This grant, 'Mission: Possible', provides flexible and unrestricted 'core funding' to strengthen the internal capacity, autonomy, and sustainability of civil society organizations (CSOs) in Bulgaria.
The primary target recipients are non-profit civil society organizations.
This is a SECTOR-SPECIFIC grant, focused on organizations working on human rights, gender equality, EU values, democracy, and support for vulnerable groups.
The geographic scope is limited to organizations registered and operating in Bulgaria.
Key filtering criteria for initial screening include being a Bulgarian non-profit, having a primary mission focused on women's, girls', LGBTQI+, and other vulnerable groups' rights, promoting EU values, and applying an integrated gender and non-discrimination approach.
This is a recurring grant program, part of the 'Building an Inclusive Resilient Democratic Society in Bulgaria 2' (BIRDS in BG 2) project, under the European Commission's Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) program.
Financial Structure
The total budget for this call is 2,200,000 EUR.
Organizations can apply for funding ranging from a minimum of 20,000 EUR to a maximum of 60,000 EUR.
The funding covers up to 100.0% of eligible costs.
There is no requirement for own financial or non-financial contribution (matching funds) from the applicants.
Funds are disbursed in two tranches:
90% upon signing the grant agreement.
10% after the approval of interim financial and narrative reports.
The grant period can range between 12 and 34 months.
Eligibility Requirements
Organizational Type & Legal Status
Organizations must be registered in Bulgaria.
Must be registered as a non-profit legal entity (ЗЮЛНЦ) under Bulgarian law.
Must operate for the public benefit.
Mission & Focus
The organization's primary mission (not just a partial focus) must be to assert the rights of women, girls, LGBTQI+ people, and other vulnerable groups.
Must be committed to promoting and raising awareness about fundamental rights, European Union values, the rule of law, and democracy.
Must work on issues that are underestimated, contested, or insufficiently addressed in public and political discourse.
Must apply an integrated approach to gender equality (gender mainstreaming) and non-discrimination.
Must operate from a feminist or human rights perspective.
Technical & Capacity Requirements
Organizations should demonstrate the feasibility of their strategic development plans.
Must show an intention to attract funding from other sources (though co-financing is not required for this grant).
Exclusions
Organizations with reputational concerns or that demonstrate anti-EU values may be excluded during the final approval stage by the Steering Committee.
Application Process
Application Timeline
Competition Announcement: April 10, 2025
First Info Day (Hybrid): April 16, 2025
Second Online Info Day: May 15, 2025
Stage 1 Concept Note Submission Deadline: June 10, 2025, 23:59 (Bulgarian time, assuming this is local time for the 23:59 cut-off)
Notification of Stage 1 Results & Invitation to Stage 2: By July 15, 2025
Stage 2 Application Period Begins: By July 21, 2025
Group Support Sessions for Stage 2 Applicants: September 2025
Stage 2 Full Proposal Submission Deadline: October 13, 2025, 23:59 (Bulgarian time)
Results Announcement: By December 1, 2025
Contract Signing and Fund Disbursement: December 2025 – January 2026
Application Process Steps
The process is two-staged:
Stage 1: Submit an Organizational Profile and Concept Note.
Stage 2: If invited, submit a Full Proposal for Strategic Development and a Provisional Organizational Budget.
Required Documentation & Materials
Application Guidelines ('Насоките за кандидатстване')
General Terms and Conditions of the 'Mission: Possible' program ('Общите условия')
Application System Guide ('Ръководството за работа в системата за кандидатстване')
Full Proposal (for Stage 2, upon invitation) including strategic development plan and provisional organizational budget.
Two informational sessions are offered on April 16, 2025, and May 15, 2025.
Group support sessions are planned for Stage 2 applicants in September 2025 to help with the full application form and budget preparation.
Questions can be submitted via email to ask [at] bgfundforwomen.org; phone consultations will not be provided.
Evaluation Criteria
Stage 1: Concept Note Evaluation (Score ≥70% to proceed)
Relevance to Call Priorities:
Alignment with the grant's mission, focus areas, and target groups.
Adherence to a gender and non-discrimination approach.
Organizational Profile:
Organizational structure, including representation.
Budget and year of founding.
Location.
Strategic & Financial Feasibility:
Feasibility of proposed strategic development plans.
Intention and capacity to attract funding from other sources.
Stage 2: Full Proposal Evaluation (Upon Invitation)
Relevance:
Continued alignment with the grant's objectives and priorities.
Quality:
Overall quality of the proposed activities and organizational development plan.
Impact:
Expected impact of the proposed work on target beneficiaries and systemic change.
Final Decision Factors
Steering Committee Approval:
Rankings and recommendations are submitted to the Steering Committee for final approval.
The Steering Committee may adjust rankings in justified cases, for example, due to reputational concerns or concerns about anti-EU values.
Compliance & Special Requirements
Regulatory Compliance
Organizations must be registered in Bulgaria according to the Law for Non-Profit Legal Entities (ЗЮЛНЦ).
Compliance with data protection legislation, specifically Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR), is required for handling personal data.
Ethical Standards
The Steering Committee, in its final decision, may adjust rankings or reject applications based on reputational concerns or if the organization demonstrates anti-EU values.
Special Programmatic Considerations
This program provides core funding, which is flexible and unrestricted, intended for the organizational development and administrative needs of CSOs.
The grant emphasizes supporting organizations that contribute to systemic change and the empowerment of vulnerable groups.
A strong focus is placed on organizations that incorporate a feminist perspective or a human rights perspective in their work.
The program specifically targets issues that are often underestimated, contested, or insufficiently addressed in public and political discourse.
Grant Details
civil society organizations
cso
non-profit
ngo
organizational development
capacity building
core funding
human rights
women's rights
lgbtqi+ rights
vulnerable groups
gender equality
gender mainstreaming
non-discrimination
eu values
rule of law
democracy
media freedom
disinformation
democratic participation
fair elections
climate justice
social equality
labor rights
access to justice
community empowerment
isolated areas
marginalized areas
refugees
migrants
persons with disabilities
addictions
feminist knowledge
feminist analysis
violence against women
domestic violence
strategic planning
team building
financial management
monitoring and evaluation
advocacy
policy formation
risk management
crisis preparedness
bulgaria
bulgarian fund for women
cerv program
birds in bg 2
Call for proposals for civil society organisations active on protecting and promoting Union values: call to intermediaries (giving financial support to third parties)
Grants8