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Call for Applications
The Civil Society Fund Romania invites civil society organisations to take part in the 2026 bilateral cooperation events organised under the Fund for Bilateral Relations:
A. Bilateral Matchmaking event in Romania: 25 - 28 August 2026, Bucharest, Romania
B. Info session and matchmaking event in Norway: 31 August – 4 September 2026, Oslo, Norway
C. Info session and matchmaking event in Iceland: 7–11 September 2026, Reykjavik, Iceland
Background and purpose:
In 2026, the activities of the Fund for Bilateral Relations under Civil Society Fund Romania aim to support the development of partnership projects between organisations from Romania and entities from the Donor States, contributing to meaningful, broad and sustainable bilateral cooperation. The activities will focus on preparation, networking, matchmaking and partnership development for projects to be submitted under Civil Society Fund Romania and are designed to help organisations move from initial contact to concrete ideas for collaboration.
The bilateral events will combine information about the programme, thematic exchange of experience, structured matchmaking sessions and follow-up support. Their purpose is not only to create opportunities for organisations to meet, but also to ensure that these meetings are relevant, well prepared and likely to lead to high-quality joint initiatives.
NB: This call for applications is created as a singular registration for all bilateral event mentioned above and described below.
Thematic priorities:
The events are open to organisations from Romania and entities from the Donor States interested in cooperation in one or more of the following thematic areas, in line with the priorities of Civil Society Fund Romania:
- Democratic values, civic engagement, information integrity and media literacy;
- Civil society participation in democratic processes;
- Human rights, anti-discrimination, and social justice;
- Gender equality, including sexual and reproductive health and rights, and LGBTIQ+ rights;
- Climate action, environmental protection, and a just green transition.
Bilateral activities included in this call
A. Bilateral Matchmaking event in Romania
Dates: 25 - 28 August 2026
Format: 1,5 days in-person event
Location: Bucharest, Romania
This event will provide a structured matchmaking framework for Romanian organisations seeking partners from Norway or Iceland. It will support organisations in identifying common interests, exploring potential cooperation ideas and moving towards more concrete partnership pathways. The event will include a seminar in Bucharest, structured networking sessions, thematic discussions, partner-search support and follow-up assistance. It will also include online preparation and post-event follow-up for participating organisations.
Expected organizational profile attending: organizations that do not have extensive experience with international partnerships, especially with Norway but are considering to submit a project proposal under the Civil Society Fund with a partner from this donor state.
B. Info session and matchmaking event in Norway
Dates: 31 August – 4 September 2026
Format: 1 day in-person event + working sessions
Location: Oslo, Norway
This event will serve as an important information event for the program in Norway. It will combine programme promotion, practical networking and partner identification. The event is intended to increase visibility of the Civil Society Fund Romania among Norwegian organisations and networks, while also generating concrete cooperation leads between Romanian and Norwegian entities.
Expected organizational profile attending: organizations that have previous experience with Norwegian partners and are committed to apply within the Civil Society Fund with a bilateral project proposal, involving at least one partner from Norway.
C. Info session and matchmaking event in Iceland
Dates: 7–11 September 2026
Format: 1 day in-person event + working sessions
Location: Reykjavik, Iceland
The Iceland event will broaden the bilateral outreach of the Programme and create a dedicated space for Romanian and Icelandic organisations to explore common interests. The event will have a dual function: to build awareness of the Civil Society Fund Romania in Iceland and to facilitate direct, structured matchmaking between Romanian and Icelandic organisations. It will include an information session, thematic exchange, networking and partner-search activities.
Expected organizational profile attending: organizations with experience in working on human rights issues and are committed to apply within the Civil Society Fund with a bilateral project proposal, involving at least one partner from Iceland.
Note: Consortia of organisations that, following participation in these events, reach a clear agreement and are ready to apply with a partnership project under Civil Society Fund Romania may be invited to an additional meeting in Bucharest, between 23 and 25 September 2026, to finalise the project idea and partnership.
The working language of all events will be English. Translation or interpretation services will not be provided.
What kind of participants are we looking for?
We are looking for organisations and representatives who:
- are interested in developing real bilateral cooperation projects with the Donor States;
- have relevant experience or a clear interest in one or more of the Programme’s thematic priorities;
- are open to sharing knowledge, practices and lessons learned;
- are willing to explore concrete partnership ideas;
- can actively participate before, during and after the selected event;
- have the organisational capacity to follow up on contacts and cooperation opportunities developed during the process.
Applicants must demonstrate a clear interest in bilateral cooperation and the capacity to contribute meaningfully to the exchange of experience, partnership development and future joint initiatives.
Priority in the selection process will be given to applicants who demonstrate a strong thematic fit, clear motivation for bilateral cooperation and a genuine interest in developing future joint initiatives.
Support offered to selected participants:
Selected participants may benefit from:
- participation in the selected bilateral event;
- structured matchmaking support;
- access to thematic exchange and networking sessions;
- partner-search assistance before, during and after the event;
- online preparation and follow-up, where relevant;
- tailored consultancy support for organisations requiring targeted assistance in the development of cooperation ideas.
Costs related to travel, accommodation and meals will be covered by the organisers.
Further information regarding these aspects, as well as logistical details and the final agenda of the events, will be provided at a later stage only to selected participants.
Selection criteria:
Applications will be assessed based on the following criteria:
1. Relevance of the organisation’s work to the programme’s thematic priorities – 20%
2. Motivation for bilateral cooperation and clarity of interest in working with organisations from Donor States – 10%
3. Potential contribution to the event, including relevant experience, knowledge, networks or practices that can be shared with other participants – 10%
4. Organisational capacity and commitment to active participation throughout the entire process – 10%
5. Potential for developing a future partnership, including the applicant’s capacity to contact organisations from the Donor States before the event and continue the dialogue after the event – 50%.
The selection process will prioritise organisations that can demonstrate, at the time of application, that they are already in contact with at least one organisation from the Donor States and that this contact can be further developed through the events. The selection process will also seek to ensure a balance between organisations, thematic areas, geographical regions, levels of experience and types of expertise and, if more than one event is selected, the selection will prioritze the participation of one organization per one event.
Commitments of selected participants:
Selected participants are expected to:
- take part in the full programme of the selected event;
- participate in preparatory and follow-up activities, where relevant;
- actively engage in matchmaking and networking sessions;
- present their organisation’s work, interests and potential cooperation ideas;
- follow up with potential partners before and after the event;
- contribute to feedback, learning and reporting activities related to the bilateral process.
How to apply:
Organisations interested in participating are invited to complete and submit the application form available below by 10 August 2026. Selection results will be communicated to selected participants on a rolling basis, according to the principle ”first received, first assessed”. The final selection will be available by 21 August 2026. In order for an application to be considered for participation, it must receive a minimum score of 70% out of 100%, according to the criteria mentioned above.
Contact:
For questions regarding this call or the bilateral events, please contact our bilateral coordinator Vladx: vlad.dumitrescu(at)fdsc.ro
The EEA Civil Society Fund is financed by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA and Norway Grants. The aim of the Fund is to strengthen civil society and active citizenship, and to empower vulnerable groups. The support is based on shared values such as human rights, democracy and the rule of law. The Fund contributes to the overall objectives of the EEA and Norway Grants: reducing economic and social disparities in Europe and strengthening cooperation between the Donor States and the Beneficiary States. The Donor States cooperate closely with the European Union through the Agreement on the European Economic Area. For the 2021–2028 funding period, the total allocation for civil society in 15 EU Member States represents approximately 10% of the total EEA and Norway Grants funding of EUR 3.2 billion.
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1.
Your name and surname
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Your email
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Your mobile phone number
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4.
Please provide a short bio of yourself (500 characters with spaces)
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Name of the organization represented
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Location of the organization (city/ town/ village) and scope (local/ regional/national)
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Official email of the organization
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Website/ all social media of the organization
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Please give a description of the organization you represent (1500 characters with spaces)
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10.
Which matchmaking event do you apply to attend?
Please have in mind that 1. you can select more than 1 event to participate in and 2. your selection will take into account the profile of your organization matched with the description of the event and what participants we are looking for each event and 3. for travelling to Norway and Iceland you need to have a travel document (passport or ID) that is valid within minimum 6 months from the travel dates
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11.
What is your motivation to attend the chosen bilateral event/s?
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Which of the following areas of support is/ are the most relevant for your organization for a future potential partnership?
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Does your organization have any previous experience in collaborating/ partnering with donor states organizations?
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Which organization/s from the donor states have you already contacted for a future possible cooperation project to be submitted under the Civil Society Fund Romania? Name the organization and tell us in short a status of the discussions so far:
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How many hours per months in the next period are you wiling/ can dedicate to this process?
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How is your organization planning to use the information/ learning from the chosen event/s in order to develop a bilateral partnership project to be submitted under the Civil Society Fund Romania?
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17.
Anything else you want to share with us at this stage:
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The data contained in the form above will be treated confidentially, in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation) and national legislation. Your data (name, surname, email, phone number, name of the organization on behalf of which the registration is made) are collected by the Civil Society Development Foundation (FDSC) as the operator of the Civil Society Fund Programme. The data is collected for the purpose of your participation in the events organized by CSDF under the Fund for Bilateral Relations, Civil Society Fund Romania (A. Bilateral Matchmaking event in Romania 25 - 28 august 2026, Bucharest, Romania, B. Info session and matchmaking event in Norway 31 August – 4 September 2026, Oslo, Norway, C. Info session and matchmaking event in Iceland 7–11 September 2026, Reykjavik, Iceland) for the purpose of reporting the results achieved, for statistical purposes, for information purposes and for the purpose of promoting the Program, in compliance with the legal provisions in force. This personal data between the controller and third parties may be transmitted within the European Economic Area, in particular in Romania, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein. In addition, this personal data may be transferred to the following categories of persons: donors and their representatives - Financial Mechanism Office (FMO), Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway, Embassy of the Republic of Iceland, Embassy of the Principality of Liechtenstein, auditors. The period of processing your personal data is 10 years from the end of the Programme. With regard to the processing of your personal data, we inform you that you have the following rights: the right of access, the right of rectification, the right of erasure, the right to restrict processing, the right to object, as well as the right of portability. FDSC can be contacted in relation to the above by email at bianca.oprea@fdsc.ro email address. Also, for any complaints and notifications, you can contact the National Supervisory Authority for Personal Data Processing.
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18.
I agree to receive further information about the activities and initiatives of the Civil Society Development Foundation (FDSC). I confirm that I have read the personal data processing policy of the FDSC which can be found at the following link: https://www.fdsc.ro/politica-colectare-date/
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