Call for NGO projects in Bulgaria

On 1 July, Bulgaria became the eleventh country to launch a fund for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) with support from Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. The fund will be managed by the the Foundation for Local Government Reform in partnership with the Bulgarian Environmental Partnership Foundation

The NGO Fund in Bulgaria is part of the implementation of the EEA Financial Mechanism. The goal of the NGO Fund in Bulgaria is to strengthen civil society in the country by supporting projects under the priority areas described below. The main objective of the EEA Financial Mechanism is to support economic and social development of Bulgaria as a member of the European Economic Area in line with the national priorities and the agreements with the EU.

Under the present call, applicants can apply for funding for projects within the following priority areas:

• Protection of the environment and promotion of sustainable development;
• Provision and development of social services, such as in health and childcare;
• Development of civil society and protection of human rights.

All Bulgarian NGOs functioning on a not for profit basis are eligible applicants, and projects that involve partners from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway are encouraged.

Deadline for submission is: 15th October 2008

Find further information (including link to FAQs) at: http://www.eeagrants.org/
Download the call guidelines from: http://www.eeagrants.org/downloads/Open_calls_for_proposals/Bulgaria/BG_NGO_Fund_General_Call_for_Proposals-EN_final.pdf

Source: CONCORD EU Monitoring Newletter 25 July 2008