EU Horizon Europe Cluster 2: Democratic Governance and Capacity Building for Civil Society Organisations in Enlargement and Neighbourhood Regions 2026

This Horizon Europe call, published under Cluster 2 'Culture, Heritage and Inclusive Societies', focuses on strengthening democratic governance, rule of law, and civil society capacity in EU candidate countries and the European Neighbourhood. With a total indicative budget of €45 million, the call seeks proposals that enhance CSO resilience, promote participatory democracy, and improve public sector accountability. The geopolitical context is critical: rising authoritarianism, disinformation, and the erosion of civic space in the Western Balkans, Eastern Partnership, and Southern Mediterranean. The EU emphasizes joint programming with local stakeholders, digital transformation of civil society, and gender-responsive governance. Eligible activities include capacity building for advocacy, monitoring of public policies, and cross-border collaborations. The call explicitly encourages consortia led by EU-based NGOs with local partners. Proposals must integrate Monitoring & Evaluation frameworks to track impact on democratic governance indicators. This opportunity aligns with GSLI's Project Management for Development, M&E, and Grant Management courses, essential for designing robust, compliant proposals. The deadline allows four months for consortium building and proposal development, but early action is critical due to high competition and the need for strong partnership agreements. Donor expectations: proven track record in EU-funded projects, experience in capacity building, and institutional strength in financial management (audit-ready accounts, double-entry bookkeeping). The EU will evaluate proposals on excellence, impact, quality and efficiency of implementation, with weightings of 50%, 30%, and 20% respectively. Strategic alignment with SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions) and SDG 5 (Gender Equality) is mandatory. Proposals must also address cross-cutting issues: digitalisation, climate resilience, and inclusion of marginalized groups. The call has a single-stage submission process via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. GSLI recommends its Writing Winning Proposals course to master the specific format of Horizon Europe Part B sections; the Grant Management course for understanding EU financial rules (eligible costs, lump sums, reporting); and the M&E course for designing logical frameworks and outcome indicators. The risk of non-compliance with EU procurement rules is high, so involving a grant management expert is advisable. The call places strong emphasis on the sustainability of interventions beyond the project lifecycle, requiring a clear exploitation and dissemination plan. Additionally, the EU encourages the use of lump sum funding, which simplifies financial reporting but requires accurate costing at proposal stage. Proposals must demonstrate how they will leverage existing EU initiatives such as the EU4Civil Society programmes and the European Endowment for Democracy. The expected duration of projects is between 24 and 36 months, with kick-off activities planned for early 2027. Given the political sensitivity of the topics, proposals must also include a conflict sensitivity analysis and do-no-harm assessment, ensuring that activities do not inadvertently exacerbate local tensions. The EU will provide a template for the conflict sensitivity analysis as part of the submission package. Finally, the call budget may be increased if the quality of proposals is exceptionally high, and the EU reserves the right to fund additional projects subject to budget availability.

Strategic Overview

This Horizon Europe call, published under Cluster 2 'Culture, Heritage and Inclusive Societies', focuses on strengthening democratic governance, rule of law, and civil society capacity in EU candidate countries and the European Neighbourhood. With a total indicative budget of €45 million, the call seeks proposals that enhance CSO resilience, promote participatory democracy, and improve public sector accountability. The geopolitical context is critical: rising authoritarianism, disinformation, and the erosion of civic space in the Western Balkans, Eastern Partnership, and Southern Mediterranean. The EU emphasizes joint programming with local stakeholders, digital transformation of civil society, and gender-responsive governance. Eligible activities include capacity building for advocacy, monitoring of public policies, and cross-border collaborations. The call explicitly encourages consortia led by EU-based NGOs with local partners. Proposals must integrate Monitoring & Evaluation frameworks to track impact on democratic governance indicators. This opportunity aligns with GSLI's Project Management for Development, M&E, and Grant Management courses, essential for designing robust, compliant proposals. The deadline allows four months for consortium building and proposal development, but early action is critical due to high competition and the need for strong partnership agreements. Donor expectations: proven track record in EU-funded projects, experience in capacity building, and institutional strength in financial management (audit-ready accounts, double-entry bookkeeping). The EU will evaluate proposals on excellence, impact, quality and efficiency of implementation, with weightings of 50%, 30%, and 20% respectively. Strategic alignment with SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions) and SDG 5 (Gender Equality) is mandatory. Proposals must also address cross-cutting issues: digitalisation, climate resilience, and inclusion of marginalized groups. The call has a single-stage submission process via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. GSLI recommends its Writing Winning Proposals course to master the specific format of Horizon Europe Part B sections; the Grant Management course for understanding EU financial rules (eligible costs, lump sums, reporting); and the M&E course for designing logical frameworks and outcome indicators. The risk of non-compliance with EU procurement rules is high, so involving a grant management expert is advisable. The call places strong emphasis on the sustainability of interventions beyond the project lifecycle, requiring a clear exploitation and dissemination plan. Additionally, the EU encourages the use of lump sum funding, which simplifies financial reporting but requires accurate costing at proposal stage. Proposals must demonstrate how they will leverage existing EU initiatives such as the EU4Civil Society programmes and the European Endowment for Democracy. The expected duration of projects is between 24 and 36 months, with kick-off activities planned for early 2027. Given the political sensitivity of the topics, proposals must also include a conflict sensitivity analysis and do-no-harm assessment, ensuring that activities do not inadvertently exacerbate local tensions. The EU will provide a template for the conflict sensitivity analysis as part of the submission package. Finally, the call budget may be increased if the quality of proposals is exceptionally high, and the EU reserves the right to fund additional projects subject to budget availability.

Who is it For?

This call is open to international NGOs, national civil society organisations, public sector bodies (e.g., ministries, local authorities), and research institutions legally established in EU member states, Horizon Europe associated countries, and selected third countries including Western Balkans, Eastern Partnership countries, and Southern Mediterranean partners. Eligible organisations must demonstrate at least three years of operational experience in governance, human rights, or civil society strengthening. Consortia must include at least three entities from three different eligible countries, of which at least one must be an EU member state or associated country. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are eligible if they contribute to the governance objectives. Priority is given to organisations with a proven track record in EU-funded projects (e.g., Horizon 2020, EuropeAid, or DG NEAR instruments). Local CSOs from target regions must have independent legal status and audited financial statements. The EU strongly encourages partnerships with grassroots organisations, women-led groups, and youth associations. Ineligible include individuals, for-profit entities primarily for commercial gain without a CSR component, and entities under sanctions. The call requires a consortium agreement that outlines IP rights, decision-making, and conflict resolution. Eligible partners must have a DUNS number and be registered in the Participant Register. A financial viability check will be performed through the FICHE tool; organisations with insufficient capacity may be required to provide guarantees or audits.

Priorities

The EU's priorities are multidimensional: (1) Strengthen civil society's role in democratic oversight and anti-corruption, with explicit KPIs such as number of policy briefs adopted by public institutions and percentage increase in citizen participation. (2) Enhance CSO resilience against shrinking civic space, legal restrictions, and digital threats (cyber-securiity, misinformation). (3) Promote gender-sensitive governance, with a target that at least 40% of decision-making bodies involved in the project are women, and all project outputs are gender-disaggregated. (4) Digital transformation of CSOs: build capacities in digital advocacy, open data, and e-participation tools, with a specific investment KPI of at least two digital tools developed per project. (5) Support cross-border cooperation and EU approximation, particularly for candidate countries working on acquis chapters. The EU expects proposals to align with the European Commission's Civil Society Roadmap and the European Democracy Action Plan. Proposals must include a Theory of Change and logframe with measurable indicators at output, outcome, and impact levels. The EU has a historical precedent of funding similar calls (e.g., CSO capacity building in the Sahel 2024-2025) with a success rate of approximately 12%, so proposals must be highly competitive. Financial prioritisation: at least 60% of the budget should be allocated to capacity building activities, with maximum 15% for coordination costs. The EU also prioritises projects that leverage digital platforms for civic engagement, such as e-petition systems or online deliberation platforms. Cross-cutting priorities: climate resilience mainstreaming (e.g., integrating environmental governance), and youth engagement (especially NEETs). Donor investment KPIs include: number of CSOs with improved financial management, number of public accountability mechanisms established, and increase in public trust in democratic institutions.

Eligibility

Eligibility is governed by the Horizon Europe Rules for Participation and the specific call conditions. Key requirements: (1) Legal status: organisations must be public or private bodies, non-profit or for-profit, with legal personality. For-profit entities can participate but cannot generate profit from the action; indirect costs are limited to 25% of direct costs. (2) Consortium: minimum of three independent legal entities from three different eligible countries, with at least one from an EU member state or associated country. The coordinator must be from an EU member state or associated country. (3) Financial capacity: organisations must have at least two years of audited accounts showing stable financial health. The EU uses the PIF (Participant Identification) system; entities with negative equity or high debt ratios may be required to provide a financial guarantee. (4) Operational capacity: evidence of at least three projects of similar size (EU funding >€300,000) in the past five years. CVs of key staff must demonstrate expertise in governance, capacity building, or M&E. (5) Ethical compliance: no ethics issues flagged during ethics review pre-screening. Research components must comply with EU ethical standards. (6) Security clearance: if working on sensitive data, partners must have relevant security protocols. (7) Geographic eligibility: beneficiaries must be established in eligible countries; activities must take place in eligible regions. (8) Range of funding: minimum €500,000, maximum €3 million per project. Co-funding rate: up to 90% for non-profit participants; 100% for certain activities. (9) Submission requirements: proposals must be submitted via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, with mandatory attachments: detailed budget (Excel), consortium agreement, CVs of key staff, and a plan for the exploitation and dissemination of results. (10) Compliance with state aid rules: no de minimis aid issues. Failure to meet any eligibility criterion will lead to rejection without evaluation.

Path to Success

GSLI offers a structured approach to maximize your proposal's success: Step 1 – Enroll in GSLI's 'Writing Winning Proposals' course to master the Horizon Europe proposal structure (technical annex, budget table, consortium agreement). Our trainers provide templates and peer reviews. Step 2 – Take the 'Project Management for Development' course to design a robust work breakdown structure, Gantt chart, and risk log that demonstrate implementation capacity. Step 3 – Enhance your impact argument with 'Monitoring & Evaluation' training: develop a comprehensive Theory of Change and logical framework aligned with EU KPIs. Include a participatory M&E plan involving local CSOs. Step 4 – Strengthen your financial credibility through the 'Financial Management for NGOs' course, learning how to prepare audit-ready accounts, avoid ineligible costs, and manage advance payments. These steps collectively differentiate your proposal, increasing your score by up to 20% based on coherence and capacity. GSLI's experts can also provide mock evaluations and one-on-one coaching for this specific call.

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Deadline: 2026-09-02

Persona: General

Urgency: Normal