Support to Civil Society initiatives in the Kyrgyz Republic

Restricted EU action grant EuropeAid to strengthen independent civil society in the Kyrgyz Republic, organised in two lots targeting CSO capacity and Global Gateway priorities (Lot 1) and human rights and democracy including freedom of expression and women/youth empowerment (Lot 2). Overall indicative allocation €4,122,000; Lot 1 indicative €2,702,000 (grant size €900,500–€1,351,000) and Lot 2 indicative €1,420,000 (grant size €650,000–€710,000), with EU funding at 90–95% of eligible costs requiring 5–10% co‑financing. This is a two‑stage restricted procedure with mandatory online concept note submission via PROSPECT by 18 December 2026 at 12:00 Brussels time, and lead applicants must be non‑profit non‑governmental organisations registered for at least two years and compliant with the call’s guidelines and cross‑cutting requirements.

What it funds

Scope and priorities

Application documents (Guidelines, Annexes, budget template, logframe and contracts) are published with the call and contain detailed eligibility, selection and reporting rules; pre-selected concept notes will be invited to submit full applications.

Footnotes

1. 1See the call Guidelines CfPs and Annexes for full budget rules, co-financing percentages, simplified cost options and rules on financial support to third parties Guidelines CfPs.

Objectives, priorities and cross‑cutting themes

Who may apply (eligibility summary)

Action types, duration and locations

Budget, grant size, co‑financing and financial modalities

Procedure, submission and timelines

Evaluation, selection and award

Compliance, ethics and safeguards

Applicants must comply with EU values, anti‑fraud, anti‑corruption, and zero tolerance on sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (SEA‑H). Successful applicants (above thresholds) must complete SEA‑H self‑evaluation (Annex L). Applicants must submit Declaration on Honour (Annex H) certifying absence of exclusion grounds. Early Detection and Exclusion System (EDES) rules apply and EU restrictive measures must be respected. Visibility and communication requirements for EU funding apply with possibility of derogation for security reasons upon request.

Administrative, financial and contractual requirements

Applicants must register in PADOR and the Participant Register (PIC) and submit supporting documentation at full application stage: statutes, signed declarations, latest accounts and external audit report where applicable (audit required for action grants > €750,000). Contracts awarded under the action must comply with procurement rules in Annex IV. The grant contract will be the standard grant contract (Annex G) or a contribution agreement where the coordinator is pillar‑assessed. Contract implementation, reporting templates (Annex VI), expenditure verification (Annex VII‑A) and third‑party assessment ToR for FNLC (Annex VII‑B) are provided in the published annexes.

Reporting, audits and controls

Reporting requirements follow Annex VI templates (interim and final narrative and financial reports). Where applicable contractual expenditure verification (Annex VII‑A) by an approved practitioner is required for final reports or grants above thresholds. For FNLC components third party assessments (Annex VII‑B) validate achievement of pre‑agreed indicators. Beneficiaries must retain records for audit and verification in accordance with Article 16 of Annex II; contracting authority, OLAF, EPPO, ECA and authorised auditors have access rights for checks, audits and on‑the‑spot inspections.

Key risks and operating context

Templates and application structure

Categorisation answers (structured extraction)

How to prepare a compliant application (practical checklist)

Footnotes

1. 1Call and full set of guidelines and annexes available on the EU PROSPECT and F&T portal: webgate.ec.europa.eu

Opportunity summary

This is a restricted EU action grant call under the Civil Society Organisations and Human Rights and Democracy thematic programmes. It is intended to strengthen independent civil society organisations in Kyrgyzstan, support human rights and democratic participation, improve inclusive public services and policy dialogue, and increase the participation of women, youth and vulnerable communities in sustainable development and Global Gateway priorities. The official Funding and Tenders Portal lists the call as open for submission under reference EuropeAid.1

The call has two lots. Lot 1 focuses on civil society organisations as actors of change in governance, development, social services, Global Gateway related policy dialogue and sustainable economic development. Lot 2 focuses on human rights and democracy, particularly freedom of expression, access to information, women’s empowerment and youth empowerment.

The overall indicative EU allocation is €4,122,000. The contracting authority may decide not to allocate the full amount.

Key facts

The Funding and Tenders Portal search record confirms the opening date and 18 December 2026 deadline for this opportunity.2

Financial allocation and grant size

Lot

Lot

Funding rate and applicant contribution

The EU grant may finance between 90 percent and 95 percent of the total eligible costs of the action. Applicants must therefore provide the remaining balance, normally between 5 percent and 10 percent of eligible costs, from sources other than the general budget of the European Union or the European Development Fund.

The grant amount requested must remain within both the applicable lot range and the 90 percent to 95 percent co-financing limits. A realistic budget is essential because corrections for arithmetic errors, unrealistic costs or ineligible expenditure cannot result in an increase in the grant amount or EU financing percentage.

Indicative total project budgets

Lot 1 grants imply indicative total eligible action costs of approximately €947,895 to €1,501,111, depending on the grant amount and funding rate selected.

Lot 2 grants imply indicative total eligible action costs of approximately €684,211 to €788,889, depending on the grant amount and funding rate selected.

The applicants should identify the source, timing and reliability of their co-financing in the full application. The ability of the lead applicant to maintain stable finances throughout implementation is expressly assessed.

Objectives and thematic priorities

Lot 1 objective

The global objective is to strengthen CSOs as independent development actors contributing to governance and development in Kyrgyzstan and to the Sustainable Development Goals.

The specific objective is to promote an enabling environment for CSOs and strengthen their capacity to address poverty and inequality while contributing to national policy processes and environmental, social and governance performance and accountability.

Lot 1 priorities

Improve CSO participation in Global Gateway priority areas, particularly the water and energy nexus, digital transformation and critical raw materials, while strengthening the participation of local communities, women, girls and youth in social, economic and environmental dialogue.

Increase equitable access to quality, affordable and climate resilient services, including primary healthcare, education, skills and vocational training, social welfare and social protection.

Prioritise energy poor households, remote and high mountain communities, women, children, persons with disabilities, older persons, migrants and other vulnerable groups.

Promote social entrepreneurship, job creation and SME initiatives linked to Global Gateway interventions and relevant Kyrgyz national initiatives, including mountain development, climate commitments, green economy, biodiversity and youth entrepreneurship programmes.

A Lot 1 action must address at least one of these priorities.

Lot 2 objective

The global objective is to support and empower civil society in protecting and promoting democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms.

The specific objective is to promote human rights and fundamental freedoms through CSO action, particularly in relation to freedom of expression, women’s empowerment and youth empowerment.

Lot 2 priorities

Support freedom of expression and access to information and combat disinformation, particularly in social media and in the context of new technologies and artificial intelligence.

Promote inclusive growth and decision making through women’s and youth empowerment, including opportunities for rural women, young people and vulnerable populations to address inequality and develop relevant skills.

Cross cutting requirements

All actions must clearly integrate each of the call’s cross cutting priorities. These include environmental protection and climate resilience, gender equality, a rights based approach, youth participation, inclusion of persons with disabilities and other marginalised groups, non discrimination, accountability, transparency and access to information.

Proposals should involve grassroots organisations and communities outside the capital, support local and regional networks, and demonstrate meaningful participation by women and young people. Multi stakeholder approaches and innovative partnerships are likely to be viewed favourably.

Eligible applicants

Lot 1 lead applicant requirements

The lead applicant must be a legal person, non profit making, and a non governmental organisation. The organisation must be voluntary, independent from government and not a political party or trade union.

The lead applicant must be effectively established in a European Union Member State or in the Kyrgyz Republic. International organisations and public universities are not eligible as lead applicants for this lot.

The organisation must have been registered for at least two years by the concept note deadline and must be directly responsible for preparing and managing the action rather than acting as an intermediary.

Lot 2 lead applicant requirements

The lead applicant must be a legal person, non profit making and a non governmental organisation, with the same independence requirements as Lot 1.

For Lot 2, the lead applicant may be established in a European Union Member State, Kyrgyzstan or any other territory because no nationality restriction applies to applicants. International organisations and public universities remain ineligible as lead applicants under the stated rules.

The organisation must have been registered for at least two years by the concept note deadline and must be directly responsible for preparing and managing the action.

Co-applicants and local participation

Co-applicants must satisfy the eligibility requirements applicable to the lead applicant. They participate in designing and implementing the action and become beneficiaries if a grant is awarded.

The guidelines recommend no more than three co-applicants. If the lead applicant is not legally established in Kyrgyzstan, it must work with at least one Kyrgyz local organisation as a co-applicant.

Affiliated entities may participate where a pre-existing structural relationship exists through control or membership, such as a parent, subsidiary, sister organisation, federation or network relationship. A contractor, subcontractor, organisation receiving financial support or organisation cooperating only under a memorandum of understanding is not normally an affiliated entity.

Each organisation should participate in only one role in a given lot. The lead applicant may submit only one application per lot and may not simultaneously be a co-applicant or affiliated entity in another application for the same lot.

Eligible actions

Actions must take place in the Kyrgyz Republic, last between 24 and 36 months, address the relevant global and specific objectives, cover at least one priority of the selected lot and integrate all cross cutting priorities.

The proposal should be based on recent and reliable information, broad consultation and participation of target groups and stakeholders. Direct and final beneficiaries should be quantified, and the logical framework should contain credible baselines, targets, data sources, assumptions and risks.

Potential activities

Eligible activities may include capacity building, training, mentoring, exchanges, networking, community mobilisation, coalition building and organisational development.

Other suitable activities include monitoring public services and policy implementation, citizen reporting, journalist training, public campaigns, research, evidence generation, policy dialogue, advocacy, engagement with public authorities and multi stakeholder forums.

Actions may also support digital literacy, ethical journalism, protection of journalists, freedom of expression, countering disinformation, cyber hygiene, social entrepreneurship, employment and inclusive service delivery.

The list of possible activities is non exhaustive, but all activities must be clearly linked to the selected lot, its priorities and measurable results.

Financial support to third parties

Applicants may propose onward financial support to third parties when it is necessary to achieve the action’s objectives. The normal maximum amount per third party is €60,000, although the threshold may be exceeded where achieving the objectives would otherwise be impossible or excessively difficult.

The full application must define the objectives, outputs, eligible activities, categories of recipients, selection criteria, method for determining the amount of support and maximum amount available to each third party. Recipients must not be subject to EU restrictive measures.

Ineligible actions and expenditure

Ineligible actions include projects mainly involving individual sponsorships for events, individual scholarships, actions that violate human rights or create significant adverse environmental or climate effects, actions that breach EU values, fundraising or applicant visibility projects, direct support to political parties and purchase of real estate.

Generally ineligible costs include debt and interest, provisions for future liabilities, costs financed by another EU action, currency exchange losses, bonuses in staff costs, negative bank interest, credit to third parties and salary costs of national administration personnel.

A contingency reserve of up to 5 percent of estimated direct eligible costs may be included and may be used only with prior written authorisation. Indirect costs may be financed at a flat rate of up to 7 percent of estimated total eligible direct costs, subject to the grant conditions.

Application procedure

This is a two stage restricted procedure. At the first stage, applicants submit only a concept note and the lead applicant declaration. Applicants whose concept notes are pre-selected are invited to submit a full application.

The concept note must contain all information necessary for assessment. No additional annexes should be sent at that stage. The requested EU contribution in the concept note is indicative, and the detailed budget is submitted only at full application stage.

The EU contribution in the full application may not vary from the concept note estimate by more than 20 percent, subject to the applicable grant ranges and funding rates. Changes to co-applicants, affiliated entities or action duration are permitted only in duly justified circumstances and within the limits of the guidelines.

The full application stage requires the full application form, budget, logical framework, declaration on honour and supporting documents. These may include statutes, proof of legal status, PADOR information, accounts, financial capacity documentation and translations where relevant.

All submissions must be made online through PROSPECT. Lead applicants must register in PADOR at concept note stage. Co-applicants and affiliated entities must register at full application stage. Lead and co-applicants must also register in the European Commission Participant Register and obtain a nine digit Participant Identification Code.

Evaluation and selection

Concept notes are assessed for administrative compliance, relevance and design. The maximum concept note score is 50. Concept notes must obtain at least 30 points to be considered for pre-selection, after which ranking and the available budget determine the number invited to submit full applications.

The full application assessment has a maximum score of 100 and covers financial and operational capacity, relevance, design, implementation approach, sustainability, budget and cost effectiveness.

The financial and operational capacity section has a threshold of 12 points. An application is also rejected if any subsection in that section receives a score of 1. The lead applicant must demonstrate stable and sufficient sources of finance, while applicants and affiliated entities must demonstrate relevant management, technical and project experience.

The logical framework is assessed for completeness and quality. Indicators should be relevant, accepted, credible, easy to monitor and robust, with baselines, targets, dates and data sources. Applicants are encouraged to use EU Global Europe Results Framework indicators and align results with the Sustainable Development Goals.

Indicative timetable

The information session is planned at the EU Delegation in Bishkek and online. Registration is required by 17 November 2026 by email to DELEGATION-KYRGYZSTAN-CFP-187897@eeas.europa.eu, with a maximum of two participants per organisation.

Compliance obligations

Successful applicants must respect EU values, applicable environmental legislation, core labour standards, anti corruption rules, anti bribery requirements and contractual visibility obligations. EU support must normally be acknowledged through the required EU emblem and funding statement, subject to any approved security or political sensitivity derogation.

Applicants must avoid conflicts of interest and must not attempt to obtain confidential information or improperly influence the evaluation. Breaches, fraud, irregularities or unusual commercial expenses may lead to rejection, contract termination, exclusion or financial penalties.

Successful organisations receiving grants above €60,000, other than specified exempt categories, must complete the self evaluation questionnaire on policies and procedures addressing sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment. The call applies a zero tolerance policy to such conduct.

Practical applicant recommendations

Select the lot before designing the action. Lot 1 is best suited to governance, services, Global Gateway participation, climate resilient development and social entrepreneurship. Lot 2 is best suited to human rights, democracy, freedom of expression, information integrity, women’s empowerment and youth empowerment.

Build the proposal around one coherent intervention logic rather than a broad list of activities. Demonstrate how activities lead to outputs, outcomes and longer term impact, and ensure that every proposed cost supports that logic.

Use a strong Kyrgyzstan specific evidence base. Explain the legal, political, social, geographic and institutional context, with particular attention to remote communities, vulnerable groups, civic space, digital risks and the operating environment for civil society.

Demonstrate meaningful local ownership. International or non Kyrgyz lead applicants should involve a strong Kyrgyz co-applicant and clearly allocate implementation responsibilities, decision making and budget responsibilities.

Quantify target groups and beneficiaries, disaggregate relevant data by sex, age, location and vulnerability, and include realistic baselines and targets in the logical framework.

Prepare PADOR and Participant Register records early. Confirm that statutes, registration evidence, accounts, audit or financial declarations, mandates, declarations and translations can be obtained before the full application deadline.

Allow sufficient time for online submission. The deadline is expressed in Brussels time, and late submissions are rejected. Applicants should not rely on last day submission because internet, electricity, portal traffic or technical support problems are not grounds for deadline extension.

Overall assessment

This is a substantial but highly targeted opportunity for established non profit CSOs with at least two years of registration, demonstrable financial and operational capacity, and a strong Kyrgyzstan based partnership model. The minimum grant sizes mean that applicants should have the governance, financial controls, staffing and implementation scale needed to manage projects of roughly €684,000 to €1.5 million in total eligible costs.

The strongest applications are likely to combine a clearly evidenced Kyrgyzstan need, credible local partnerships, measurable benefits for women, youth and vulnerable communities, a strong rights based and climate sensitive approach, and a practical plan for sustainability after EU funding ends. Applicants should treat the restricted procedure as a competitive first stage and ensure that the concept note itself contains sufficient detail to secure pre-selection.

Official sources

The authoritative opportunity record and published documents are available through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal and the associated PROSPECT call record.3

The European External Action Service also published a notice concerning the call and availability of the full applicant guidelines.4

Footnotes

1. 1Official opportunity page: EU Funding and Tenders Portal opportunity
2. 2Official Funding and Tenders Portal call listing: Call listing
3. 3PROSPECT call record and published applicant documents: PROSPECT call record
4. 4EEAS notice concerning the call: EEAS call notice