Mission: Possible - Funding for Sustainable Development of CSOs

The "Mission: Possible - Funding for Sustainable Development of CSOs" grant opportunity is part of the European Union’s Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV-2024-CITIZENS-VALUES). It aims to strengthen civil society organizations (CSOs) in Bulgaria by providing a total funding amount of €2.2 million. This grant specifically targets grassroots, small, remote, and rural-based CSOs focused on supporting democratic values and fundamental rights.

The application process is structured in two stages. Stage 1 requires the submission of an organizational profile and a concept note, which will be evaluated based on criteria that include alignment with EU priorities, organizational structure, budget, and strategic plans. Proposals scoring 70% or higher will be invited to proceed to Stage 2. Stage 2 involves a full proposal that will be assessed for its relevance, quality, and potential impact.

Key deadlines include the call opening on April 10, 2025, with multiple submission cut-off dates on June 11, 2025, and October 14, 2025. The funding is distributed via intermediaries who are responsible for providing financial support to third-party CSOs. The expected project duration is up to 24 months, and at least 30% of the funds should reach organizations operating outside major urban centers.

Eligible applicants include civil society organizations adhering to EU values, particularly those able to demonstrate operational stability and governance transparency. Organizations that specialize in advocacy, capacity building, and community engagement are encouraged to apply, while political parties and for-profit entities are excluded.

The evaluation process is rigorous, relying on both internal and external experts to ensure objectivity. The final decision regarding funding will rest with a Steering Committee, which can adjust rankings based on reputational concerns or alignment with EU values.

This funding opportunity not only supports immediate financial needs but also aims to establish sustainable networks for capacity-building among CSOs in Bulgaria, addressing systemic challenges such as access to funding and bureaucratic hurdles.

The "Mission: Possible" funding opportunity supports the sustainable development of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).

The opening date for submissions is April 10, 2025. There are multiple cut-off dates for submissions. The deadline dates are June 10, 2025, at 23:59 (Brussels time) and October 13, 2025, at 23:59 (Brussels time). The call is currently open for submission.

The total funding available is 2,200,000.00 €.

The grant agreement number is 101184271.

The topic is 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).

The full text of the open call (in Bulgarian) is available at https://bgfundforwomen.org/2025/04/10/novo-izdanie-na-programa-misia-vuzmozjna/.

The submission platform is https://bulgarianfundforwomenfoundation.my.site.com/grants/s/.

The submission process involves two stages:

Stage 1: Organizational profile + Concept Note

Stage 2: Full Proposal (upon invitation)

The evaluation process is as follows:

Stage 1 (Concept Note): Reviewed by 2 GMT members using a scorecard. Criteria include:

Relevance to call priorities (mission, focus, target groups, gender and non discrimination approach)

Organizational structure (representation), budget, year of founding, location

Feasibility of strategic development plans and intention to attract funding from other sources

Proposals scoring 70% or higher proceed to the next stage. If one evaluator scores above and the other below 70%, a third evaluator is engaged. The proposal advances only if at least two out of three evaluators score it 70% or higher.

Stage 2 (Full Proposal): Evaluated on relevance, quality, and impact by one GMT member and one external expert. If scores differ by more than 30 points, a third evaluator is engaged. The third evaluator is selected internally or externally, depending on which of the initial evaluators assigned the higher score.

The final decision is made by the Steering Committee (SC). Rankings and recommendations are submitted to the SC for final approval. The SC may adjust rankings in justified cases (e.g., reputational or anti-EU values concerns).

In summary, the "Mission: Possible" grant is designed to provide financial support to Civil Society Organizations that are actively working to protect and promote Union values. The application process is divided into two stages, starting with a concept note and progressing to a full proposal for selected applicants. The evaluation involves internal and external experts, with a focus on relevance, quality, impact, and feasibility. The final decision rests with the Steering Committee, ensuring alignment with EU values and priorities. The total funding available is 2.2 million euros, and the call is specifically targeted at intermediaries who will then provide financial support to third parties.

Eligible Applicant Types: Civil society organisations (CSOs) are explicitly mentioned as eligible applicant types. The call is specifically targeted at civil society organisations active in protecting and promoting Union values and acting as intermediaries (giving financial support to third parties).

Funding Type: Grant. The text refers to "GrantCascade funding" and "Call for proposals," indicating a grant as the primary funding mechanism. The call is for intermediaries giving financial support to third parties, suggesting a cascade funding model.

Consortium Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required or if single applicants are allowed. However, given the focus on civil society organizations and the cascade funding model, it is possible that both single applicants and consortia are eligible, with the expectation that they will then distribute funds to third parties.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): While not explicitly stated, the call is related to "Union values" and is managed by the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission. This strongly suggests that the geographic eligibility is primarily focused on the EU. The mention of Brussels time for the deadline further reinforces this. It is likely that organizations based in EU member states are the primary target, although eligibility might extend to organizations in countries closely associated with the EU.

Target Sector: The program targets the following sectors: Civil society, Union values, Human Rights, Democracy, Rule of Law, Fundamental Rights, Gender Equality, Non-discrimination, and related areas. The call specifically mentions "civil society organisations active on protecting and promoting Union values."

Mentioned Countries: Bulgaria is mentioned because the full text of the open call is in Bulgarian and the submission platform is managed by the Bulgarian Fund for Women. However, this does not necessarily mean that only Bulgarian organizations are eligible, but it could indicate a regional focus or that the Bulgarian Fund for Women is managing the call on behalf of the EU.

Project Stage: The call is aimed at supporting the sustainable development of CSOs. This suggests that the projects should be at a stage where they can demonstrate their relevance, quality, and impact. The focus on strategic development plans and attracting funding from other sources indicates that the projects should be beyond the initial idea stage and ready for implementation and scaling. Therefore, the project stage is likely development, validation, and potentially scale-up.

Funding Amount: The total funding available is €2,200,000.00. The funding range for individual projects is not specified in the provided text, but it will likely vary depending on the scope and impact of the proposed projects.

Application Type: Open call. The text explicitly mentions "Call for proposals" and "Open For Submission," indicating that this is an open call. The deadline model is "multiple cut-off," meaning there are multiple deadlines for submission.

Nature of Support: Money. The call is for grants, which means beneficiaries will receive financial support. Furthermore, the call specifies that the CSOs will act as intermediaries, giving financial support to third parties.

Application Stages: Two stages. The application process consists of two stages: Stage 1 involves submitting an organizational profile and a concept note, and Stage 2 involves submitting a full proposal (upon invitation).

Success Rates: The success rates cannot be determined from the provided information. The evaluation process is described in detail, including the scoring criteria and the involvement of multiple evaluators, but there is no mention of the expected success rate.

Co-funding Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required. However, the evaluation criteria include "Feasibility of strategic development plans and intention to attract funding from other sources," which suggests that having a plan to secure additional funding would be advantageous, but it is not clear if it is a strict requirement.

Summary:

This is a call for proposals under the CERV-2024-CITIZENS-VALUES program, aimed at civil society organizations (CSOs) that are actively involved in protecting and promoting Union values. The program, titled "Mission: Possible - Funding for Sustainable Development of CSOs," offers a total of €2,200,000 in grant funding. The call operates on a cascade funding model, meaning that selected CSOs will act as intermediaries, distributing funds to third parties to support projects aligned with the program's objectives. The application process is divided into two stages: a concept note stage and a full proposal stage (by invitation only). The evaluation process is rigorous, involving internal and external experts, and a scoring system based on relevance, quality, and impact. The final decision rests with a Steering Committee. The opening date for submissions is April 10, 2025, with multiple cut-off dates for deadlines, including June 10, 2025, and October 13, 2025. The call is managed by the Bulgarian Fund for Women, as indicated by the Bulgarian language version of the call and the submission platform. While the geographic eligibility is not explicitly stated, it is strongly implied that the call is primarily targeted at organizations based in the EU or closely associated countries. The program seeks to support projects that are at a development, validation, or scale-up stage, with a focus on the sustainability and long-term impact of the CSOs involved. While co-funding is not explicitly required, the ability to attract funding from other sources is considered a positive factor in the evaluation process.