Invitation to bid: Fund Operator for the Active Citizens Fund in Cyprus

The Financial Mechanism Office – the secretariat of the EEA and Norway Grants – is seeking a Fund Operator to develop and implement the Active Citizens Fund, an EEA Grants programme for civil society in Cyprus. This is the invitation to bid. NB! EXTENDED DEADLINE: 30 April 2020 12:00 (noon) CET.

Background information

The EEA and Norway Grants 2014-2021 represent funding from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway to reduce economic and social disparities and strengthen cooperation with 15 EU countries in Northern, Central and Southern Europe. For the period 2014-2021, a total contribution of € 2.8 billion has been agreed.

As described in article 3.2.b of Protocol 38c of the EEA Agreement, funding shall be earmarked for support to civil society organisations in each of the 15 Beneficiary States.

Programme allocation and objective

In Cyprus, the allocation to the Active Citizens Fund is € 1,5 million. The overall objective of the programme is: ‘Civil society and active citizenship strengthened and vulnerable groups empowered’.

The Active Citizens Fund shall seek to develop the long-term sustainability and capacity of the civil society sector, with the aim of strengthening its role in promoting democratic participation, active citizenship and human rights. More information on the objectives, principles, thematic areas of support and design of the programmes can be found in the Terms of Reference (see link below).

Submission of bid

The Fund Operator will be responsible for the development and implementation the Active Citizens Fund in Cyprus.

The Terms of Reference, Bid Form and annexes are provided in the links below. The deadline for submission of bids is 30 April 2020 at 12:00 (noon) CET. 

An information session for potential bidders for the Fund Operator role will be held at Centrum Hotel in Nicosia on 28 January 2020 at 09:30, with registration at 09:00. The session will be in English and will take the form of a presentation on the requirements of the Fund Operator role, followed by questions and answers.

Potential bidders may also register their interest in one-on-one meetings with representatives from the Financial Mechanism Office to discuss the requirements for the Fund Operator role and the tender process. If you are interested in attending the information session or would like to schedule a one-to-one meeting, please send an email to acfund@efta.int, with your name and the name of your organisation by 24 January 2020.

Please note that the information sessions and meetings will only provide information about the Terms of Reference. No information on funding for projects will be available until after a Fund Operator has been contracted.

Please consult the ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ document for answers to questions already received by the FMO. Any other questions should be addressed to acfund@efta.int. Please specify the country and organisation name in the subject line of your email (see section 6.4 of the Terms of Reference for further information on submission of and responses to questions).

Bid documents can be found here: