Call for proposals in the Stronger Roots Program - Pillar 1: Social Base Building / Pillar 2: Network Transversal Collaboration

The Stronger Roots Program is an initiative under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) Programme, aimed at enhancing civil society organizations (CSOs) and their networks in the Visegrád Group countries, specifically Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia. The program targets organizations that promote and protect EU values such as democracy, fundamental rights, and the rule of law.

The program is structured into two pillars:

Pillar 1 focuses on social base building for individual CSOs, aiding them in expanding their supporter base, which includes volunteers and donors. The expected outcomes include improving CSOs' understanding of community needs and enhancing engagement with community members.

Pillar 2 emphasizes collaborative networks, aiming to strengthen relationships between civil society organizations and various stakeholders. The goal is to enhance the skills of networks in engaging diverse groups and improving internal consolidation.

The call for proposals is open-ended with multiple deadlines, specifically set for June 16, 2025, and October 3, 2025. The funding available totals €2,905,000, with individual project funding potentially ranging from €30,000 to €50,000.

The application process involves two stages. Initially, organizations submit a Concept Note in their local language to demonstrate eligibility and outline their project ideas. Successful applicants from this stage are invited to submit a Full Application, which must include detailed project descriptions, goals, activities, timelines, budgets, and indicators for success.

There is no explicit co-funding requirement mentioned, and the program provides monetary support along with non-financial assistance such as capacity-building opportunities. Success rates for applications are competitive, reflecting typical ranges of 10-39%, but exact figures are not specified.

Interested organizations should refer to the local consortium partners for each country to access detailed application guidelines and forms, with partners including Open Society Fund Prague for Czechia, NIOK Foundation for Hungary, Stefan Batory Foundation for Poland, and Open Society Foundation Bratislava for Slovakia. The program directly supports the European Pillar of Social Rights by promoting civic engagement and resilience in the region.

The Stronger Roots V4 program, supported by the European Union's Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) Programme, announces a Call for Proposals. This call targets civil society organizations (CSOs) and their networks in Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia. Eligible organizations must comply with, protect, promote, or raise awareness of the EU's values and principles of fundamental rights, democracy, and the rule of law.

The call is structured around two pillars:

Pillar 1: SOCIAL BASE BUILDING FOR CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS

The primary goal is to assist CSOs in expanding their social base, encompassing supporters, followers, donors, volunteers, and activists. This aims to enhance their strength, sustainability, and integration within their communities, encouraging greater public engagement in their causes and values.

Expected results include: CSOs understanding the concept of social base building and increasing their knowledge and skills in related areas, they get to know their social base and build a strong relationship with them, understand their community and its needs, and engage more people in their work and activities.

Pillar 2: TRANSVERSAL COLLABORATION FOR CIVIL SOCIETY NETWORKS

This pillar focuses on strengthening collaboration between civil society organizations' networks and diverse stakeholders.

Expected results include: networks improve their relationship with diverse stakeholders, they develop their skills of engaging different stakeholders, broaden their understanding of the context in which they operate, and consolidate the network internally.

The submission process involves two stages:

Stage 1: Concept Note

Applicants must submit a Concept Note in Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, or Polish. The Concept Note should demonstrate the organization's/network's eligibility, compliance with EU rights and values, and a brief project idea. Successful applicants will proceed to the next stage.

Stage 2: Full Application

Invited applicants will submit a Full Application with a detailed project description, defined goals, activities, timeline, indicators, and a detailed budget. These applications will be evaluated to select the organizations/networks for support.

Evaluation Process:

Both stages involve an administrative and eligibility review. Eligible applications are then evaluated and scored by evaluators or Selection Committee members. A ranked list is discussed at the Selection Committee meeting, resulting in a list of projects recommended for support. The Board of Trustees of the relevant Stronger Roots consortium member approves the final list.

Key Dates:

Opening date: 15 April 2025

Deadline: Multiple cut-off dates

16 June 2025, 13:00 (Brussels time)

03 October 2025, 13:00 (Brussels time)

Funding Details:

Total funding available: 2,905,000.00 EUR

Project Information:

Project acronym: Stronger Roots V4

Full name: Stronger Roots for Civil Society in V4 countries

Grant agreement number: 101184099

Topic: 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)

To access the full Call for Proposal and application details, visit the website of the local consortium partner in each country:

Czechia: Open Society Fund Prague

Hungary: NIOK Foundation

Poland: Stefan Batory Foundation

Slovakia: Open Society Foundation Bratislava

In summary, this opportunity is a call for proposals under the EU's CERV program, aimed at strengthening civil society organizations and their networks in the Visegrad Four countries (Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia). It focuses on two main pillars: building the social base of CSOs and fostering transversal collaboration among civil society networks and other stakeholders. The application process is divided into two stages, starting with a Concept Note and progressing to a Full Application for selected applicants. The program seeks to support initiatives that promote EU values, fundamental rights, democracy, and the rule of law, with a total funding of 2,905,000.00 EUR available. Interested organizations should consult the websites of the local consortium partners for detailed guidelines and application procedures.

Eligible Applicant Types: Civil society organizations (CSOs) and their networks are eligible to apply.

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

Consortium Requirement: The call is open to both single applicants (individual CSOs) and networks of CSOs, so either single or consortium is applicable.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is limited to civil society organizations and their networks from Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia.

Target Sector: The program targets civil society organizations active in protecting, promoting, or raising awareness of EU values, fundamental rights, democracy, and the rule of law. This falls under the broader sectors of human rights, democracy, and civic engagement.

Mentioned Countries: Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia.

Project Stage: The call supports projects focused on building the social base of CSOs and fostering collaboration between civil society networks and stakeholders. This suggests projects in the development, validation, or scale-up stages, rather than purely research-focused or early-stage ideas.

Funding Amount: The total funding available is 2,905,000.00 €. The funding range for individual projects is not specified in the provided text, but it will likely be variable depending on the project scope and pillar.

Application Type: Open call with multiple cut-off dates.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money (grants) as financial support to third parties.

Application Stages: The application process consists of two stages: Concept Note and Full Application.

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

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This opportunity is a call for proposals under the EU's Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) Programme, managed by the Stronger Roots consortium. It aims to support civil society organizations (CSOs) and their networks in Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia. The call is divided into two pillars. Pillar 1 focuses on "Social Base Building for Civil Society Organizations," aiming to strengthen CSOs by helping them build their supporter base, engage more volunteers, and become more deeply embedded in their communities. Pillar 2, "Transversal Collaboration for Civil Society Networks," seeks to enhance collaboration between civil society networks and various stakeholders.

The application process is in two stages. First, applicants submit a Concept Note in their local language (Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, or Polish) to demonstrate eligibility and briefly outline their project idea. Successful applicants from the first stage are then invited to submit a Full Application with a detailed project description, goals, activities, timeline, budget, and indicators. The total funding available for this call is 2,905,000.00 €. The call is open for submission with multiple deadlines, the first being June 16, 2025, and the second being October 3, 2025. Organizations interested in applying should visit the website of the local consortium partner in their country (Open Society Fund Prague for Czechia, NIOK Foundation for Hungary, Stefan Batory Foundation for Poland, and Open Society Foundation Bratislava for Slovakia) to access the full call details and application forms. The call specifically targets CSOs that are active in promoting and protecting EU values, fundamental rights, democracy, and the rule of law. The funding is provided as cascade funding, meaning the Stronger Roots consortium acts as an intermediary, distributing funds to selected third-party organizations.