Supporting the Enabling Environment for Civil society and the Democratic Space

The overall objective of this call is to contribute to safeguarding the enabling environment for civil society and the democratic space by supporting civil society organisations to play a strategic role throughout the 2025 Parliamentary electoral cycle. This includes reinforcing their ability to engage in democratic processes, protect civic space, and promote transparency and accountability in an increasingly complex political and information landscape.

Specifically, the call targets CSOs whose core mandates focus on electoral integrity, civic participation, democratic governance, or media resilience. It aims to support interventions focused on electoral integrity and transparency, media support and information resilience, civic engagement and inclusive participation, and dialogue and cooperation with authorities on democratic governance.

The call also aligns with Moldova’s broader reform agenda and EU integration efforts, encouraging actions that advance electoral integrity and promoting pre- and post-electoral transparency and accountability, and recognises the critical role of independent media and access to trustworthy information.

Scope of the support programme

Selected organisations will receive financial support in the form of grants managed by the European Partnership for Democracy (EPD). This funding will enable them to cover the costs of their project activities.

Selected organisations will be able to receive tailored, on-demand consultancy support in organisational development and other relevant areas through the CONTACT Centre.

Grants modalities

The funding amount for each grant is fixed at EUR 15,000.  The proposed projects should last between 6 and 12 months. The grant recipients will sign a grant contract agreement with EPD. Multiple proposals are expected to be funded under this announcement.  As selected organisations will be exempted from VAT for the costs incurred within this grant, the budget proposal should contain the planned costs excluding VAT.

Eligible activities and priorities of the call

The following types of activities are eligible for funding. This list is neither exhaustive nor cumulative. Additional activities that constitute the core activities of the organisations can also be considered.

Electoral Integrity and Transparency

• Monitoring and promoting the enforcement of electoral laws to ensure free, fair, and credible elections
• Collecting, analysing, and publishing election-related data to detect irregularities and promote transparency
• Tracking campaign financing and misuse of administrative resources to ensure equal conditions for all political actors
• Producing and sharing impactful research and analysis to shape public understanding of electoral integrity challenges

Media Support and Information Resilience

• Providing support to independent journalists and media outlets for balanced, fact-based electoral coverage
• Promoting media literacy to help citizens critically assess information
• Building media capacity to report responsibly on high-risk issues like electoral fraud, financing, and institutional integrity
• Supporting collaborative platforms between media, civil society, and electoral stakeholders to expand access to reliable information

Dialogue and Cooperation with Authorities on Democratic Governance

• Engaging in structured dialogue and consultations with public institutions to shape democratic reforms
• Contributing to the development and monitoring of policies that protect civil society and democratic space (e.g. Moldova’s institutional reform roadmaps)
• Conducting evidence-based research to inform institutional reform and democratic policymaking
• Leading advocacy efforts to strengthen transparency, accountability, and the rule of law at all levels of government

Civic Engagement and Inclusive Participation

• Driving citizen participation in elections and public debates through inclusive outreach and civic education
• Empowering underrepresented and marginalised groups to engage in electoral and policy processes
• Supporting youth-led initiatives and local community engagement in democratic governance
• Fostering citizen involvement in post-election accountability efforts and rebuilding trust in democratic institutions
• Conducting and disseminating research to support advocacy for greater inclusivity in democratic participation

The crosscutting priorities of this call focus on safeguarding democratic space, particularly in the context of upcoming electoral processes, rising disinformation, and broader challenges to democratic governance. As part of the INSPIRED Moldova project, the research team conducted a study using the Democratic Institutions for a Conducive Environment for Civic Space (DICE) approach. The recommendations in terms of strategic support are:

• Projects that contribute to ensuring free and fair elections through election monitoring, voter education, and cooperation with oversight bodies.
• Initiatives that equip state and non-state stakeholders with tools to detect and counter disinformation, particularly in the electoral context.
• Projects that foster structured engagement between CSOs and national institutions, improve consultation mechanisms, and enable inclusive decision-making throughout the electoral cycle.
• Initiatives that strengthen partnerships, sustain advocacy efforts, and support umbrella organisations.
• Proposals that embed participatory practices and develop mechanisms for democratic engagement to extend beyond the electoral cycle.
• Efforts that contribute to reinforcing the rule of law and foster CSO involvement in reforms.
• Complementarity and synergy with ongoing initiatives are strongly encouraged to ensure a coordinated, sustainable, and high-impact approach to strengthening democratic governance.

The following types of activities are ineligible for funding: actions that focus primarily on individual sponsorships for participation in workshops, seminars, conferences, or congresses will not be supported. Additionally, activities primarily focused on individual scholarships for studies or training courses are excluded. Any actions that support political parties or candidates during elections are also ineligible. Furthermore, retroactive financing for projects that are already in progress or have been completed will not be considered. Projects that provide exclusive benefits to individuals or restricted groups of individuals will not qualify for funding. Actions within the formal education sector will generally be ineligible, except in special circumstances. Environmentally harmful projects will not receive funding, and the purchase of equipment is only permissible if it is directly linked to the implementation of the project.

Learn more and apply here