The Active Citizens Fund in Greece is supported through a €12m grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway as part of the EEA Grants 2014 – 2021. The program aims to develop the sustainability and capacity of the civil society sector in Greece, and to strengthen its role in promoting and safeguarding democratic procedures, active citizenship and human rights. The Fund Operator for the Active Citizens Fund in Greece is Bodossaki Foundation in consortium with SolidarityNow.
The inaugural event of Active Citizens Fund will take place in Serafio, Athens, on Thursday, February 21, 2019, at 4pm. H.E. the Ambassador of Norway, Mr. Jørn E. Gjelstad, will address the audience during the opening event. The presentation of the fund and the first two open calls of the programme will also be announced. Capacity building workshops to support CSOs in writing their applications will be held in Athens on the 22nd and the 23rd of February 2019.
An Active Citizens Fund Roadshow will follow across the country, with events to be held in Thessaloniki (26 & 27/2), Drama (28/2 and 1/3), Patra (14 & 15/3) and Heraklion (20 & 21/3).
Who can benefit from ACF:
Active Citizens Fund is open to civil society organizations (NGOs, Non-Profit Civil Partnerships, Associations and Foundations). In total, the programme in Greece comprises six open calls, as follows:
1. Vulnerable groups empowered: opens on 21 February 2019, with a call deadline of 21 June 2019 and available funding of € 2,904,000
2. Strengthened civil society advocacy and watchdog role : opens on 21 February 2019, with a call deadline of 21 June 2019 and available funding of € 1,970,000
3. Increased citizen participation in civic activities: to be announced in autumn 2019
4. Increased support for human rights: to be announced in autumn 2019
5. Gender equality promoted and gender-based violence combatted : to be announced in 2020
6. Platforms and networks among CSOs developed : to be announced in 2020
All CSOs that will receive funding from the Active Citizens Fund will be involved in Capacity Building activities organized by the Fund Operator throughout the implementation of the program.
Bilateral cooperation:
One of the goals of the EEA Financial Mechanism 2014-2021 is the strengthening of bilateral relations between NGOs in Greece and entities in the Donor States (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) with a view to promoting project partnerships and joint activities, the exchange of knowledge and best practices.
Through the Active Citizens Fund in Greece, a total of € 200,000 will be allocated to support bilateral cooperation initiatives.
EEA Grants:
The EEA Grants are jointly financed by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The EEA Grants are available to the 13 EU member countries that joined the EU and the European Economic Area (EEA) in 2004, 2007 and 2013 as well as Greece and Portugal.
Information for the media:
For Bodossaki Foundation
Maria Fola, Head of Communications | E-mail: mfola@bodossaki.gr | Tel. +30 210 722 5823, +30 695 6200098
For SolidarityNow
Valia Savvidou, Head of Press & Events, Athens | Email: valias@solidaritynow.org | Tel. +30 210 6772500, +30 6970 417260
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