CIVIL SOCIETY ENGAGEMENT IN PUBLIC POLICY, LOCAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE EU INTEGRATION PROCESS CALL IS NOW OPEN

Deadline for submission of full application:

28/07/2026 at 14:00 (Brussels date and time)

Objectives of the programme and priority issues

The overall objectiveof the action is to strengthen participatory democracy and the EU integration process in Montenegro through an enhanced contribution by civil society.

The specific objective(s) of this call for proposals is: 

To strengthen the contribution of civil society organisations (CSOs) to public policy processes, including those related to the EU integration process, by promoting inclusive and gender-sensitive participation, enhancing cooperation and partnerships with public institutions, and reinforcing CSO capacity, sustainability and resilience.

Gender-balanced approaches are an integral part of the action.

Financial allocation provided by the contracting authority

The overall indicative amount made available under this call for proposals is EUR 2 250 000. The contracting authority reserves the right not to award all available funds.

Indicative allocation of funds by lot:

If the allocation indicated for a specific lot cannot be used due to insufficient quality or number of proposals received, the contracting authority reserves the right to reallocate the remaining funds to (an)other lot(s).

Size of grants

Any grant requested under this call for proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum amounts:

For all LOTS:

• minimum amount: EUR 700,000
• maximum amount: EUR 750,000

Any grant requested under this call for proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum percentages of total eligible costs of the action:

• Minimum percentage: 85 % of the total eligible costs of the action.
• Maximum percentage: 95 % of the total eligible costs of the action (see also Section 2.1.4).

The balance (i.e. the difference between the total cost of the action and the amount requested from the contracting authority) must be financed from sources other than the general budget of the Union or the European Development Fund.

Eligibility of applicant (i.e. lead applicant)

Lead applicant

In order to be eligible for a grant, the lead applicant must:

• be a legal person and
• be non-profit-making and
• be a Civil Society Organisation and network and
• be effectively established in Montenegro and
• be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action with the co-applicant(s) and affiliated entity(ies), not acting as an intermediary and
• not being in any of the situations listed in Section 2.4. of the practical guide and
• be registered at least 24 months prior to the deadline for submission of project proposals.

For Lot 1, and 3, the lead-applicants must act with co-applicant(s) as specified hereafter.

For Lot 2 the lead applicant may act individually or with co-applicant(s) as specified hereafter.

Co-applicant(s)

Co-applicants participate in designing and implementing the action, and the costs they incur are eligible in the same way as those incurred by the lead applicant. 

Co-applicants must satisfy the eligibility criteria as applicable to the lead applicant himself.

Affiliated entities

The lead applicant and its co-applicant(s) may act with affiliated entity(ies).

These are entities directly or indirectly controlled by the applicant (daughter companies or first-tier subsidiaries). They may also be entities controlled by an entity controlled by the applicant (granddaughter companies or second-tier subsidiaries) and the same applies to further tiers of control;

Entities directly or indirectly controlling the applicant (parent companies). Likewise, they may be entities controlling an entity controlling the applicant;

Entities under the same direct or indirect control as the applicant (sister companies).

Control is defined in Directive 2013/34/EU on the annual financial statements, consolidated financial statements and related reports of certain types of undertakings:

How to apply

To apply to this call for proposals, organisations must register in PADOR and submit their application in PROSPECT (see section 2.2.2 of the guidelines). The aim of PROSPECT is to increase the efficiency of the management of the call for proposals and to offer a better service to civil society organisations through a new panel of functionalities such as the on-line submission and the possibility to follow up online the status of their application.

Preparation: Information session 05/06/2026 at 11:00 CET at Europe House, located at Trg Argentina 4 (Argentina Square, 4), 81000 Podgorica, Montenegro, and user manuals.

Should you be interested in this session, please send an email by 01/06/2026 to delegation-montenegro-procedures@eeas.europa.eu, indicating: name, surname, nationality and email address of the persons who are going to participate as well as their organisation (max. two participants per organisation). No costs incurred by the applicants for attending this information session are reimbursable.]

All organisations may find more information regarding PROSPECT in the user's manual and the e­learning videos. You may also contact our technical support team via the online support form in PROSPECT.

Background

This call is financed under the Civil Society Facility and Media Programmes for Montenegro (CSF) 2024–2025. It aims to strengthen the role of civil society as key actors in democratic governance, public participation and the EU integration process. Civil society organisations (CSOs) in Montenegro already contribute to democratic debate, protection of fundamental rights and sectoral reforms. However, there is room for their engagement to become more effective, inclusive and transparent, particularly at local level. CSOs are expected to play a stronger role throughout the country’s full policy cycle.

Check out more details here.