Call for proposals 2 in the Stronger Roots program - Matching grant for crowdfunding campaign

Call for Proposals 2 of the Stronger Roots program (CERV) offers matching grants and capacity building to civil society organizations registered and operating in the Czech Republic, Hungary, or Slovakia to run primarily online crowdfunding campaigns. Grants match crowdfunding proceeds up to a per-organization cap of €4,000 provided the campaign reaches at least 90% of its target, with a total envelope of €120,000 (€40,000 allocated to the Czech Republic). Applicants must pre-finance and implement their campaigns end-to-end, may use up to 15% of the matching grant for campaign costs after successful completion, and selected projects run for 12 months. Applications are single-stage and must be submitted via the designated portal by 20 May 2026 at 13:00 Brussels time.

What is funded

Matching grants for crowdfunding

Grants match proceeds from primarily online crowdfunding campaigns:if an applicant raises at least 90% of its crowdfunding target, the programme will double the proceeds for that campaign up to a maximum of €4,000 per applicant. Selected beneficiaries also receive capacity building (workshops, individual consultations, networking).

Total budget and country allocation:€120,000 in total across Czechia, Slovakia and Hungary; €40,000 is reserved for Czech organisations ¹. Individual matching cap: €4,000.

Who can apply

Eligible applicants

Civil society organisations from Czechia, Hungary and Slovakia that promote, protect or raise awareness of EU values, fundamental rights, democracy and the rule of law. Smaller, local or regional organisations receive evaluation preference.

Key dates and practicals

Deadlines and duration

Opening date:18 March 2026. Submission deadline: 20 May 2026 at 13:00 Brussels time. Expected participation duration: 12 months.

How to apply and selection:Applications submitted via the Grantys database. Projects must present an initial campaign plan and demonstrate eligibility and alignment with EU values. Selection uses administrative, eligibility and expert evaluation criteria; funding threshold set at 60 points.

1. 1Must implement and finance the crowdfunding campaign themselves (own funds required during campaign)
2. 2Match paid only if at least 90% of crowdfunding target is reached
3. 3Up to 15% of the matching grant may be used for campaign costs after successful implementation

Information webinars and online consultations will be held in April and May to support applicants.

Footnotes

1. 1Detailed call texts, national versions and application link are available from the Stronger Roots consortium and the local implementing partner pages, e.g. Nadace Open Society Fund Praha announcement Stronger Roots Grant Call.

This cascade funding call, implemented by the Stronger Roots consortium with support from the EU Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) Programme, provides matching grants and capacity building to civil society organizations in Czechia, Hungary, and Slovakia to plan and run primarily online crowdfunding campaigns that build strong communities of supporters and advance EU values of fundamental rights, democracy, and the rule of law. Applicants must design and execute their own campaign end-to-end, and can receive a matching grant if they raise at least 90% of their crowdfunding target. Capacity building includes training, consultations, and networking. Single-stage applications are evaluated against administrative, eligibility, and qualitative criteria, with a funding threshold of 60 points.

Key facts and timeline

Scope, objectives, and expected results

The call targets civil society organizations that comply with, protect, promote, or raise awareness of EU values and principles of fundamental rights, democracy, and the rule of law. The objective is to help organizations build resilient communities of supporters by running effective crowdfunding campaigns. Grantees are fully responsible for their own campaign design and implementation, including developing the campaign idea and focus, choosing a platform or method, setting a financial target and timeframe, preparing and executing the campaign plan, launching and promoting the campaign, mobilizing and communicating with donors, and transparently concluding the fundraising. Organizations must be ready to pre-finance their campaign activities. After successful completion, a portion of the matching grant (up to 15%) may be spent on campaign costs.

Funding and support offered

• Matching grant for primarily online crowdfunding campaigns, payable if at least 90% of the campaign target is achieved.
• Matching ratio and cap: the consortium will match raised proceeds up to a ceiling per project; public information from a consortium member indicates up to €4,000 per project and national allocations within the overall envelope ¹.
• Total envelope: €120,000 across the participating countries.
• Allowable use of grant for campaign costs: up to 15% of the matching grant may be spent on the campaign itself after a successful implementation.
• Capacity building package for selected applicants: practical workshops on campaign planning, individual consultations tailored to each project, and networking/sharing of best practices across the civil society sector.
• Expected participation period per beneficiary: up to 12 months, covering preparation, campaign execution, and follow-up.

Application, evaluation, and selection

Submission method:Single-stage application submitted by the deadline. Applicants describe the initial plan of their crowdfunding campaign and demonstrate organizational eligibility and alignment with EU rights and values. The application flow comprises administrative verification, eligibility screening, and expert evaluation against qualitative criteria. The funding threshold is 60 points. Following scoring, a ranked list is reviewed by the Selection Committee and recommended projects are approved by the relevant Stronger Roots consortium member’s Board of Trustees. Where indicated by consortium communications, applications are accepted through the Grantys database, with information webinars and consultations offered during April and May to support applicants OSF Prague announcement.

Administrative criteria:A fully completed application form must be submitted by the deadline. Incomplete or late submissions are not considered.

Eligibility criteria:Applicants must be civil society organizations based in and operating within Czechia, Hungary, or Slovakia, and must comply with and actively protect, promote, or raise awareness of EU rights and values. Individuals or for-profit entities are not targeted by this call.

Evaluation criteria and threshold:Expert evaluators assess the quality and feasibility of the proposed crowdfunding plan and its contribution to EU values and community-building. The minimum threshold for funding consideration is 60 points. Some consortium communications indicate additional points may be awarded for smaller, local, or regional organizations, and for projects that strongly promote EU values ¹.

Categorization and structured extraction

Eligible Applicant Types:Nonprofit civil society organizations and NGOs. The call explicitly targets civil society organizations that align with EU fundamental rights, democracy, and the rule of law. It is not targeted at individuals, for-profit companies, investors, or government bodies.

Funding Type:Grant provided as financial support to third parties (cascade funding) under the CERV programme. The modality is a matching grant linked to crowdfunding proceeds upon achieving at least 90% of the target.

Consortium Requirement:Single applicant per proposal. No multi-beneficiary consortium is required for this opportunity.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):Czechia, Hungary, and Slovakia. Although the overarching initiative references V4 countries, this call is targeted at civil society organizations from these three countries.

Target Sector:Civil society, democracy, governance, civic participation, fundamental rights, rule of law, and community engagement. The specific operational focus is on crowdfunding capability and supporter community-building.

Mentioned Countries:Czechia; Hungary; Slovakia.

Project Stage:Implementation of a defined crowdfunding campaign, including preparation, execution, donor engagement, and post-campaign follow-up. Projects are expected to be sufficiently mature to run a time-bound fundraising campaign within the participation period.

Funding Amount:Total envelope: €120,000 for the call. Matching principle: funds are provided to match the amount raised if the campaign reaches at least 90% of its target. Public consortium communication indicates a per-project cap of up to €4,000, and national allocations within the total envelope (e.g., €40,000 for Czech organizations) ¹.

Application Type:Open call, single-stage submission by the specified deadline. The EU Funding & Tenders Portal call entry provides the official framework, and the consortium indicates applications are submitted via the Grantys database EU Funding & Tenders Portal call entry OSF Prague announcement.

Nature of Support:Money: matching grant disbursed upon achieving at least 90% of the crowdfunding target. Non-monetary services: capacity building including workshops, individualized consultations, and networking.

Application Stages:1 stage. Internally, proposals pass administrative, eligibility, and expert evaluation steps, culminating in a Selection Committee ranking and approval by the relevant consortium member’s Board of Trustees.

Success Rates:Not specified in the available materials. No numerical success rate or expected number of awards is provided.

Co-funding Requirement:Yes. Beneficiaries must raise funds from the crowd and reach at least 90% of their crowdfunding goal to receive matching funds. Organizations should be ready to pre-finance campaign costs; after successful implementation, up to 15% of the matching grant may be used to cover campaign expenses.

What the application should contain (templates and structure guidance)

While no official template is reproduced here, the call text specifies core content and criteria. Applicants can structure their submission to address the following elements to satisfy administrative, eligibility, and evaluation requirements:

1. 1Applicant identity and legal status: full organization details demonstrating it is a civil society organization based in Czechia, Hungary, or Slovakia; contact and registration information.
2. 2Eligibility and EU values statement: a clear description of how the organization complies with and protects, promotes, or raises awareness of EU rights and values, including democracy and rule of law, in its mission and activities.
3. 3Crowdfunding campaign overview: campaign purpose and narrative, target community, link to organizational mission, and expected outcomes for supporter base-building.
4. 4Platform and method: identification of the chosen crowdfunding platform or equivalent method, justification of choice, and compliance with relevant terms and legal requirements.
5. 5Financial target and timeline: total target amount to be raised from donors, justification and breakdown if applicable, start and end dates, key milestones, and plan to ensure reaching at least 90% of the target.
6. 6Campaign plan and outreach: communication strategy, donor engagement tactics, reward or perk structures if any, content and creative plan, media and social media schedule, partnerships and ambassadors, and data protection approach for donor communications.
7. 7Budget and financing: expected campaign costs, confirmation of the organization’s ability to pre-finance activities, and noting that up to 15% of the matching grant may be used post-success for campaign costs; explanation of how the matching funds will be used to advance the project’s goals.
8. 8Risk analysis and mitigation: identification of risks to fundraising performance and to values compliance, with mitigation measures and contingency plans.
9. 9Monitoring and KPIs: definition of campaign metrics including number of donors, conversion rates, average donation, repeat donor engagement, community growth indicators, and post-campaign stewardship plan.
10. 10Management and team: roles and responsibilities for campaign execution, internal approvals, and any external expertise or volunteers.
11. 11Sustainability and community-building: how the campaign will translate into longer-term supporter relationships and civic impact beyond the campaign period.
12. 12Declarations and annexes: any required declarations of honor, compliance statements, and supporting documents specified by the implementing consortium member; ensure the application form is fully completed and submitted by the deadline.

Additional notes and how to access the call

Prospective applicants should consult the EU Funding & Tenders Portal entry for official parameters and refer to localized call texts and the consortium’s national pages for country-specific instructions, application system access, webinars, and consultations. Referenced sources include the portal entry and a consortium member’s announcement that provides national allocation and per-project cap indications EU Funding & Tenders Portal call entry OSF Prague announcement.

Comprehensive summary

This Stronger Roots call under the EU’s CERV programme provides cascade funding to civil society organizations in Czechia, Hungary, and Slovakia to run primarily online crowdfunding campaigns that strengthen supporter communities and promote EU fundamental rights, democracy, and rule of law. It is a single-stage, open call with a 20 May 2026 deadline and a 12-month participation period. Funding is disbursed as a matching grant contingent on achieving at least 90% of the crowdfunding target; available public consortium information indicates a per-project cap up to €4,000 and national allocations within a total envelope of €120,000. Beyond funding, beneficiaries receive practical capacity building including workshops, tailored consultations, and networking. Applicants must submit a complete application that outlines a credible campaign plan, platform choice, financial target and schedule, outreach strategy, and alignment with EU values; they must also demonstrate capacity to pre-finance campaign costs, with up to 15% of the eventual matching grant usable for campaign expenses after success. Proposals are screened administratively and for eligibility, then evaluated by experts with a minimum threshold of 60 points; final decisions follow Selection Committee ranking and Board approval. The opportunity is best suited to NGOs and civil society actors aiming to professionalize crowdfunding, expand civic engagement, and translate fundraising success into durable community relationships and impact.

Footnotes

1. 1Per-project cap of up to €4,000 and a €40,000 national allocation for Czech organizations are indicated by a Stronger Roots consortium member’s announcement: Stronger Roots Grant Call: We will double the proceeds of your crowdfunding campaign, OSF Prague, 18 March 2026 OSF Prague announcement.

Funding Opportunity Overview

The Stronger Roots program, funded by the European Union under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) program, is announcing Call for Proposals 2 focused on supporting civil society organizations through matching grants for crowdfunding campaigns. The initiative aims to strengthen communities of supporters and advance EU values across Central Europe by providing financial support combined with comprehensive capacity building.

Grant Award Mechanism:The program offers matching grants that will double the proceeds of successful crowdfunding campaigns. If an organization raises at least 90 percent of its target amount from donors, the EU will match those funds with a grant up to €4,000 per organization. This means organizations must demonstrate community support before receiving matching funds.

Eligibility and Target Applicants

This call is exclusively open to civil society organizations registered in and operating from the Czech Republic, Hungary, or Slovakia. Eligible organizations must demonstrate that they comply with, protect, promote, or actively raise awareness of EU values and principles including fundamental rights, democracy, and the rule of law.

The program particularly encourages applications from smaller, local, or regional civil society organizations. These organizations will receive additional evaluation points to help overcome capacity and resource barriers. Similarly, organizations actively engaged in promoting, protecting, or communicating EU rights and values in their daily operations will receive additional scoring consideration.

Funding Details

Total Funding Available:€120,000 is available for distribution across the three participating countries. The Czech Republic has been allocated €40,000. Budget allocation for Slovakia and Hungary is also available from the remaining €80,000.

Maximum Grant Per Organization:Matching grants are capped at €4,000 per organization upon successful crowdfunding completion. Following successful campaign implementation, organizations may use up to 15 percent of the matching grant for campaign-related costs.

Project Requirements and Responsibilities

Selected grantees assume full responsibility for organizing and implementing their crowdfunding campaigns from conception to completion. Organizations must develop an initial campaign idea, select an appropriate crowdfunding platform or method, establish a realistic financial target, and define a specific timeframe for the campaign.

Organizations must prepare and execute an effective campaign plan, launch the campaign, engage their supporter community, and maintain donor communication throughout the process. Importantly, organizations are expected to use their own funds to finance the entire crowdfunding campaign upfront. The EU matching grant is provided only after successful campaign completion, contingent on reaching the 90 percent threshold of the stated fundraising target.

Timeline and Submission Process

Application Deadline:Applications must be submitted by 20 May 2026 at 13:00 Brussels time through the designated application portal.

Expected Project Duration:Selected projects are expected to run for 12 months from grant award.

The call operates on a single-stage submission process. Information webinars and online consultations are scheduled throughout April and May 2026 to assist applicants with preparation and answer questions about the application process.

Evaluation Process and Criteria

Applications undergo a structured three-stage evaluation process. First, all submissions are reviewed for administrative completeness to ensure the application form is fully completed by the deadline. Second, applications are assessed against eligibility criteria to confirm the organization meets basic requirements. Third, qualified applications undergo expert evaluation and scoring by evaluators or Selection Committee members.

The funding threshold for expert evaluation is set at 60 points. Applications meeting this threshold are ranked, discussed at Selection Committee meetings, and recommended for support based on score ranking. Final approval is provided by the Board of Trustees of the relevant Stronger Roots consortium member organization.

Evaluation Priorities:

• Smaller, local, or regional organizations receive additional evaluation points
• Projects promoting, protecting, or communicating EU rights and values receive additional points
• Quality and feasibility of the proposed crowdfunding campaign plan
• Organizational capacity to execute the crowdfunding strategy
• Alignment with EU fundamental rights and democratic values

Capacity Building and Support

Beyond financial support, the program provides selected grantees with comprehensive capacity building and expert assistance. This includes practical workshops focused on effective campaign planning, individual expert consultations tailored to each organization's specific project needs, and networking opportunities to exchange best practices with other civil society organizations across the sector.

Program Administration and Consortium Partners

The Stronger Roots program is administered through an international consortium consisting of four partner organizations: Glopolis (Czech Republic), Open Society Foundation Bratislava (Slovakia), NIOK Foundation (Hungary), and Batory Foundation (Poland). These organizations collectively manage the call, evaluate applications, and provide expert support to grantees in their respective countries.

The program operates under European Union funding through the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) program, specifically the CERV-2024 call for proposals targeting civil society organizations active in protecting and promoting union values.

Key Considerations for Applicants

• Organizations must be legally registered and operationally based in Czech Republic, Hungary, or Slovakia
• Organizations must align with and actively promote EU values including democracy, fundamental rights, and rule of law
• Crowdfunding campaign target must be achieved at 90 percent minimum by the organization before matching grant is awarded
• Organization must finance the crowdfunding campaign entirely from own resources before receiving EU matching support
• Only primarily online crowdfunding campaigns are supported
• Project implementation period is 12 months
• Organizations should apply early to access preparatory webinars and consultations offered in April and May 2026

Contact and Further Information:Detailed call documentation including country-specific terms and conditions is available through the official EU Funding and Tenders Portal and the respective national consortium partner websites. Localized versions of call texts are available for each participating country. Information webinars in English and local languages are being conducted throughout April and May 2026.

Footnotes

1. 1This call is the second round of the Stronger Roots program, which operates 2025-2027 with plans to support approximately 20 CSO networks across the Visegrad countries with total grants and expert support valued at €740,000.