Call for bilateral collaboration – LOT 1: Partnership development and preparation
These links open the Programme Operator's own site.
About this call
Bilateral cooperation provides an important opportunity to strengthen the capacity and resilience of civil society organisations. However, such cooperation is often hindered by practical and structural barriers, including language differences, differences in culture and working methods, and administrative and procedural complexities. Furthermore, establishing and maintaining stable international partnerships can be challenging, particularly when cooperation is insufficiently structured or supported during its initial stages. The Call for Bilateral Cooperation – Lot 1: Partnership Development and Preparation provides financial support for preparatory visits and partnership development activities aimed at establishing and strengthening long-term cooperation between Croatian CSOs and organisations from the Donor States (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway). All bilateral initiatives must contribute to the bilateral outcome “Enhanced bilateral cooperation in the civil society sector”. Eligible activities may include preparatory visits for project development, meetings to prepare joint applications, as well as hybrid and follow-up cooperation activities. The expected results of the Call include an increased number of high-quality partnerships between civil society organisations from Croatia and entities from the Donor States, as well as the creation of concrete opportunities for future cooperation, including the development of joint projects, advocacy initiatives or networks within the EEA Civil Society Fund Croatia Programme. The Call will remain continuously open until the available funds are exhausted, or until 31 December 2028 at the latest. Submission of applications is possible from November 3, 2026 and the application is prepared in English language.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants are: Civil society organisations (CSOs) established and registered in Croatia and CSOs established and registered as legal persons in one of the Donor States (Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway). For the purposes of this Call, any applicant qualifying as a CSO, irrespective of the country in which it is established, must fall within the following definition: A non-profit voluntary organisation with a non-commercial purpose, independent of local, regional and central government, public entities, political parties and commercial organisations. Eligible CSOs must: be non-profit, meaning that they have not been established and do not operate for the purpose of generating personal profit. They may employ paid staff and undertake revenue-generating activities, but profits may not be distributed to members or members of their governing bodies. Where revenue-generating activities are undertaken, these must serve as a means of supporting the organisation’s mission and values rather than constitute its primary purpose; not pursue the direct commercial or professional interests of their members. Members must not have a direct commercial interest in the results of the organisation’s work or its commercial activities. This excludes trade and professional associations whose primary purpose is to advance the specific commercial or professional interests of their members; be voluntary in nature, meaning that they are established voluntarily by individuals or groups and, where the organisation is membership-based, membership is not compulsory for any individual or group. Additional eligibility requirements for Croatian CSOs Eligible CSOs established in Croatia must, in addition to the general CSO requirements above: conduct transparent financial operations, demonstrated through registration in the Register of Non-Profit Organisations (RNO) maintained by the Croatian Ministry of Finance and compliance with applicable financial reporting requirements, or by providing sufficient evidence of transparent financial operations by other appropriate means. Detailed information on eligible applicants is available in Call Text and Guidelines for Applicants, chapter 3.1