CIVIL SOCIETY ENGAGEMENT IN PUBLIC POLICY, LOCAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE EU INTEGRATION PROCESS

Civil Society Engagement in Public Policy, Local Development and the EU Integration Process is an EU-funded action grant under the Civil Society Facility and Media Programmes for Montenegro to strengthen CSO contribution to public policy, local development and the EU accession process. The call has a total indicative budget of €2,250,000 divided into three lots (€750,000 per lot) with individual grants between €700,000 and €750,000 and an EU co-financing rate of 85%–95% of eligible costs. Eligible applicants are non-profit civil society organisations legally established in Montenegro; applications must be registered in PADOR and submitted online via the PROSPECT service by 28 July 2026 at 14:00 Brussels time.

What it funds

Scope summary

Grants to strengthen Montenegrin civil society engagement in public policy, local development and the EU accession process. Activities include policy monitoring and advocacy, local multi-stakeholder cooperation, transparency and anti-corruption work, capacity building, citizen engagement, small-scale pilot actions and financial support to third parties (sub‑grants).

Funding and deadlines:Total budget €2,250,000. Published 28/04/2026. Deadline for full applications 28/07/2026 (Brussels time).

1. 1Who can apply: non-profit civil society organisations and networks legally established in Montenegro (lead applicant).
2. 2Consortia: co-applicants and affiliated entities permitted; specific lots require co-applicants (see guidelines).
3. 3Grant size: €700,000 to €750,000 per award; EU share 85%–95% of total eligible costs.
4. 4Duration: actions must run between 36 and 42 months and be implemented in Montenegro.
5. 5Financial support to third parties permitted: typically up to €60,000 per third party; FSTP must be carefully designed and represents a large share of the action under this call.

How to apply:register in PADOR and submit the concept note and full application online via PROSPECT following the call documentation and templates. Read the Guidelines for Applicants and Annexes (budget, logframe, declarations). Questions to the contracting authority must respect published timelines.

Selection highlights:two-stage evaluation (concept note then full application). Applications are scored on relevance, design, implementation, sustainability, budget and applicants’ capacity. Pre-selected applicants are invited to submit full proposals. Successful applicants sign the standard EU grant contract (Annex G of the call).

Key documents and portal:full call dossier, templates and standard contract available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and the DG INTPA call page; use PROSPECT for submission and PADOR for organisation registration Funding & Tenders Portal

Call summary and administrative facts

Reference:EuropeAid. Programme: EU Civil Society Facility and Media Programme for Montenegro (allocations 2025–2026). Instrument: Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA). Type of financing: Action Grants. Total budget made available under this call: €2,250,000 divided equally across three lots (€750,000 per lot). Published: 28/04/2026. Submission deadline for concept note and full application process (two-stage): 28/07/2026 at 14:00 Brussels time.

Primary objective:Strengthen the role and contribution of civil society organisations to public policy, local development and the EU integration process in Montenegro through inclusive participation, capacity building, multi-stakeholder cooperation and activities promoting transparency, accountability and good governance ¹.

Who can apply and how

This is an open call for proposals managed through the EU PROSPECT platform. Lead applicants must be non-profit legal persons that are civil society organisations or networks, effectively established in Montenegro and registered at least 24 months prior to the submission deadline. Co-applicants and affiliated entities are allowed and, for Lot 1 and Lot 3, co-applicant involvement is mandatory; Lot 2 may be implemented by a sole lead applicant or with co-applicants. Applicants must register in PADOR/Participant Register (Participant Identification Code PIC) and submit applications online via PROSPECT. The procedure is two-stage: concept note evaluation followed by invitation to selected applicants to submit full applications. See detailed guidance and templates in the call annexes.

Key dates:Publication: 28/04/2026. Deadline for submission of concept note and full application (first stage concept note considered first): 28/07/2026 at 14:00 Brussels time. Information session: 05/06/2026 (Podgorica). Expected notification and contracting timetable: evaluation steps through Sept–Dec 2026 (indicative).

Lots, eligible activities and priorities

The call is structured in three lots. Project size and eligible thematic activities differ by lot but follow the common aim of strengthening civil society engagement in Montenegro.

1. 1Lot 1: Strengthening CSO participation in thematic/sectoral public policy areas, in particular in relation to the EU integration process. Indicative activities: CSO monitoring and shadow reporting of EU-related reforms and sectoral acquis, policy advocacy and dialogue, capacity-building for engagement with public institutions, public communication on EU accession issues, sectoral monitoring (environment, consumer protection, food safety, migration/asylum, waste management, biodiversity, climate adaptation).
2. 2Lot 2: Local development and multi-stakeholder cooperation at local level. Indicative activities: civic participation in local decision-making and budgeting; support to local policy proposals, community-based initiatives; multi-stakeholder platforms and structured dialogue between CSOs, municipalities and other stakeholders; monitoring of local public spending and service delivery; digital tools for participation and transparency. Activities outside capital are strongly encouraged and complementarity with existing projects (e.g. ReLOaD3) must be ensured.
3. 3Lot 3: Civil society engagement in horizontal/cross-cutting areas: transparency, accountability, anti-corruption and rule of law. Indicative activities: civic oversight of procurement and public spending, awareness and integrity campaigns, transparency / access to information initiatives, citizen reporting tools, watchdog and advocacy actions at local and central levels.

Funding modalities and amounts

Overall indicative call budget:€2,250,000. Indicative allocation per lot: €750,000. Grants available per award: minimum €700,000 and maximum €750,000 per project. EU contribution rate: between 85% and 95% of total eligible costs (beneficiary co-financing 5% to 15%). The contracting authority reserves the right not to award all funds or to reallocate between lots if needed.

Forms of EU funding allowed under the call:Primary financing mechanism: Action Grants (reimbursement of eligible costs). The call also allows financing not linked to costs (FNLC) for certain elements where specified in the proposal and in line with Article 14bis of the General Conditions. Financial Support to Third Parties (sub-grants) is explicitly allowed and is a core feature of this call; FSTP typical limit is €60,000 per third party unless an exception is justified.

Applicant and partner requirements

Eligible lead applicants:non-profit civil society organisations and networks legally established in Montenegro. Co-applicants and affiliated entities: may be civil society organisations or other entities meeting the same eligibility criteria and having a structural link where required. Co-applicants sign a mandate and affiliated entities sign an affiliated entity statement. Associates, contractors and recipients of financial support are distinct roles and have different obligations; contractors must respect procurement rules in Annex IV. All applicants must not be in exclusion situations and must sign a Declaration on Honour where required.

Mandatory registrations and documents at submission:Lead applicants, co-applicants and affiliated entities must register in PADOR and the Participant Register (PIC). Applications must be submitted via PROSPECT. Required annexes include budget (Annex B), logical framework (Annex C), Declaration on Honour (Annex H), PADOR form if PADOR registration was not possible (Annex F), statutes/articles of association and financial statements or self-declaration for financial capacity. For grants > €60,000 winners complete the SEA-H self-evaluation (Annex L) prior to contracting.

Consortium requirement and application format

Consortium model:permitted and in some lots required. Lot 1 and Lot 3 require co-applicant participation; Lot 2 allows sole applicant or consortium. The coordinator (lead applicant) is the single interlocutor with the contracting authority and is responsible for project coordination, consolidation of reports and financial management. Applications follow a two-stage evaluation: concept note scoring and then invited full application. Submission is online through PROSPECT using the official Annex A.1 (concept note) and A.2 (full application) templates.

Eligible costs, co-financing and financial rules

Eligible costs follow Article 14 of the General Conditions (Annex II). Eligible direct costs include personnel, travel and subsistence, equipment, consumables, service contracts, dissemination, contractual expenditure verification and evaluation, taxes not recoverable, and certain project office costs if foreseen. Contingency reserve up to 5% of direct eligible costs requires prior written authorisation. Indirect costs may be claimed as a flat-rate up to 7% of eligible direct costs (excluding volunteers' work and project office costs). Contributions in kind are not treated as eligible costs (except volunteers' work where authorised). The grant cannot produce a profit for beneficiaries (no-profit rules apply unless exceptions in special conditions).

1. 1Co-financing requirement: EU contribution 85%–95% of eligible costs. Applicants must provide remaining 5%–15% from other sources (own funds, other donors).
2. 2Financial support to third parties (FSTP): mandatory description in proposals if planned. Under this call FSTP should represent minimum 60% of total eligible costs of the action; per-subgrant ceiling usually €60,000 unless justified.
3. 3Financial guarantee: where pre-financing exceeds €60,000, the contracting authority may request a bank guarantee following Annex VIII model.

Evaluation, stages and success process

The selection process has three principal stages:(1) Opening and administrative checks and concept note evaluation; (2) Evaluation of full applications by award and selection criteria (technical quality, financial and operational capacity); (3) Eligibility verification and checks of supporting documents prior to contract signature. Concept notes are scored out of 50 and are filtered; pre-selected applicants are invited to submit full applications which are scored out of 100. The contracting authority then draws a ranked provisional list and performs final eligibility checks and award decisions.

Number of evaluation stages:Three main stages: concept note assessment (stage 1), full proposal evaluation (stage 2), and eligibility/document checks and contracting (stage 3).

Success rates, competition and rejection grounds

Success rates are not published for the call. This is a competitive open call with high minimum project size (€700K–€750K) and a finite envelope of €2.25M. Applications will be rejected at administrative check for non-compliance (late submission, missing mandatory registrations/documents, ineligible lead applicant). Provisional selection does not guarantee contracting; eligibility checks may lead to replacement from the reserve list.

Templates, mandatory annexes and application structure

Applicants must use standard templates provided in the call documentation. Mandatory annexes include: Annex A.1 Concept note; Annex A.2 Full application; Annex B Budget (Excel); Annex C Logical Framework (Excel); Annex F PADOR registration form (if necessary); Annex H Declaration on Honour; Annex L SEA-H self-evaluation (for successful applicants prior to contracting). Additional annexes and guidance: Annex II General Conditions; Annex IV Procurement rules; Annex V Request for payment; Annex VI Reporting templates; Annex VII-A Terms of reference and model for contractual expenditure verification; Annex VII-B Third party assessment TOR (for FNLC); Annex VIII Financial guarantee model; Annex IX Transfer of ownership template. Applicants must submit budgets with breakdowns and justifications (worksheet 2).

1. 1Application sequence: register in PADOR and Participant Register (PIC), prepare concept note (Annex A.1) and submit via PROSPECT. If pre-selected, submit full application (Annex A.2) and supporting documents.
2. 2Budget format: Annex B Excel worksheets 1a/€1B/1c (cost-based and FNLC where used) and worksheet 2 justification and worksheet 3 expected sources of funding.
3. 3Monitoring and reporting templates: Annex VI interim and final narrative and financial reports; contractual expenditure verification and third party assessment templates (Annex VII-A/B) where applicable.

Project maturity and expected project stage

Projects should be mature, implementation-ready, and demonstrate capacity for multi-year implementation (the action duration must be minimum 36 months and maximum 42 months). Proposals should include detailed activity planning, monitoring indicators in the logical framework, and budget realism. Where financing not linked to costs is used, outputs and indicators in the logframe form the basis for validation of payments (third-party assessment may be required).

Eligible applicant types (detailed)

The call targets civil society organisations and networks. Eligible applicant types include non-profit NGOs, CSO networks, community-based organisations and similar non-profit legal entities established in Montenegro. Co-applicants and affiliated entities must meet the same eligibility. Associates, contractors and recipients of financial support (FSTP) are allowed roles under the project but have distinct requirements. Public bodies can be involved as partners only as provided in the call, but public bodies are not the primary target for lead applicant status under these guidelines.

Geographic eligibility and mentioned countries

Geographic scope:Montenegro (country implementation). The call is aimed at actions implemented in Montenegro and requiring applicants to be effectively established in Montenegro.

Target sectors and thematic focus

Target sectors include democratic governance, rule of law, transparency, accountability, anti-corruption, public policy and EU accession-related sectors, local governance and local development, environmental and climate action where linked to civic engagement, public policy and the EU acquis. Thematic cross-cutting issues such as gender equality, human rights, inclusion of youth and marginalised groups, and environmental sustainability are required mainstreaming elements.

Technology, science or evaluation requirements

No specific technology TRL is required. Proposals should demonstrate methodological rigour for monitoring & evaluation, including indicator-based monitoring in the logical framework, reliable data sources, third-party assessment arrangements where FNLC applied, contractual expenditure verification (Annex VII-A) for financial reporting, and adequate safeguards for data protection and confidentiality. Digital tools for civic participation, transparency and reporting are eligible activities where appropriate.

Application stages, decision and contracting

1. 1Stage 1: Submission and administrative check of concept note. Concept notes that pass eligibility move to scoring (max 50 points). Pre-selection of concept notes based on ranking and available budget (200% pipeline).
2. 2Stage 2: Invitation to submit full application. Full applications evaluated on selection and award criteria (max 100 points). Financial and operational capacity assessment is mandatory; minimum thresholds apply. Provisional ranking and reserve list prepared.
3. 3Stage 3: Eligibility verification of supporting documents for provisional selections. Final award decision, contracting and signature, pre-financing arrangements including possible financial guarantee.

Success rate and competition

The contracting authority does not publish success rates for this call. Given the limited overall envelope (€2.25M) and the high minimum project size (€700K), the competition is expected to be strong. Applications failing administrative, eligibility, selection or award criteria may be rejected at any stage.

Checks, reporting, verification and audit

Successful projects will comply with EU reporting and audit obligations:regular interim and final narrative and financial reports (Annex VI), contractual expenditure verification reports (Annex VII-A) when required (grants > €100,000 or as specified), and potential third party assessment for FNLC components (Annex VII-B). Beneficiaries must keep records for at least five years and accept on-the-spot checks, audits by the Commission, OLAF, EPPO, Court of Auditors or authorised auditors. Transfer of ownership and asset transfer forms (Annex IX) must be completed if equipment is funded.

Where to apply:Online submission through the PROSPECT portal. Register in PADOR and Participant Register (PIC) beforehand. See call documentation and help resources. Portal and call documents: EU Funding & Tenders Portal DG International Partnerships – Call page PROSPECT support & user guides Call prospectus and annexes ¹

Key practical compliance points summarized:register in PADOR and Participant Register (PIC), prepare and submit concept note via PROSPECT by the deadline, ensure lead applicant is a Montenegro-established non-profit CSO with at least 24 months registration, prepare a realistic budget reflecting the required co-financing, include clear description of planned FSTP if proposed and ensure compliance with maximum subgrant amounts and selection criteria, ensure visibility and SEA-H requirements, prepare for contractual expenditure verification and third-party assessment obligations where applicable, and maintain records for audits and on-the-spot checks.

Footnotes

1. 1Official call page, documents and submission portal: EU Funding & Tenders Portal - opportunity detail and annexes available at the call reference page: Opportunity Prospect.

Funding Opportunity Overview

This is a grant opportunity financed under the Civil Society Facility and Media Programmes for Montenegro (CSF) 2024-2025, managed by the European Union through the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance. The call aims to strengthen participatory democracy and the EU integration process in Montenegro by enhancing civil society organisations' contribution to public policy processes, local development, and multi-stakeholder cooperation.

Key Funding Details

Total Budget:€2,250,000 allocated across three thematic lots

Grant Amount per Project:Minimum €700,000 and maximum €750,000 per grant

Funding Rate:Between 85% and 95% of total eligible costs

Application Deadline:28 July 2026 at 14:00 Brussels time

Reference Number:EuropeAid

Thematic Lots and Allocations

Eligibility and Who Can Apply

Civil society organisations (CSOs) registered in Montenegro are eligible to apply. Applicants must register in the PADOR system and submit applications through PROSPECT, the online submission platform. The call targets organisations that can strengthen participatory democracy, enhance inclusive and gender-sensitive participation, improve cooperation with public institutions, and build CSO capacity and resilience.

Specific Objectives

• Strengthen CSO contribution to public policy processes, including those related to EU integration
• Promote inclusive and gender-sensitive participation in policy-making
• Enhance cooperation and partnerships between CSOs and public institutions
• Reinforce CSO capacity, sustainability and resilience
• Support CSOs as key actors in democratic governance and public participation

Application Process and Requirements

Organisations must register in PADOR before submitting applications in PROSPECT. An information session is scheduled for 5 June 2026 at 11:00 CET at Europe House in Podgorica, Montenegro. User manuals and guidance documents are available to support applicants. All applications must be submitted online through the PROSPECT system by the deadline.

Important Conditions and Requirements

• Projects must demonstrate clear alignment with EU integration priorities and democratic governance
• Gender-balanced approaches are integral to all funded activities
• Applicants must show capacity to implement activities effectively and transparently
• Projects should address gaps in CSO engagement, particularly at local level
• Organisations must commit to participatory and inclusive approaches
• Compliance with EU values including human rights, rule of law and democracy is mandatory

Implementation Context

While Montenegrin CSOs already contribute to democratic debate and sectoral reforms, there is recognised potential for more effective, inclusive and transparent engagement, particularly at local level. This call seeks to enhance CSO participation throughout the full policy cycle and strengthen their role as mediators between public authorities and citizens in the context of Montenegro's EU integration process.

Key Dates

Submission and Contact Information

Applications must be submitted through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal using the PROSPECT submission service. The call documentation, including guidelines for applicants and all required annexes, is available on the portal. Organisations should familiarise themselves with the General Conditions for EU-financed grant contracts for external actions and the specific conditions outlined in the call documentation.

For technical support and clarifications, applicants should consult the guidelines provided and attend the information session scheduled in Podgorica. The contracting authority reserves the right not to award all available funds if proposals do not meet quality standards or strategic priorities.