

LOT 2 aims to support Slovenian and Croatian CSOs' thematic resource centers that will build capacities of CSOs in three program priority areas: democracy, human rights, and climate change. These centers are expected to provide specialized support, facilitate peer learning and mentoring, and contribute to the development of evidence-based advocacy and public engagement tools. Eligible activities include mentoring, job-shadowing, coaching, trainings, P2P and mutual learning activities, following and sharing international and national practices, and sharing of good practices. The expected duration of participation for LOT 2 is 24 months, with a possible 3-month non-cost extension. Individual live or online consultations will be provided to support and brainstorm for impact-oriented project proposals (up to 15 organizations, increased if needed).

The application process is single-stage and requires electronic submission of several documents, including a completed application form, financial plan, applicant and project details form, applicant's statement, and the applicant's statute or founding act. The deadline for submission is June 26, 2025, at 12:00 PM (noon Croatian/Slovenian time).

The evaluation process involves an administrative check, followed by an evaluation of application quality by independent external evaluators. Applicants whose applications are rejected due to non-compliance with administrative and eligibility criteria have the right to appeal.

This call provides a significant opportunity for CSOs in Slovenia and Croatia to enhance their capacity and impact in promoting EU values and addressing key societal challenges in the areas of democracy, human rights, and climate change.