The workshop "Roles, challenges and future of the V4 civil society engagement with the EU funding mechanisms" aimed at identifying the ways for civil society to increase its potential to better access the EU funding administered under European Commission’s DG INTPA and DG NEAR. It looked at practicalities such as the needs of V4 CSOs, underlying motivation, competition and cooperation with other stakeholders. Knowledge and experience were shared by successful grantees and contractors from the NGOs sector. The workshop also partly focused on partnerships with the business sector in accessing EU funding as the Global Gateway and Team Europe Initiatives present yet another opportunity for CSOs and businesses to unlock their potential cooperation.
The workshop focused on the following questions:
- What are the main challenges in accessing EU funding? What are the similarities the V4 applicants are facing and what is or can be their comparative advantage?
- What are the key ingredients behind the successful application?
- What are the preconditions for a fruitful and longstanding partnership between the NGOs and business in accessing the EU funding and implementing the EU-funded projects?
- What benefits and challenges can the cooperation between CSOs and the private sector bring?
- How can the public institutions in V4 countries create an enabling environment vis-a-vis the participation of V4 NGOs in EU development cooperation?
The third workshop was hosted by Ambrela – Platform for Development Organisations on 31 January 2023.
