Deadline: 22 January 2020

The Active Citizens Fund (ACF) is seeking proposals from eligible applicants to Increase Citizen Participation in Civic Activities.

The overall objective of the ACF programme is Civil society and active citizenship strengthened and vulnerable groups empowered.

The social activity and interest of citizens in the state, regions and their communities is an essential part of a functioning democracy. By promoting public participation in decision-making and engaging citizens in civil society activities, the ACF – Slovakia aims to increase confidence in democratic institutions and promote public discussion on phenomena that influence development of the society.

The ACF – Slovakia will focus on improving the conditions where the public has an opportunity to engage in public debate to enhance its participation in decision-making. The programme will improve the conditions for civic participation through support for organizations, web tools, platforms and workgroups, but will also enable renovation or improvement of physical spaces (community centres, cultural centres etc.) that serve the long-term purpose of civil participation.

Funding Information

• The financial allocation in this call for proposals is 420,000 €.
• The minimum and maximum grant amount per grant shall be as follows: 30,000 € – 65,000 €.
• The duration of projects in this call for proposals must be as follows: 12 – 18 months.

Eligible Applicants

• Applicants eligible to carry out and implement projects are non-governmental organisations (NGOs). An NGO is a legal entity in the Slovak Republic, having a non-commercial purpose, independent of local, regional and central government, public entities, political parties and commercial organisations. NGOs are voluntary in nature, formed voluntarily by groups or individuals and usually involving an element of voluntary participation in the organisation.
• An eligible applicant is registered in the Slovak Republic in one of the following categories:
  • Civic Association according the Act No. 83/1990 Coll. on the Association of Citizens;
  • Foundation according the Act No. 34/2002 Coll. on Foundations;
  • Non-profit Organisation Providing Public Beneficial Services according the Act No. 83/1990 Coll.
  • Non-investment Fund according the Act No. 34/2002 Coll. on Non-investment Funds;
  • Non-profit Organisation according the Act No. 116/85 Coll. on terms for activities of organisations with international aspect;
  • Association of Legal Entities under the Act No. 40/1964 Coll. on Civil Code;
  • Slovak Red Cross under the Act No. 460/2007 Coll. on the Slovak Red Cross.
• Political parties, religious organisations, social partners, profit distributing cooperatives, informal and ad-hoc groups and individuals are not eligible applicants.
• Organizations that have not recovered amounts due, following a final court decision in connection with the NGO Programmes 2009 – 2014 in Slovakia, shall not be considered eligible applicants and/or project partners.

For more information, visit https://acfslovakia.sk/en/calls/increased-citizen-participation-in-civic-activities/