May 12, 2026, will mark the official launch of the EEA Civil Society Fund in Bulgaria – the European Economic Area and Norwegian Financial Mechanisms’ new programme for civil society support.
The objective of the Fund is to contribute to a vibrant and resilient civil society protecting and promoting democracy, the rule of law, and human rights.
The allocation for the EEA Civil Society Fund in Bulgaria (CSF) is over 23 million EUR and is funded entirely by Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. As of now, it represents the largest commitment the donor countries have made to civil society in the country. It is expected that by 2031 the Fund will have supported over 300 CSOs’ initiatives in the following areas:
- 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
- Organisational development and an enabling environment for civil society
Alongside, the Fund will support Roma empowerment, including Roma organisations and Roma women and girls, as well as refugees and migrants. Other specific for Bulgaria areas of work will be the challenges faced by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and actions against gender-based violence. The CSF encourages initiatives in partnership with organisations from the donor countries.
The official launch of EEA Civil Society Fund will be held in Sofia with the participation of representatives from the donor countries, the EEA Financial Mechanism, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, as well as civic organisation and institutions from Bulgaria.
You can find the working agenda for the event here.
Representatives from civil society organisation and media can register their interest in the event here. Due to the limited capacity of the event hall, access will be granted only to participants with confirmed registrations.
The official launch event of the EEA Civil Society Fund will be followed by a bilateral workshop for the exchange of ideas for future projects with organisations from the donor countries: Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. The workshop will be held on May 13, 2026. Over 50 representatives from Bulgaria and the donor countries registered their interest to participate in it.
You can find the agenda for the workshop here.
The operator of the EEA Civil Society Fund in Bulgaria is a consortium of civil society organisations led by the Open Society Institute – Sofia, with the participation of the Workshop for Civic Initiatives Foundation, the Trust for Social Achievement Foundation, and Civil Society Norway (Frivillighet Norge). The operator was selected following an open and competitive tender procedure.
During the previous programme period, implemented from 2018 until the end of 2024, more than 250 civil society organisations were supported in Bulgaria through the Active Citizens Fund under the EEA Financial Mechanism. These organisations implemented 211 projects in 32 settlements across the country. More than 300,000 citizens actively participated in the initiatives, the results of which reached nearly one million people.
