Active citizens fund: Announcement of additional funding made available for Bilateral Cooperation Initiatives

Bodossaki Foundation and SolidarityNow, in their capacity as Fund Operator of the Active citizens fund (ACF) programme for Greece, announce the allocation of €20,000 of additional funding for Bilateral Cooperation Initiatives, due to the increased interest of Civil Society Organizations in our country, thus raising to €162,000 the total amount to be allocated under the ‘Active citizens fund’ programme in Greece.

In addition, to facilitate candidates, the deadline for the submission of applications is extended until the exhaustion of the available funds and in any case until no later than October 31, 2023 (23.59 EEST).

The priority of the Bilateral Cooperation Initiatives is to strengthen and enhance the effectiveness of Greek NGOs, as well as the exchange of good practices between Greek NGOs and organisations from the donor countries. Particular emphasis will be placed on areas that are directly linked to the programme and contribute in practice to the achievement of its expected outcomes, such as improving the participation of citizens (especially of young people) in civic life, defending and protecting human rights, strengthening the supervisory role and advocacy of civil society actors (with a strong focus on exerting influence and pressure on policy-makers and on the cooperation with local actors),empowering vulnerable groups (focusing on unaccompanied minors and Roma), supporting gender equality and the empowerment of women, as well as strengthening actions to combat gender-based violence.

The Active citizens fund in Greece is supported through a € 15 m 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.