Estamos Juntos: joining forces for civic engagement Strengthening civil society organizations and not-for-profit media to promote civic education and ...

What it funds

Scope and objectives

Action grants to strengthen Angolan civil society and not-for-profit media to promote civic education, media pluralism, fight misinformation and support inclusive civic participation (special focus on youth, women, persons with disabilities and other underrepresented groups). Activities include capacity building, civic education campaigns, media literacy, media monitoring, fact-checking, financial support to third parties and coordination of local stakeholders.

Who can apply

Only organisations holding a Financial Framework Partnership Agreement for the Support to Electoral and Political Processes (FFPA SEPP, call EuropeAid/186179/DH/FPA/Multi) may apply. Eligible applicants must be effectively established in an eligible country (Angola, an EU Member State or other NDICI eligible country) and be able to demonstrate operational and financial capacity, and PADOR registration is mandatory.

Key dates & where it applies

How to apply — essentials

Online submission via PROSPECT is mandatory. Applicants must be registered in PADOR and include Annex A.2 full application, Annex B budget, Annex C logframe and all required supporting documents described in the Guidelines for Applicants. Requests for clarifications must be sent to the contact in the call documents; IT support for PROSPECT/PADOR is provided by the Commission.

Selection priorities / eligibility highlights

Evaluation uses standard selection and award criteria (financial/operational capacity, relevance, design, implementation, sustainability and cost-effectiveness). Provisional selection is followed by a verification of eligibility and supporting documents prior to award.

Footnotes

1. 1Guidelines for Applicants and full Annexes available on the call page (Annex A.2 Grant Application Form, Annex B Budget, Annex C Logframe, Annex G Standard Grant Contract and related templates).

Summary

Eligibility and who may apply

Eligibility is governed by the Guidelines for Applicants published with the call. Key points: only organisations that are beneficiaries of a Financial Framework Partnership Agreement (FFPA) under call EuropeAid/186179/DH/FPA/Multi (FFPA SEPP holders) may apply. The lead applicant must be effectively established in an eligible country (Angola, an EU Member State or other NDICI-Global Europe eligible country) as evidenced by the organisation's statutes, and must be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action (not acting as intermediary). Affiliated entities are permitted where a structural link exists (control or membership). Associates, contractors and recipients of financial support are allowed under the rules in the Guidelines. The action must be implemented in Angola and last between 12 and 48 months.

Eligible applicant types

Funding modality and support

Consortium, geographic scope & sectors

Project maturity, activities and priorities

Key selection, evaluation and award facts

Application process and documents (how to apply)

Applications must be prepared using the Annex A.2 Grant Application Form (Full) and submitted online via PROSPECT. Prior to submission, organisations (applicant and affiliated entities) must register in PADOR or provide the offline PADOR form (Annex F) when online registration is impossible. The full set of mandatory annexes and supporting documents listed in the Guidelines must be uploaded and/or provided by the deadline. PROSPECT confirms receipt. Where online submission is impossible for security/confidentiality reasons, a paper submission procedure is available with strict requirements and same deadline.

Required documents and templates

The call publishes a full list of annexes and templates to be completed and submitted. Key templates include the Grant Application Form (Annex A.2 - full), Annex B Budget (Excel with tabs for cost-based, hybrid and FNLC budgets), Annex C Logical Framework (logframe and activities matrix), Annex D Identification Forms (for public law bodies, legal persons, natural persons), Annex F PADOR offline registration form, Annex G Standard Grant Contract and its annexes (general conditions, procurement rules), Annex H Declaration of Honour, Annex J tax regime information, Annex L SEA-H self-evaluation, and supporting guidance documents (Guidelines for Applicants, Application instructions). Applicants must follow the exact templates and complete required declarations and attachments.

Financial and co-financing arrangements

The contracting authority reserves the right not to award all available funds. The grant may cover between 50% and 100% of total eligible costs for the cost-based component; where full financing (100%) is requested it must be justified in the application and will be verified during evaluation. The overall FNLC rules apply if the call authorises FNLC: results-based payments are tied to pre-agreed indicators. Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) is mandatory and must represent at least 60% of the total direct eligible costs. Maximum amount per third party is normally €60,000 unless a higher amount is justified (up to €100,000) and approved. Contingency reserve up to 5% allowed with contracting authority authorisation. Indirect costs may be claimed as a flat-rate up to 7% of direct eligible costs (excluding volunteers and project office costs), subject to rules in the Guidelines.

Application evaluation and success metrics

Applications pass an administrative check and then are scored against selection (financial and operational capacity) and award criteria (relevance, design, implementation, sustainability, cost-effectiveness). The call publishes the evaluation grid and scoring rules. The contracting authority will draw a ranked list and award grants to the highest scoring applicants within the available budget; a reserve list may be created. There is no publicly stated success rate for this specific call. Applicants should consider competition and ensure high-quality, well-justified proposals that demonstrate capacity and local knowledge.

Application stages

Success rates and competition

No call-specific success rate is published. Success depends on the number and quality of eligible applications and available budget (€1,000,000). The contracting authority may create a reserve list. Applicants should ensure full compliance with eligibility and provide strong evidence of operational and financial capacity, relevant sector expertise and a clear, realistic FSTP design and selection mechanism for third parties.

Administrative, legal and compliance requirements

Applicants and affiliated entities must not be in exclusion situations (criminal convictions, fraud, corruption, insolvency, breaches of social/tax obligations). Declarations on honour (Annex H) are mandatory. PADOR registration must include up-to-date financial data, statutes and supporting financial documents. For grants above thresholds, audited accounts or an external audit report are required. The contracting authority may request a financial guarantee for pre-financing in certain circumstances. Visibility, anti-corruption, SEA-H self-evaluation and environmental legislation compliance are mandatory elements. Procurement by beneficiaries is governed by Annex IV procurement rules; beneficiaries must avoid conflicts of interest and ensure best value for money.

Templates and application structure

Applicants must use the published templates exactly. The main application components and structure are: Annex A.2 Full Application Form (sections: general information; description of action; action plan; logical framework; budget summary and detailed Annex B; experience and capacity; affiliations and associates; declarations), Annex B Budget (worksheets 1a/€1B/1c for cost-based/hybrid/FNLC budgets, justification worksheets), Annex C Logical Framework (logframe with indicators and sources of data and activities matrix), Annex D Identification Forms, Annex F PADOR registration when offline, Annex H Declaration of honour, Annex L SEA-H self-evaluation (for grants > €60,000). The Guidelines for Applicants contain detailed instructions and checklists; the Annex A.2 form includes a checklist for final submission.

Risk management, monitoring and audits

Applicants must include a risk analysis and contingency plan in the action description. The contracting authority may require contractual expenditure verification (AUP) for grants above thresholds, and — where FNLC is used — third party assessment of reported results. The contract foresees checks, audits and the right of access to records by the European Commission, OLAF, EPPO and the European Court of Auditors. Records and supporting documents must be retained for 5 to 10 years depending on thresholds and audit schedule. See Annex VII-A (AUP ToR) and Annex VII-B (Third Party Assessment ToR) for templates and sample procedures.

Practical tips for applicants

This description reproduces and consolidates the main rules, templates and requirements from the call documents (Guidelines for Applicants, Annex A.2 Grant Application Form, Annex B Budget, Annex C Logical Framework, Annex G Standard Grant Contract and Annexes, Annexes VII-A/VII-B for expenditure verification and third party assessment, Annex J tax rules). Applicants must consult the full Guidelines and annexes published with the call for exact legal and procedural obligations and to download all templates.

Footnotes

1. 1Official call page and documents are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal: Estamos Juntos - prospect details.

Funding opportunity overview

This grant topic is intended to strengthen civil society organizations and not-for-profit media in Angola so they can promote civic education, broaden public participation, and support media pluralism. The opportunity is presented as an EU external action grant topic under the title Estamos Juntos: joining forces for civic engagement.

The primary source is the EU Funding and Tenders Portal opportunity record EU Funding and Tenders Portal opportunity. The available record metadata identifies the opportunity as a grant topic and gives a deadline of 8 December 2026 at 11:00:38 UTC.

Key opportunity data

What the funding is about

The opportunity appears designed to support organizations that improve the ability of citizens to participate in public life and access diverse, reliable, and independent information. Likely intervention areas include civic education activities, public awareness, community participation, organizational development for civil society, support for independent or community media, media literacy, and initiatives that increase the diversity of media voices.

The title and description support a combined civil society and media focus. Applicants should nevertheless rely on the official topic description, call document, guidelines for applicants, and annexes for the precise objectives, expected results, indicators, and eligible activities. These details should not be inferred solely from the opportunity title.

Potential applicant profile

The opportunity specifically refers to civil society organizations and not-for-profit media. Potentially relevant applicants may therefore include Angolan nongovernmental organizations, community-based organizations, associations, foundations, civic education organizations, independent not-for-profit media outlets, community media organizations, and networks working on participation, governance, human rights, information access, or media development.

The available information does not confirm whether applicants must be legally established in Angola, whether international organizations may apply, whether public bodies are eligible, or whether applications must be submitted by a consortium. It also does not confirm whether a lead applicant may include affiliated entities, associates, subcontractors, or financial support to third parties.

Applicants should verify the following eligibility conditions before investing in proposal development:

Expected project activities

Subject to confirmation in the official call documentation, strong projects would be expected to connect practical activities with measurable improvements in civic participation, civic knowledge, media diversity, or organizational capacity.

Funding and financial conditions

No reliable award range, total indicative budget, co-financing rate, maximum grant amount, minimum grant amount, eligible cost categories, or payment schedule is available in the supplied opportunity data. These figures must be taken from the official call documents rather than estimated from similar EU programmes.

Applicants should specifically check whether the action is financed under a standard EU external action grant model, whether co-financing is required, whether indirect costs are calculated as a percentage of eligible direct costs, and whether in-kind contributions or volunteer time are eligible. The call documents should also establish the treatment of staff costs, travel, equipment, subgrants, financial support to third parties, audits, communication costs, contingency provisions, and taxes.

The EU states that its broader 2021 to 2027 partnership with Angola includes €403 million in grant funding. This is a country-level partnership figure and should not be interpreted as the budget available under this specific opportunity.1

Duration and implementation

The project duration, possible start date, eligibility period for expenditure, extension rules, and deadline for contracting are not stated in the available metadata. Applicants should not begin incurring costs before the authorized start date, unless the official conditions expressly permit otherwise.

A credible implementation plan should define a clear sequence from baseline assessment and stakeholder engagement through delivery, monitoring, learning, and sustainability. The work plan should allow sufficient time for procurement, partner coordination, safeguarding, communications, financial reporting, and independent monitoring where required.

Evaluation considerations applicants should anticipate

Although the detailed evaluation grid was not available, applicants should expect the proposal to be assessed against the official criteria for relevance, design quality, feasibility, organizational capacity, impact, sustainability, risk management, and value for money.

Compliance and operational issues

Organizations working in civic engagement and media may face heightened legal, political, safety, and reputational risks. Proposals should describe how activities will protect participants, journalists, staff, partners, sources, and beneficiaries, particularly when handling sensitive information or publicly visible advocacy activities.

Applicants should prepare documented internal procedures for financial controls, procurement, anti-fraud compliance, conflict of interest management, complaints handling, safeguarding, prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, data protection, media ethics, and incident reporting. The final requirements will depend on the grant agreement and the call-specific conditions.

Partnership and consortium strategy

If partnerships are permitted, a locally rooted Angolan organization should have a substantive role rather than functioning only as a nominal partner. The proposal should allocate responsibilities according to demonstrated expertise, include transparent decision-making arrangements, and provide a proportionate budget for each partner.

Potential partners may include civil society networks, community associations, journalism or media organizations, universities, training institutions, youth organizations, professional associations, and organizations with experience in inclusion or rights-based programming. Any partnership structure should be checked against the official eligibility rules before submission.

Recommended preparation checklist

Overall assessment

This is a potentially relevant opportunity for Angolan civil society and not-for-profit media organizations seeking to strengthen civic knowledge, participation, information access, and media diversity. The thematic fit is clear from the opportunity title and description, but the most commercially and operationally important conditions, including the budget, award size, funding rate, duration, eligibility details, and evaluation criteria, remain unverified in the available source material.

Applicants should treat the official EU Funding and Tenders Portal record and its downloadable documents as controlling. The opportunity should not be considered application-ready until those documents have been reviewed and the missing financial, eligibility, and procedural information has been confirmed.

Sources and verification note

The official EU opportunity record is the authoritative source for this specific grant topic 2. General country-level context indicates that EU grant funding for the Angola partnership during 2021 to 2027 totals €403 million, but this does not establish the budget or conditions of the present call 1.

Footnotes

1. 1European Commission, Angola country partnership information: Angola and the EU. The figure is a country-level partnership allocation and is not the budget of the Estamos Juntos opportunity.
2. 2European Commission Funding and Tenders Portal opportunity record: Estamos Juntos opportunity. The record should be checked directly for the current call documents, eligibility provisions, budget, grant conditions, and submission requirements.