The Polish NGO fund will support NGO-activities within three focus areas – democracy and civil society, environmental protection and sustainable development, and equal opportunities and social integration, with about €12.6 million available for re-granting to applicants in each focus area.
Two organisations with strong ties to the Polish NGO sector have been selected through a public tender to manage the focus areas of the Polish NGO fund. The focus area of democracy and civil society will be managed by the Co-operation Fund Foundation, while Ecorys will manage the focus areas of environmental protection and sustainable development, and equal opportunities and social integration.
The Polish NGO fund will be established by a joint contribution from the EEA Financial Mechanism and the Norwegian Financial Mechanism, and a 10-percent contribution from the Polish government. Almost €38 million will be used directly as grant assistance to civil society projects within one of the three focus areas of the fund, with just above to €3.6 million available for administration and publicity activities by the two intermediaries.
The Polish NGO fund will operate within a special framework document, which was developed in close cooperation with the NGO sector to ensure that the fund would incorporate the requirements and expectations of the Polish civil society. The agreement between the EEA Grants donors and Poland will enable the two fund intermediaries to prepare the first calls for proposals under the three focus areas of the fund, which are expected during spring.
For further information, please contact Kari Ertresvåg, Information Officer, Financial Mechanism Office, tel. no: +32 (0)2 211 1892, kari.ertresvag@efta.int.