Promotion of inclusive access to public and private digital services

EU action grant EuropeAid to support civil society initiatives promoting inclusive access to public and private digital services and strengthening data protection in the Kyrgyz Republic. Total budget €1,500,000, individual grants €500,000–1,500,000 with EU co-financing of 70–95% of eligible costs and project duration 24–36 months. Eligible lead applicants are non-profit legal persons (NGOs) established in an EU Member State or the Kyrgyz Republic, and non-local leads must include at least one local co-applicant. This is a restricted two-stage call with concept notes submitted via PROSPECT by 02/06/2026 12:00 Brussels time and invited full applications thereafter, with PADOR/PIC registration required.

What it funds

Scope and priorities

Action grants to promote inclusive digital connectivity and access to public and private digital services in the Kyrgyz Republic, including satellite connectivity and AI; strengthen data protection and privacy; build capacity of civil society organisations (including female activists) for inclusive, affordable, fair digital services, digital security awareness and monitoring of digital investment transparency.

Total budget:€1,500,000 available. Individual grants must be between €500,000 and €1,500,000; EU co-financing typically 70 percent up to 95 percent of eligible costs ¹.

1. 1Eligible location: Kyrgyz Republic (actions must take place in-country)
2. 2Eligible lead applicants: legal, non-profit organisations (e.g. NGOs) established in an EU Member State or the Kyrgyz Republic; lead applicant must be registered for at least two years
3. 3Co-applicants and affiliated entities allowed; local organisation required as co-applicant if lead applicant is not a local organisation
4. 4Project duration: minimum 24 months, maximum 36 months
5. 5Forms of financing: reimbursement of eligible costs, financing not linked to costs (FNLC) or a combination; standard PRAG rules apply

How to apply

This is a restricted two-step call. Submit a concept note first via PROSPECT; pre-selected applicants will be invited to submit a full application. Registration in the Participant Register (PIC) and PADOR is mandatory and online submission in PROSPECT is required.

Key dates:Concept note deadline 02 June 2026 at 12:00 Brussels time; invitation to full application expected July 2026; full application deadline for invited applicants 21 September 2026 (if invited). Call published 06 April 2026.

Selection and due diligence

Concept notes are screened for eligibility and scored; only concept notes scoring at least 30/50 are considered for pre-selection. Pre-selected applicants submit full applications that are evaluated on financial/operational capacity, relevance, design, implementation approach, sustainability and budget. Provisionally selected applicants undergo eligibility checks and must provide supporting documents, including declarations on exclusion criteria.

Practical requirements

Applicants must register in PADOR and the EU Participant Register (PIC), complete the concept note template (Annex A.1) and submit online via PROSPECT. If invited, submit a full application (Annex A.2) with Annex B (budget) and Annex C (logframe). Contracts follow the standard grant contract and PRAG rules; expenditure verification and, where FNLC is used, third party assessment requirements may apply.

Footnotes

1. 1Guidelines and full application documents available from the call page on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Call page.

Opportunity snapshot

Title:Promotion of inclusive access to public and private digital services. Reference: EuropeAid. Type: Action grants (call for proposals, restricted). Geographic zone: Kyrgyz Republic (Asia and the Pacific). Publication date: 06/04/2026. Concept note deadline: 02/06/2026 12:00 Brussels time. Indicative total budget available: €1,500,000. Grant size per award: €500,000 minimum and €1,500,000 maximum. Form of financing: reimbursement of eligible costs and/or financing not linked to costs where authorised. Language of application: English.

Portal and submission:Online submission via PROSPECT is mandatory; organisations must register in PADOR and may need a Participant Identification Code (PIC). All submissions and deadlines are expressed in Brussels time. The contracting authority's IT helpdesk email is ec-external-relations-application-support@ec.europa.eu ¹.

Objectives and priorities

Global objective:engagement of civil society to promote a fair, safe, confident and sustainable digital society, including reduction of digital and gender divide. Specific objectives: 1) Promotion of digital connectivity and inclusive access to digital tools, services and technologies, including satellite and AI; 2) Strengthening data protection and privacy. Priorities include CSO capacity-building (including female activists), digital security and privacy awareness, advisory services to enable CSO monitoring of public digital investment and spending, and promotion of inclusive, affordable, fair and quality digital and/or satellite connectivity and access to AI tools.

Financial details

Total indicative amount for this call:€1,500,000. Individual grants requested must be between €500,000 and €1,500,000. EU co-financing rate: minimum 70% and maximum 95% of the total eligible costs (the remainder must be financed from other sources). Eligible grant forms: reimbursement of eligible costs (actual costs and/or simplified cost options) and financing not linked to costs (FNLC) where authorised by the call. Contingency reserve up to 5% of estimated direct eligible costs is allowed only with prior written authorisation. Indirect costs flat rate up to 7% of total eligible direct costs (excluding project office and volunteer costs).

Eligibility and applicant types

Lead applicant requirements:legal person, non-profit-making (NGO type), effectively established in a Member State of the European Union or the Kyrgyz Republic, registered for at least two years at the concept note deadline, directly responsible for preparation and management of the action (not an intermediary). If the lead applicant is not a local organisation (i.e. not legally established in Kyrgyz Republic), it must act with at least one local organisation as co-applicant. Co-applicants: must meet the same eligibility criteria; maximum recommended number of co-applicants is three. Affiliated entities: entities with a structural link (control or membership) to applicants may participate and their costs may be eligible but they do not become contracting parties. Associates, contractors and recipients of financial support (third parties) are allowed under defined conditions. Natural persons can be involved only where the call allows.

1. 1Eligible applicant types: non-governmental organisations (NGOs), non-profit legal persons, public bodies (where allowed), international organisations (subject to derogations), affiliated entities linked by control/membership, local organisations as co-applicants.
2. 2Not eligible as lead applicants: for-profit entities acting as lead if the call restricts to non-profit leads; applicants in exclusion situations defined in the practical guide (bankruptcy, fraud, corruption, serious professional misconduct, outstanding taxes/social security, EU restrictive measures, etc.).

Consortium, partnerships and roles

Consortium:the call accepts single applicants or applicants with co-applicants and affiliated entities. Use of co-applicants is encouraged for in-country/local coverage and technical complementarities; if the lead applicant is not local it must include at least one local co-applicant. Co-applicants sign mandates; affiliated entities sign affiliated entity statements. Associates (not funded except for limited per diems/travel) may be involved. Financial support to third parties (sub-granting) is allowed with mandatory selection rules; maximum per third party is normally €60,000 unless justified.

Project scope, duration and types of activities

Actions must be implemented in the Kyrgyz Republic. Duration:minimum 24 months and maximum 36 months. Eligible activities are those contributing to objectives in section 1.2: digital connectivity (including satellite), support to CSOs capacity and advocacy, digital security and privacy awareness campaigns, advisory services for budget monitoring and transparency, and responsible AI awareness and tools uptake. Ineligible actions include individual sponsorships, individual scholarships, actions leading to human rights violations or significant environmental harm, and actions supporting political parties.

Target sector and beneficiaries

Target sectors:digital transformation, ICT and connectivity (including satellite), Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, digital inclusion, data protection/privacy, civil society capacity strengthening and governance transparency. Final beneficiaries: citizens (including vulnerable and rural populations), CSOs (including women-led CSOs), public institutions (to the extent they enable inclusive digital services), and local communities. Target groups: individuals and organisations receiving goods/services or capacity-building through the action.

Project maturity / expected stage

Expected maturity:development and implementation of inclusion-focused digital connectivity and services; capacity building, policy dialogue, pilot/demonstration of service delivery models and monitoring mechanisms (development / demonstration / implementation stage). Proposals should include context analysis, intervention logic, outputs/outcomes/impact and monitoring arrangements.

Evaluation, selection and application procedure

This is a restricted call in two stages:1) submission of a concept note (Annex A.1). Pre-selection of concept notes will be based on an evaluation grid out of 50 points (minimum 30 points to be considered); applicants whose concept notes are pre-selected will be invited to submit full applications. 2) invited full applications (Annex A.2) will be evaluated on selection and award criteria with a scoring grid out of 100 points. Provisional selection will be followed by verification of eligibility and supporting documents; successful applicants will be offered a standard grant contract (or contribution agreement for pillar-assessed entities).

1. 1Application steps: (1) Register organisation in PADOR; (2) Submit concept note in PROSPECT; (3) If pre-selected, submit full application in PROSPECT (budget Annex B, Logframe Annex C, Identification Annex D, PADOR forms Annex F as required); (4) Eligibility checks and contracting.

Application deadlines and timetable

Deadline for concept notes:02/06/2026 at 12:00 Brussels time. Indicative timetable published in the guidelines: notification of concept evaluation and invitation to submit full applications around 17/07/2026; deadline for full applications 21/09/2026; notification of contracting authority decision expected 20/11/2026; contract signature ~15/12/2026. Applicants must allow time for PADOR and PROSPECT registration and for collecting supporting documents (statutes, accounts, audit reports where required).

Funding amount, co-financing and costs

Grant request range per application:€500,000 to €1,500,000. EU contribution as percentage of total eligible costs: minimum 70% and up to 95% (balance must be financed from other sources). Grants may reimburse eligible direct and indirect costs (indirect costs up to 7% flat rate of direct eligible costs, except project office and volunteers) and may include a contingency reserve (max 5% of direct eligible costs) only with prior authorisation. FNLC (financing not linked to costs) may be used where the call authorises it; FNLC requires precise, pre-agreed results and performance indicators and inclusion of those indicators and amounts in the budget Annex B (FNLC component). Financial support to third parties (sub-grants) is allowed with rules: standard maximum €60,000 per third party unless justified; lead applicants must define objectives, eligibility and selection criteria for sub-grants in the full application.

Eligibility of costs, audit and verification

Eligible costs:those complying with Article 14 of the general conditions; must be necessary, incurred during eligibility period, identifiable, verifiable and recorded in accounting system. Ineligible costs include debts, provisions, costs financed by another EU grant, purchases of land/buildings (except specific cases), exchange losses, in-kind contributions (except volunteers' work under conditions), bonuses in staff costs and salaries of national administration staff unless foreseen. For grants exceeding thresholds, contractual expenditure verification (Agreed-Upon Procedures) or audit reports are required (e.g. contractual expenditure verification for grants >= €5,000,000 and audit/expenditure verification or AUP requirements for grants > €100,000 for final report). The call provides model ToR for expenditure verification and third-party assessment (Annex VII).

Co-funding requirement

Yes. Applicants must show other sources to finance the balance between total costs and requested EU contribution. EU contribution must be between 70% and 95% of eligible costs; the remaining percent must come from other donors, own resources, in-kind contributions (subject to rules), or revenues. Volunteers' work as in-kind may be accepted up to 50% of all sources of financing but treated separately from eligible direct cost calculations.

Application forms and templates

Key application templates and annexes provided with the call:Annex A.1 Grant application form – Concept note; Annex A.2 Grant application form – Full application (detailed narrative, methodology, activities, indicators, logical framework, budget Annex B, logical framework Annex C, identification forms Annex D, PADOR offline form Annex F, Standard grant contract Annex G, Declaration on honour Annex H, Annex K on FNLC details, Annex L SEA-H self-evaluation questionnaire, Annexes for expenditure verification and third party assessment, and multiple guidance documents).

How the application forms look and their structure:Concept note (Annex A.1): cover page + summary table (objectives, final beneficiaries, outputs, main activities, target groups), max 2 pages description of action, max 3 pages relevance. Full application (Annex A.2): expanded description (max 18 pages), methodology (max 5), action plan (half-yearly timeline), sustainability (max 3 pages), logical framework (Annex C), detailed budget (Annex B worksheets 1a/€1B/1c as relevant), experience tables (past 3 years), declarations (mandates, affiliated entity statements), and supporting documents (statutes, accounts, audit reports where applicable). Where FNLC is used, include FNLC indicators in Logframe and Budget (special FNLC worksheets), define units, baselines, targets, value per unit and total amount per indicator as per Annex K guidance.

1. 1Concept note content: summary table, description of action (max 2 pages), relevance (max 3 pages), lead/co-applicant info and declarations; submitted via PROSPECT.
2. 2Full application content: detailed description (18 pages), methodology (5 pages), 4-page action plan, sustainability, logframe Annex C, budget Annex B (worksheets 1a/€1B/1c and justification), experience and capacity evidence, mandates and affiliated entity statements, PADOR registration or offline form if needed.
3. 3Budget worksheets: 1a (cost-based), €1B (cost-based + FNLC), 1c (FNLC-only), worksheet 2 justification, worksheet 3 expected sources of funding; Annex K explains FNLC budgeting and required tables.

Evaluation and scoring

Concept notes:administrative check and evaluation (score out of 50; minimum 30 to be pre-selected). Pre-selection will be limited to concept notes whose aggregate requested contributions equal 200% of available budget. Full applications: selection criteria (financial and operational capacity) and award criteria (relevance, design, implementation, sustainability, cost-effectiveness) evaluated with a grid out of 100 points. Financial and operational capacity threshold: Section 1 minimum 12 points or any subsection scoring 1 leads to rejection. Reserve list will be established. Final award subject to eligibility verification of supporting documents.

Application stages and success rates

Application stages:1) Concept note submission and administrative check + evaluation; 2) Invitation to submit full application (pre-selection) and full evaluation (including selection criteria); 3) Verification of supporting documents and award decision; contract signature and start of implementation. In total applicants pass 3 major competitive stages. Success rates: not published for this specific call; pre-selection reduces number of full applications to an aggregate financial envelope of approx. 200% of available budget. Exact success rates are not provided in call documents and depend on quantity and quality of submissions.

Reporting, audit and post-award obligations

Interim narrative and financial reports required (templates in Annex VI). Final report within 3 months after end of implementation (6 months if lead applicant HQ is outside implementation country). Contractual expenditure verification (AUP) required for certain thresholds; third party assessment for FNLC-funded results in specified cases (Annex VII-A and VII-B). Records and supporting documents must be kept for checks and audits; beneficiaries must cooperate with OLAF, EPPO, Court of Auditors and contracting authority checks. Self-evaluation questionnaire on SEA-H (Annex L) is required for grants > €60,000 (administrative requirement).

Risks, cross-cutting issues and compliance

Applicants must demonstrate mainstreaming of cross-cutting issues:human rights, disability inclusion, gender equality, environmental sustainability, youth and children’s rights, good governance and anti-corruption safeguards. Zero tolerance applies to sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment; applicants (non-natural persons) must complete SEA-H self-evaluation questionnaire. Applicants must not be subject to EU restrictive measures and must comply with EU values and anti-fraud rules. Visibility and communication rules must be respected; derogations possible in exceptional security-sensitive contexts.

Key documents provided with the call (selected)

Documents available with the call include:Concept Note form (Annex A.1), Guidelines (restricted call), Full application form (Annex A.2), Annex B Budget, Annex C Logical framework, Annex D Identification forms (public law/private/natural person), Annex F PADOR offline registration form, Annex G Standard grant contract and annexes (General Conditions Annex II, procurement rules Annex IV), Annex H Declaration of honour on exclusion criteria, Annex K FNLC clarifications, Annex J tax regime information, Annex L SEA-H self-evaluation questionnaire, ToR for expenditure verification (Annex VII-A) and third party assessment (Annex VII-B).

Practical recommendations for applicants

1. 1Register early in PADOR and obtain PIC; do not wait until the deadline to register or submit in PROSPECT.
2. 2Carefully follow the concept note instructions and include all requested tables and limits; concept notes are the sole basis for pre-selection.
3. 3If using FNLC, ensure indicators, baselines, targets, units and value per unit are clearly defined and transposed consistently into the Logframe Annex C and Budget Annex B (FNLC worksheet).
4. 4If the lead applicant is not local, include at least one local co-applicant and explain local partnership and roles.
5. 5Prepare supporting documents in advance (statutes, latest accounts, audit reports where applicable, declarations on honour) and translations where necessary.

Categorisation answers (structured)

Eligible Applicant Types:Non-profit organisations (NGOs), local CSOs, public bodies (where allowed), international organisations (subject to derogations/pillar assessment), affiliated entities structurally linked to applicants, co-applicants, natural persons only if allowed in call. Private for-profit entities may participate only where not excluded by the call and subject to eligibility rules; the call emphasises NGOs and civil society lead organisations.

Funding Type:Primary financial mechanism: grant (Action Grants). Forms include reimbursement of eligible costs (actual costs and simplified cost options) and financing not linked to costs (FNLC) where authorised in the call.

Consortium Requirement:Consortiums or partnerships are permitted and recommended when relevant. A single lead applicant is allowed, but if lead is non-local it must include at least one local co-applicant. Mandates and affiliated entity statements are required; maximum recommended number of co-applicants is three.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):Actions must be implemented in the Kyrgyz Republic. Lead applicants must be established in an EU Member State or the Kyrgyz Republic. Geographical zone: Asia and the Pacific (call targeted to Kyrgyz Republic).

Target Sector:Digital transformation, ICT/connectivity (including satellite), Artificial Intelligence tools, digital inclusion, data protection and privacy, civil society capacity building, governance/transparency and monitoring of digital public investments.

Mentioned Countries:Kyrgyz Republic (explicit). Region: Asia and the Pacific indicated as programme zone. EU is mentioned as funder (applicant establishment eligibility includes EU Member States).

Project Stage:Development/Implementation and demonstration — capacity building, pilots and service delivery enhancement; not pure basic research.

Funding Amount:Individual grant range €500,000 to €1,500,000. Total call envelope €1,500,000.

Application Type:Restricted call with a two-step procedure: concept note (open to invited applicants only at full application stage). Submission via PROSPECT, registration in PADOR mandatory. Questions to contracting authority must be sent at least 21 days before the relevant deadline.

Nature of Support:Monetary (grant funding) and non-monetary services expected (technical assistance, third party assessments, capacity-building, visibility/communication support). The grant funds reimbursable costs and may include FNLC payments tied to results.

Application Stages:3 main stages: (1) concept note submission and evaluation/administrative check; (2) invited full application submission and evaluation (selection and award criteria); (3) verification of eligibility/supporting documents and contract award/signature. Additional administrative steps include PADOR registration and possible contractual expenditure verification or FNLC third-party assessment during implementation.

Success Rates:Not published in the call documents. The call’s rules state that only concept notes scoring at least 30/50 are considered for pre-selection and that the number of concept notes advancing will be limited by an aggregate requested amount equal to 200% of the available budget. Actual success rates depend on number and quality of submissions and cannot be predicted from available information.

Co-funding Requirement:Yes. Co-financing is mandatory: EU share between 70% and 95% of total eligible costs; balance must be financed from sources other than the general budget of the Union. Applicants must show other sources of funding in worksheet 3 Expected sources of funding. Volunteers’ work as in-kind contribution may be counted under rules (up to 50% of all financing sources) but is treated separately from eligible direct costs.

Templates and application structure guidance

Core templates to use and how to structure submissions:Concept note (Annex A.1) – complete cover page, summary table (objectives, final beneficiaries, outputs, activities, target groups), max 2-page description and max 3-page relevance section; Declaration by lead applicant signed. Full application (Annex A.2) – detailed description (max 18 pages), methodology (max 5 pages), action plan (half-yearly Gantt-style for first 12 months in detail, broader for subsequent years), sustainability (3 pages), Logical Framework Matrix (Annex C) with indicators (unit, baseline, target, source, assumptions), Budget (Annex B) worksheets 1a/€1B/1c, justification (worksheet 2), expected sources of funding (worksheet 3), experience tables (past 3 years), mandates (co-applicants) and affiliated entity statements, proof of registration in PADOR or offline PADOR form. If FNLC used: include FNLC indicators and amounts in Logframe and Budget (using FNLC worksheet), define unit value and partial achievement payment rules as per Annex K.

Footnote:For PROSPECT and PADOR technical support and portal access and user guides consult the Funding & Tenders Portal and PROSPECT user manual and contact IT helpdesk via ec-external-relations-application-support@ec.europa.eu ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1PROSPECT (online submission) and PADOR registration information, user manuals and IT support are available via the EU Funding & Tenders portal: ec.europa.eu. For technical questions on PROSPECT/PADOR contact ec-external-relations-application-support@ec.europa.eu.

This action grant opportunity under reference EuropeAid supports civil society initiatives to promote inclusive digital access and data protection in the Kyrgyz Republic. The total budget is €1,500,000 with individual grants ranging from €500,000 to €1,500,000, covering 70-95% of eligible costs.

Programme Objectives and Priorities

The global objective is civil society engagement for a fair, safe, confident, and sustainable digital society, including reducing digital and gender divides. Specific objectives include: (1) promoting digital connectivity and inclusive access to tools, services, and technologies like satellite and AI; (2) strengthening data protection and privacy.

• Strengthening CSO capacity, including female activists, for inclusive, affordable digital/satellite connectivity and access to services/technologies including AI.
• Increasing citizens' digital security awareness, especially on privacy and data security.
• Advisory services to enhance CSO capacity, including female activists, for advocating and monitoring digital investment prioritisation and spending at national/local levels for transparency and accountability.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible Applicants

Lead applicants must be legal persons, non-profit, non-governmental organisations (voluntary, independent from government, non-profit, not political parties or trade unions), established in an EU Member State or Kyrgyz Republic, directly responsible for action preparation/management, not in exclusion situations per Practical Guide Section 2.4, and registered for at least two years by concept note deadline.

If lead applicant is not local (established in Kyrgyz Republic), must act with at least one local co-applicant. Co-applicants (max recommended 3) must meet same criteria. Affiliated entities must have structural links (control/membership) and meet eligibility.

Eligible Actions

• Duration: 24-36 months.
• Location: Kyrgyz Republic.
• Themes: Align with objectives/priorities in Section 1.2.
• Financial support to third parties allowed (max €60,000 per third party unless impossible/overly difficult otherwise).

Ineligible Actions/Activities

• Individual scholarships/training/sponsorships.
• Actions violating human rights/environment.
• Political party support.

Financial Provisions

Budget and Co-financing:Total call budget: €1,500,000. Grants: min €500,000, max €1,500,000 (70-95% of eligible costs). Balance from non-EU sources.

Form of Grant:Reimbursement of eligible costs (actual costs/simplified options). Indirect costs: max 7% of direct eligible costs (excl. project office/volunteers). Contingency: max 5% of direct eligible costs (prior authorisation required).

Ineligible:debts/interest, losses/provisions, double-financed costs, land/buildings (unless essential), exchange losses, in-kind (except volunteers), national admin salaries.

Application Procedure

Restricted call:submit Concept Note first (Annex A.1, max 5 pages), then invited full applications (Annex A.2). Online via PROSPECT mandatory. Language: English.

Key Deadlines (Brussels time): Indicative Timetable:Concept notes: 02/06/2026 12:00. Full applications: indicated in invitation (indicative 21/09/2026). Questions: up to 21 days before deadline to DELEGATION-KYRGYZSTAN-FCS@eeas.europa.eu.

Evaluation Process

1. 1Step 1: Concept note evaluation (min score 30/50, shortlist to 200% budget).
2. 2Step 2: Full application (financial/operational capacity min 12/20, award criteria 80/80).
3. 3Step 3: Eligibility verification.

Registration Requirements

Register in PADOR (EuropeAid ID) and Participant Register (PIC). Natural persons exempt from PADOR. Supporting docs: statutes, accounts, declaration of honour (Annex H).

Key Documents

• Guidelines: Full Guidelines
• Concept Note Form: Annex A.1
• Budget: Annex B
• Logical Framework: Annex C
• Standard Contract: Annex G

Portal:EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Practical Guide: ePRAG.

Risks and Considerations

• Restricted call: only shortlisted concept notes proceed.
• No multiple applications/grants per applicant.
• Ethics/values: zero tolerance for SEA-H, anti-corruption.
• Visibility: EU emblem/funding statement required.

Footnotes

1. 1All details from official guidelines and portal. Dates in Brussels time; convert locally. Check portal for updates.