Call for proposals for small grants 3/SPLOT/GM/2026

Call for proposals 3/SPLOT/GM/2026 CERV-2024 offers cascade small grants to independent non-profit civil society organisations registered in Poland to promote and protect EU values and fundamental rights through awareness, dialogue, advocacy, monitoring, research and targeted support services. Total budget is €534,973.47 with individual grants of €2,500–7,500 and no co-funding required; projects must be implemented solely in Poland by a single entity and settled using simplified results-based methods. Call opens 10 August 2026 and the submission deadline is 9 October 2026 at 15:00 Brussels time, with project implementation expected in the window 1 March 2027 to 31 May 2027 and durations of 3–12 months. Applications are submitted via the SPLOT platform and evaluated by two independent experts against CERV relevance, geographic and financial eligibility, duration, settlement method and single-entity implementation criteria.

What it funds

Scope and eligible activities

Small grants to support civil society activities that promote and protect EU values and fundamental rights in Poland. Eligible actions include awareness campaigns, citizens dialogues, coalition-building, legal monitoring and advice, advocacy and participation in law-making, research to inform policy, and targeted support services (eg victim or psychological support).

Grant size and total budget:Individual grants: €2,500 to €7,500. Total funding available for this call: €534,973.47. No own contribution required ¹.

1. 1Who can apply: independent non-profit civil society organisations legally registered in Poland (local, regional or national).
2. 2Geographical scope: activities must be implemented exclusively in Poland.
3. 3Project duration: 3 to 12 months (grants in this call may be implemented from 1 March 2027 to 31 May 2027).
4. 4Implementation model: single-entity projects; simplified results-based settlement; assessed by two independent experts.

Assessment is competitive:each application is scored by two independent experts and must meet subject criteria aligned with the CERV programme priorities. Projects must not be affiliated with the Grantor or have been contractors/collaborators within 12 months prior to application.

Footnotes

1. 1Apply and find full call documents at the SPLOT application portal: siecsplot.pl and the EU portal listing: ec.europa.eu

Reference and administrative details

Call identifier CERV-2024. Project acronym SPLOT wartosci 2.0. Grant agreement number 101187197. Call published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Primary application platform: siecsplot.pl ¹.

Opening date:10 August 2026

Submission deadline (single-stage):9 October 2026, 15:00 Brussels time

Total funding available (project level):€534,973.47 (budget listed for the SPLOT wartosci 2.0 project / funder-level cascade fund)

Grant value per award (range):Each individual small grant must be at least €2,500 and no more than €7,500. Grants are disbursed under simplified result-based flat-rate settlement for small grants.

Purpose, objectives and eligible activities

The cascade fund finances small civil society actions that protect, promote and raise awareness of Union values and fundamental rights in Poland. The stated objectives of the grant fund are: strengthening the potential of civil society organisations and leaders to promote and protect EU values and fundamental rights; strengthening the ability of supported organisations to represent the CSO sector and make effective decisions; increasing the presence of CSOs in public life and public debate; raising involvement in law-making processes; improving the image and operating environment for CSOs; and strengthening awareness of democratic values and the role of organisations in promoting and protecting them.

1. 1Raising awareness of EU rights and values, outreach to the public and key actors, information and communication campaigns including social media.
2. 2Organising citizens platforms and citizens dialogues on topics related to EU rights and values, including use of digital technologies.
3. 3Coalitions and partnerships, coordination and strategic cooperation between civil society organisations and other stakeholders (public or private).
4. 4Providing free advice, supervision and monitoring of EU policies, rights and values as enshrined in the EU Treaties and the Charter.
5. 5Promoting implementation of adopted laws, regulations and court decisions.
6. 6Citizen participation, lobbying and advocacy to influence policy or decision-making at local, regional or national level and contribute to review or adoption of legislation and policies.
7. 7Research and analysis to inform policy-making at EU and national level and to develop tools and standards supporting EU values.
8. 8Providing targeted support services such as victim support and psychological assistance to address online and offline threats.

Only activities carried out in Poland are eligible. Grant projects may be local, regional or nationwide within Poland.

Who can apply and eligibility

Eligible applicants:independent civil society organisations registered in Poland that are non-profit, operate at local, regional or national level, respect fundamental rights and EU values, and implement activities covered by the CERV programme. Organisations must have their registered office in Poland. Applicants must not be affiliated entities of the Grantor and must not have been collaborators or contractors with the Grantor within 12 months prior to application.

Project implementation model and constraints:Each grant project must be implemented by one single entity (no consortium). Grants must be settled using simplified methods based on results (flat-rate / lump sum style settlement for small grants). Duration: from 3 up to 12 months. For this specific call grants may be implemented in the period from 1 March 2027 to 31 May 2027 (note: the call text specifies this implementation window for the call) and grants must respect the duration limits stated in the application.

Application and selection process

This is an open single-stage call for proposals. Applications are submitted via the SPLOT application platform indicated above ¹. Applications are assessed by a competition committee: each application is independently evaluated by two experts. Experts sign impartiality declarations. Assessment uses point scoring and verification of subject and formal criteria.

1. 1Criterion 1: Relevance to CERV programme priorities: raising awareness of rights and values by supporting civil society organisations, protecting and promoting Union values including respect for rule of law, supporting dialogue, transparency and good governance, and addressing shrinking civic space.
2. 2Criterion 2: Project implementation exclusively in Poland.
3. 3Criterion 3: Requested grant amount between €2,500 and €7,500.
4. 4Criterion 4: Duration from 3 to 12 months; for this call the implementation period is limited to 1 March 2027 to 31 May 2027.
5. 5Criterion 5: Project must be settled using simplified result-based methods.
6. 6Criterion 6: Project implemented by a single entity (no consortium).

Administrative, financial and operational details

Application templates and supporting documents

The call provides a set of templates and documents tailored to the cascade grant procedures. Documents cited in the public information include: Wzór wniosku o powierzenie grantu (grant application form template), Wzór karty oceny formalnej wniosku (formal check / eligibility evaluation form), Wzór karty oceny merytorycznej wniosku (merit evaluation sheet), Wzór umowy o powierzenie grantu (sample grant award contract), Wzór sprawozdania z realizacji grantu (project implementation report template). A handbook is available describing how to apply, implement and settle the grant. The SPLOT website and helpdesk provide additional tools: application generator, local animators and helpdesk support, webinars and Q&A sessions during the open application period.

Evaluation timeline and operational schedule (call-specific)

Call open:10 August 2026. Submission deadline: 9 October 2026 15:00. The public pages reference cascaded rounds across 2025–2028; for this call the expected grant start window is indicated around 1 March 2027 with completion dates compatible with the grant duration limits. The public SPLOT project documentation describes previous and planned rounds, information webinars, helpdesk support and publication of ranking lists for other rounds. Exact ranking publication date for this specific call will be provided on the platform and in the call guidance.

Structured extraction: classification answers

Eligible Applicant Types:civil society organisation, non-profit, NGO. The call restricts applicants to independent civil society organisations registered in Poland that operate at local, regional or national level and respect fundamental rights and EU values.

Funding Type:grant. This is cascade funding from an EU-funded project (intermediary giving financial support to third parties).

Consortium Requirement:single. Projects must be implemented by one entity. Consortiums are not allowed under the subject criteria for this small-grant call.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):Poland only. Activities and project implementation must be carried out exclusively in Poland.

Target Sector:civil society / democracy / rule of law / civic participation / human rights / public policy (public engagement, advocacy, awareness-raising and support services related to EU values and the Charter of Fundamental Rights).

Mentioned Countries:Poland. The call and SPLOT programme focus on organisations from within Poland and activities implemented in Poland.

Project Stage:implementation and demonstration of civil society activities. Projects are expected to be ready for direct implementation at local, regional or national level (operational projects rather than early research).

Funding Amount:individual grants €2,500 to €7,500. Overall cascade pot for the SPLOT wartosci 2.0 project approx. €534,973.47 (public pages also reference €526,830 for some rounds; the call page lists €534,973.47 as total funding available).

Application Type:open call, single-stage submission via the SPLOT application platform. Applicants use the provided application form template and submit through the indicated portal.

Nature of Support:money (direct financial grants to third-party CSOs) combined with non-monetary support available through the SPLOT programme such as helpdesk, animator support, webinars, application generator and capacity-building materials.

Application Stages:1. Single-stage open submission followed by evaluation by two independent experts. Administrative checks and merit scoring take place; successful applicants are offered a grant contract.

Success Rates:not specified in the call documentation. Historical numbers from programme pages indicate an intention to fund a large number of organisations across multiple rounds (planned support for 220–230 organisations overall across small and large grants in the SPLOT Wartosci 2.0 project), and an estimate of c.75 small grants per tranche if all applicants request the maximum amount, but the call does not publish an explicit success-rate percentage for this specific round.

Co-funding Requirement:no. The call explicitly states no own contribution is required from applicants for these small grants.

Templates and application form structure (available materials)

The call documentation lists the following templates and documents which applicants should consult and use when preparing their submission: grant application form template (Wzór wniosku o powierzenie grantu), formal assessment sheet template (Wzór karty oceny formalnej wniosku), merit evaluation sheet (Wzór karty oceny merytorycznej wniosku), sample grant contract (Wzór umowy o powierzenie grantu), project implementation report template (Wzór sprawozdania z realizacji grantu), and a handbook explaining how to apply, implement and settle the grant. The SPLOT portal also provides an application generator tool, and the programme runs helpdesk services and local animators to assist applicants.

1. 1Typical sections expected in the application form (based on provided templates): Applicant identification and registration details; legal status and proof of non-profit registration; declared geographic scope within Poland; project title and short description; detailed description of activities (work plan, timeline), target groups and expected results; methodology and links to CERV priorities and EU values; measurable indicators and simplified result-based outputs for flat-rate settlement; budget request within €2,500-7,500 and justification of cost categories under simplified rules; confirmation of single-entity implementation; declarations on non-affiliation with Grantor and absence of recent contractual relationship; signature and confirmations.

How selection and contracting are done

Applications undergo formal eligibility checks and are then assessed on merit by two independent experts using merit evaluation sheets. Experts sign impartiality declarations. Successful applicants will be offered a grant contract based on the sample contract template. Small grants are settled using simplified result-based methods, and beneficiaries must submit the prescribed report template to demonstrate delivery of agreed outputs and results for final payment/reimbursement under the simplified settlement.

Practical notes and recommendations (from call content)

Applicants should ensure that their activity is strictly implemented in Poland, request grant amounts within the permitted €2,500 to €7,500 range, and design projects that can be measured and reported under simplified result-based settlement. Projects should clearly link to the CERV priorities cited in the call (awareness raising, promotion and protection of Union values, democratic participation, rule of law, transparency and good governance). Use the provided templates and the application generator on the SPLOT portal and seek helpdesk/animator support during the open application window.

Concluding summary

This call is a cascade small-grants round implemented by the SPLOT wartosci 2.0 project under the CERV programme. It provides direct small grants (€2,500 to €7,500) to independent Polish civil society organisations to carry out operational activities that promote, protect and raise awareness of EU values, fundamental rights and rule of law domestically. The procedure is an open single-stage call, with simplified flat-rate/result-based settlement for small grants and no co-funding required. Projects must be implemented by a single entity and exclusively within Poland. Applicants must use the SPLOT application platform and the provided templates; submissions are evaluated by two independent experts. The call is intended to strengthen the capacity of local and regional CSOs, increase civic participation and advocacy, support monitoring and promotion of EU values in public life, and provide targeted support services where needed. Practical application documents and an applicant handbook are available on the SPLOT portal to guide applicants through application, implementation and reporting. For application submission use the SPLOT portal: siecsplot.pl ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Application platform and full call documentation available at the SPLOT portal: siecsplot.pl and on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal opportunity page: ec.europa.eu

This is a cascade funding call for civil society organisations in Poland under SPLOT wartosci 2.0 and the CERV-2024 framework. The call is open for submission and has a total budget of €534,973.47, with individual grants of 2,500 to €7,500 and no own contribution required[1].

What the funding is about

The call finances small projects that promote and protect EU rights, values and fundamental rights in Poland, including awareness raising, citizen dialogue, cooperation between civil society organisations, legal and policy monitoring, advocacy, research, and targeted support services. Only activities carried out in Poland are eligible, and projects may be local, regional or nationwide[1].

Who can apply

Eligible applicants are independent civil society organisations registered in Poland. Applicants must be non-profit, operate at local, regional or national level, respect EU fundamental rights and values, carry out work within CERV-related areas, and not be affiliated with the grantor or have been its collaborators or contractors in the 12 months before applying[1].

Key funding conditions

Implementation and duration

The call states that grant projects must run for 3 to 12 months, while the call-specific implementation window is from 1 March 2027 to 31 May 2027. Applicants should therefore plan a short, tightly scoped project that can be completed within that period.

Activities that may be financed

• Awareness raising on EU Treaty and Charter rights and values, including social media information campaigns[1].
• Citizens platforms and citizens dialogues on EU rights and values, including digital formats[1].
• Coalitions, partnerships, coordination and strategic cooperation among CSOs and other stakeholders[1].
• Free advice, supervision and monitoring of EU policies, rights and values[1].
• Promotion of the implementation of adopted laws, regulations and court decisions[1].
• Citizen participation, lobbying and advocacy to influence policy and decision-making at national, regional or local level[1].
• Research and analysis to inform policy-making and develop tools and standards supporting EU values[1].
• Targeted support services such as victim support and psychological support for online and offline threats[1].

Selection and practical takeaways

Applications are evaluated by two independent experts, and the subject criteria focus on relevance to CERV priorities, implementation exclusively in Poland, requested amount within the grant limits, compliant duration, simplified results-based settlement, and implementation by one entity[1]. This call is most suitable for Polish CSOs that want a small, fast-moving grant for public engagement, advocacy, monitoring, coalition building or targeted support work.