Eu aid PROGRAMME FOR the Turkish Cypriot community

 

Call for proposals worth over EUR 2 million launched, to support civil society organisations throughout Cyprus

 

Nicosia, 20 April 2026

 

The European Commission is dedicated to supporting organisations and people that shape Cyprus’ civil life. Today, this commitment is once more put into practice by launching a EUR 2,250,000 call for proposal aimed at supporting civil society organisations (CSOs) across the island, with a particular focus on strengthening the Turkish Cypriot community.

This initiative marks the tenth edition of the “Cypriot Civil Society in Action” grant programme, a long-standing effort to foster a dynamic, inclusive and sustainable civil society that reflects and promotes European Union values and standards. By empowering civil society actors, the programme contributes to building bridges between communities and supporting the broader objective of Cyprus reunification. Since 2007, the European Commission has committed EUR 19.78 million to civil society in Cyprus through successive calls for proposals. More than 160 organisations have benefited from these funds, implementing projects that encourage dialogue, strengthen participation in democratic life, and promote cooperation across communities.

The new call for proposals is structured around three distinct funding streams, each designed to support a specific aspect of civil society development:

·       Lot 1 - Strengthening civil society in the TCc. – Proposals aiming to encourage meaningful socio-economic change by participating in decision-making, influencing change and fostering sectoral and cross-sectoral cooperation at local and EU level.

  • Lot 2 – Bi-communal confidence-building actions - Proposals aiming to promote dialogue and collaboration among the Cypriot communities via confidence building measures and joint actions of the civil society.
  • Lot 3 – New applicants – Proposals by first time applicants or by organisations which have not recently benefited from EU grants.

 

The call for proposals is restricted; applicants should only submit concept notes initially. The deadline for submission of the proposals (concept notes) is 16 June 2026 at 15:00 Brussels time (16:00 Cyprus time).

The Guidelines for grant applicants and call for proposals documents and templates are available at the following link, under the reference 185928:                                                            https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/prospect-details/185928PROSPECTSEN

The information sessions and training sessions for potential applicants will take place online and on site in April-May 2026.

Details are available on:

 

Helpdesk support can be requested in writing to: civicspace@gfa-group.de.

This initiative is funded by the European Union under the Aid Programme for the Turkish Cypriot community and implemented by the European Commission.