We welcome applications from civil society organisations interested in internal strengthening that are either contributing to stronger collaboration and trust across ethnic divides or working towards responsible dealing with the past.
This call is for actors working in Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.
1. Why this call for proposals?
Civil society actors in the Western Balkans have been at the forefront of pushing for peaceful and democratic change for decades. This essential work is now undermined by different factors. Activists and organisations that advocate for social change increasingly find themselves at the receiving end of various forms of hostility and pressure. This particularly affects those who challenge the unfavourable status quo head-on, whether they do so through a principled stance on dealing with the past issues, by trying to break ethnic and ideological bubbles, or by enabling local activism. The combination of long-term challenges and new sources of vulnerability and uncertainty means that work aiming to transform dividing lines and build a peaceful future has never been more important. It also means that many organisations doing that are finding themselves at a crossroads, being forced to adapt significantly to stay both afloat and impactful. Our process support is a great opportunity for organisations wanting to proactively adapt to changing circumstances.
In these uncertain and difficult times, PeaceNexus will continue to invest in organisations and initiatives that aim to bridge divides. We will select brave organisations and initiatives and provide them with breathing space and tailored support to get stronger internally.
- Through our organisational development support (OD), we wish to partner with actors whose primary focus is to contribute to sustainable peace and reconciliation and who wish to become stronger by tackling key internal challenges.
- Through our conflict sensitivity support (CS), we wish to support actors who do not necessarily have a focus on reconciliation but are interested in contributing to bridging divides and fostering interethnic trust through their broader mandate.
- In both areas of support, we work with you as partners on organisational change to help you overcome internal challenges that hinder your effectiveness and ability to reach your own goals.
If you are interested in applying, please browse the following sections and consult this detailed Overview of the Call.
PeaceNexus (PN) accompaniment support will take the form of:
- A non-financial component in the form of close and direct accompaniment by two PN staff members who will dedicate time and OD & CS expertise to your organization and will be available throughout the partnership to help you progress on your own OD/CS goals, act as sounding boards, or brainstorm adaptations when needed. For more details on our accompaniment approach, see section.
- Financial component in the form of a small grant ranging from 15’000 to 40’000 per year to cover external expertise and process costs (for example, for meeting costs, fees of specialised consultants, capacity development investments).
We do not offer project or core funding, but up to 20% of our grants can be dedicated to overhead costs. The size of the grant depends on the size of the organisation and on its geographic scale, with larger grants being meant for regional entities.
The list of eligibility criteria is included below under section III of the Overview document of the Call, but in brief we are looking for applicants who:
- work in one or more of the following countries: Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia
- are a civil society organisation, foundation, network or intergovernmental or multilateral organisation
- already have an impact on social cohesion or are interested in contributing to it in the near future
- are ready to lead on and invest time in an internal strengthening process
- can confirm that their activities will not violate the USA PATRIOT Act (18 U. S. C. §2339B)
Under this call, applications from Serbia are particularly welcome given the current composition of our portfolio.
The application for this Call consists of two parts: Organisational profile form and an Expression of interest in word.
Before applying, please make sure to thoroughly read our Overview of the Call as well as specific concept note related to the support area you are interested in (OD concept note ; CS concept note)
Please download the Expression of interest pertaining to the support area you have chosen and develop it with your team.
By clicking on the Apply to the Western Balkans Call on the right handsight, you will be taken to a page where you can read more details on the process of preparing your application and where you can submit finalized application.
The deadline for applications is 8 February 2026, 23:59 CET.
More information here