Project Grants on Systemic Change
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About this call
The EEA Civil Society Fund and this Call focus on supporting democracy, the protection of human rights and the development of civil society organisations with the aim of strengthening their resilience and long-term sustainability. The purpose of the Call responds to: growing polarization, declining trust in institutions and politicians, shrinking civic space, and increasing social exclusion; systemic barriers preventing effective participation in democratic processes; insufficient representation of disadvantaged groups (including Roma communities, women, young people, migrants, and LGBTIQ+ people); inadequate cooperation between public authorities and civil society organizations; low levels of civic participation, particularly in structurally disadvantaged regions; pressure on independent journalism and other actors defending democratic principles; the spread of disinformation, hate speech, and myths, particularly in connection with the invasion of Ukraine; low levels of media and digital literacy, which may contribute to deeper social and digital exclusion the structural vulnerability of the civil society sector itself. This Call therefore focuses on: Long-term systemic and legislative change rather than one-off solutions. The Call supports the involvement of civil society in public policy development and seek to foster broad partnerships among the public, civil society, and private sectors. Addressing the systemic causes of discrimination faced by Roma communities, LGBTIQ+ people, women, and people arriving from Ukraine. The call aims to achieve lasting change through strategic litigation, evidence-based advocacy, and the promotion of legislative reforms. Strengthening civil society itself so that it can sustainably advance these changes. The call will therefore support initiatives that help build a stable, well-funded, and publicly trusted civil society sector. Project grants on systemic change range from €100,000 to €200,000 and have a duration of 36 months. If an organization receives support through a grant on systemic change, it will no longer be eligible to obtain an organisational grant. The results of the grants on systemic change will be announced approximately one month before the deadline for the organisational grant call (which will be published by the end of 2026).
Who can apply
The Applicant is the entity responsible for the overall initiation, preparation and implementation of the project (the project promoter). Eligible Applicants are CSOs that are established in the Czech Republic, which meet the condition of at least two years from the date of registration of the organisation by the deadline of the call, and fall within the following definition: A non-profit organisation with a non-commercial purpose, independent of local, regional and central government, public entities, political parties and commercial organisations. Eligible Applicants for grants are CSOs that are registered as: Association “Spolek” Institute “Zapsaný ústav” Public Benefit Corporation “Obecně prospěšná společnost” Foundation and endowment fund “Nadace a nadační fond” Interest association of legal entities “Zájmová sdružení právnických osob” Legal entity established by a registered church or religious society (charities) under the Act No. 3/2002 Coll. on Freedom of Religion and the Status of Churches and Religious Societies (Účelové zařízení registrované církve a náboženské společnosti). These entities are eligible if they comply with the above principles and if the activities funded do not directly or indirectly promote religious doctrine, mission, or proselytism related to a specific faith (beyond basic religious or cultural awareness raising). Religious institutions and political parties, social partners, informal groups or profit-distributing entities are not eligible Applicants. An organisation that receives a Project grant on systemic change is no longer eligible to apply for an Organisational grant under the programme. For more information on these limits, see Chapter 3.2 Maximum Amount of Support Under the Programme, in the Guide. For more information on Applicant eligibility, please refer to the Guide in Chapter 4. Eligibility of Applicant and Project Partners.