Eastern Partnership Civil Society Fellowship 2026: How Civic Leaders Can Win 5,000 EUR for Impact Projects

If you are in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, or Ukraine and spend your days worrying about corruption, digital rights, climate, or community apathy, this fellowship is squarely aimed at you.

The Eastern Partnership (EaP) Civil Society Fellowship 2026 offers around 5,000 EUR, tailored coaching, and international exposure to help you turn a sharp idea into a concrete, real-world project. It is not a generic training course, and it is not a token microgrant. It is a structured opportunity to design, test, and scale something that genuinely improves civic life in your country or region.

Applications are open now, with a deadline of 30 December 2025, and this is the first call for the 2026 cohort. That means you are getting in at the ground floor of the next wave of fellows, which is often when programmes are most energetic and flexible.

This programme is funded by the European Union and run through the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Facility, a long-term project (2021–2028) that exists for a very practical reason: to help civil society in the six EaP countries be more skilled, more connected, and more influential. If you are an activist, community organiser, NGO staffer, or civic tech nerd, you are exactly the demographic they are thinking about.

Is it competitive? Yes. Is it worth the work? Absolutely.

EaP Civil Society Fellowship 2026 at a Glance

What This Civil Society Fellowship Actually Offers

This fellowship is not just “here is 5,000 EUR, good luck”. The money is important, of course, but the structure around the money is what makes this worth your time.

First, the funding. You can expect around 5,000 EUR to cover the costs of your fellowship project. That is enough to run a serious pilot: build a civic tech prototype, launch a community campaign in multiple towns, organise a series of trainings, or run a monitoring effort with real data collection. It is not enough to run a national movement, but it is more than enough to prove that your idea works and gather evidence you can later show to bigger donors.

You can usually use this funding for things like small salaries/stipends, tech tools, travel inside your country/region, communication materials, and basic operational costs tied directly to the project. The focus is practical: what do you need to actually implement, test, and refine your idea?

Second, coaching and training. Fellows receive guided support on topics such as:

• Project management (building a realistic plan, tracking progress, not drowning in chaos)
• Communication skills (how to explain your idea, engage communities, and talk to media or officials)
• Technical topics relevant to your project (especially if you are in the civic tech space)

Think of this as having a personal “project gym”: you learn how to design projects better, communicate clearly, and avoid the usual traps that kill good initiatives (no timeline, no partners, no audience, no follow-up).

Third, you get access to international events and advanced learning courses. This is where many fellows get their biggest long-term benefit. You may present your project, join workshops with other activists, or learn from experts who have run similar campaigns in other countries. Those conversations can save you months of trial and error.

Fourth, you become part of an international alumni community of EaP fellows. This means you are not the only one trying to improve local governance or digital rights. You will have peers in other countries who are wrestling with similar problems. Joint projects, shared tools, and cross-border campaigns tend to grow out of exactly these kinds of networks.

Finally, there is prestige and credibility. Being able to say you are an “EU Eastern Partnership Civil Society Fellow” changes how some people listen to you: local media, potential partners, municipal officials, and, crucially, other donors. If you play this well, this fellowship can become your launchpad to further funding and influence.

Who Should Apply (And Who Is a Perfect Fit)

The fellowship is open to a fairly wide pool, but let us turn the bullet points into something more human.

You should be:

• At least 18 years old, and a citizen of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, or Ukraine. You can currently live abroad; your passport is what matters.
• Someone who cares deeply about civic life: community initiatives, transparency, citizen participation, digital rights, environmental accountability, social justice, or similar topics.
• In possession of a concrete idea for a project in one of two broad areas:
  • Community engagement: for example, building a local watchdog group to monitor municipal spending, training youth on participatory budgeting, creating community-led campaigns for cleaner air, or organising marginalised groups to have a say in policy decisions.
  • Civic tech: this might be an online platform for reporting corruption, a digital dashboard to monitor city council decisions, a mobile tool to track environmental violations, or software that simplifies citizen access to public information.
• Ambitious to grow as a civic leader, not just to “run a project and disappear”. The programme is designed for people who want to become more effective advocates, organisers, or innovators over the long term.
• Able to work in English at a functional level. You do not need perfect grammar or native fluency, but you should be comfortable following training sessions, communicating with coaches, and writing reasonable project documents.

The call is open to fellowship ideas that connect with big-picture priorities, including:

• Building resilient, sustainable, and integrated economies (for instance, supporting social enterprises, fair work conditions, or cross-border cooperation)
• Strengthening accountability, the rule of law, and security (think anti-corruption initiatives, watchdog projects, legal empowerment)
• Ensuring environmental and climate resilience (community-based climate adaptation, pollution monitoring, climate education)
• Supporting resilient and inclusive digitalisation (digital security for activists, inclusive digital tools, fighting online disinformation)
• Promoting participatory decision-making and social justice (inclusive policymaking, minority rights, gender equality, access to public services)

You do not need to tick every thematic box. A strong, focused project that fits clearly into one or two of these areas is usually better than something trying to be everything at once.

If any of these sound like you:

• A young organiser in Tbilisi trying to build a neighbourhood council.
• A coder in Kyiv working on a corruption-reporting tool.
• An activist in Yerevan campaigning for cleaner water using data.
• A community leader in Chișinău building a coalition for inclusive education.

…then you are exactly the type of person this fellowship is trying to support.

Insider Tips for a Winning Application

You are not just filling out forms; you are making a case for why your idea and your leadership are worth investing in. Here is how to stack the odds in your favour.

1. Start with the problem, not the activity list

Too many applications jump straight to “We will organise workshops”. Reviewers quickly get bored of that phrase.

Instead, clearly describe the problem you want to address:

• Who exactly is affected?
• How do you know this is a real problem (data, observations, experience)?
• What happens if nobody does anything different?

Then explain how your activities respond to that problem. For instance: “Women entrepreneurs in region X have almost no access to information about municipal support schemes. Our project will create a simple digital guide and run targeted info sessions through local associations, so they can apply for support.”

2. Show that 5,000 EUR will actually achieve something

Reviewers are allergic to vague spending. Show them how this amount is enough to do something concrete: build a prototype, run a pilot in three communities, or collect data from 200 participants.

Break it down logically in your mind (and later in your budget):

• How many people you will reach or work with
• What change you expect (knowledge, behaviour, awareness, access)
• What specific tools or activities are needed to get there

A tight, realistic plan usually beats an over-ambitious “we will change the whole system” proposal.

3. Keep it simple and readable

You are not writing a PhD thesis. Use plain language. Avoid heavy jargon and long bureaucratic sentences.

A good test: if a smart friend who is not in your field can understand the core of your idea in three minutes, you are on the right track.

4. Make your leadership story visible

This is a fellowship, not just a grant. They are backing you, not only your idea.

Highlight:

• What you have already done (even small initiatives, volunteer work, student projects)
• What you learned from those experiences
• How this fellowship would help you grow (skills, network, confidence, credibility)

Do not be shy here. You are not writing your CV, you are explaining why you are worth betting on.

5. Show feasibility and risk thinking

Things go wrong: partners disappear, tech breaks, authorities drag their feet.

Instead of ignoring this, briefly mention:

• The main risks your project might face
• What you will do if that happens (backup plans, alternative actions)

This signals that you are practical, not naive.

6. Respect the two-stage process

The selection starts with a Concept Note, then successful candidates are invited to submit a Full Application. That means the first document is like your elevator pitch.

For the Concept Note:

• Hit the key points: problem, solution, target group, expected change, your role.
• Do not overload it with detail, but do show there is a thought-through plan behind it.
• Make sure your idea clearly fits at least one of the programme priority areas.

If you advance to the Full Application, then you can go into detail on methods, timeline, partnerships, and budget.

7. Ask someone to review your draft

Before you submit, give your Concept Note to at least one person you trust:

• Someone who is not deeply involved in your project
• Ideally from your country or region, who understands the context

Ask them:

• What is not clear?
• Where do you lose interest?
• What sounds weak or unrealistic?

Fix those parts.

Application Timeline: Working Backward from 30 December 2025

You can, of course, write your Concept Note on 29 December. You will also probably regret it.

Here is a realistic timeline you can adapt:

By mid-September 2025
Read the full 2026 Fellowship Application Guidelines on the official site. Note eligibility, priorities, and any technical requirements. Start brainstorming project ideas and talking with potential partners (local NGOs, informal groups, tech volunteers, etc.).

By mid-October 2025
Choose one clear project idea and sketch a simple one-page outline: problem, target group, solution, expected results, why you are the right person. Do a quick reality check on costs and timing.

By mid-November 2025
Draft your Fellowship Concept Note. This should now be more detailed and aligned with the official format. Ask at least one colleague or mentor to review it.

Late November – early December 2025
Revise your Concept Note based on feedback. Double-check it against the criteria listed in the guidelines. Make sure the language is clear and free of contradictions.

By 20 December 2025
Finalise and submit your Concept Note through the specified system or form. Aim to submit at least 10 days before the 30 December deadline. Technical issues, slow internet, or holiday closures are all very real.

After submission
If your Concept Note is successful, you will be invited to submit a Full Application. Use that time to deepen your project design, refine your budget, and collect any necessary letters or documents.

Required Materials and How to Prepare Them

The call is structured in two stages, so think of your materials in two layers.

1. Concept Note Stage

At this first step, you will typically need:

• Fellowship Concept Note: Follow the template provided in the 2026 Guidelines. Expect to summarise your project idea, objectives, activities, target group, expected results, and your own role. Treat it like an executive summary: short, sharp, and convincing.
• Basic personal and contact information: Name, country, email, etc.
• Possibly a short bio or CV-style section: Highlight your civil society or community involvement, technical skills if you are doing civic tech, and any prior project experience.

Preparation tips:

• Write in short paragraphs with clear headings.
• Use specific examples: “We will work with 50 youth in two schools in X city,” not “we will work with youth.”
• Check that your English is understandable. Use simple sentences if you are unsure.

2. Full Application Stage (if invited)

If your Concept Note passes, the Full Application may ask for:

• Detailed project description: With clear objectives, methods, timeline, and risk analysis.
• Budget and justification: A breakdown of how you will spend the ~5,000 EUR and why each item is necessary.
• More detailed CV or background information: To show your track record and skills.
• Possibly letters or confirmations from partners: For example, a school agreeing to host your activities, a local NGO confirming collaboration, or a municipality expressing interest.

Do not panic about the Full Application before you pass the Concept Note stage, but keep these in mind as you shape a project that you can later describe in more depth.

What Makes an Application Stand Out to Reviewers

Reviewers will see many buzzwords about transparency, participation, and innovation. Your task is to sound credible, not just trendy.

Strong Concept Notes usually have:

1. A sharp, localised problem definition
Not “citizens are not engaged,” but “young adults in X town rarely participate in municipal hearings, and in the last three years only three under-30s have spoken at public consultations.”

2. A realistic, targeted solution
Projects that are small but well-designed tend to beat big, vague ideas. For example: building an online platform for public spending data in one municipality, then testing citizen engagement methods around it.

3. Clear connection to the programme themes
Do not assume reviewers will guess the link. Explicitly show how your work contributes to justice, digitalisation, environmental resilience, economic resilience, or participatory decision-making.

4. Evidence you can deliver
You do not need a 20-year CV, but show enough previous experience to reassure the panel that you can actually run basic activities, manage money responsibly, and work with partners.

5. Visible impact, even if modest
What will be different at the end? More informed citizens? Better data online? New participation channels? A tested tool others can copy? Spell this out.

Common Mistakes to Avoid (And How to Fix Them)

Mistake 1: Trying to do everything

A “national awareness campaign targeting everyone” with 5,000 EUR is not realistic.

Fix: Narrow down. Focus on one city, one sector, one group. Show depth rather than superficial breadth.

Mistake 2: Writing for insiders only

If your proposal is full of acronyms and niche legal terms, many reviewers will tune out.

Fix: Explain specialised terms the first time you use them. Write as if you are speaking to a smart, curious person from another field.

Mistake 3: Treating the fellowship as a scholarship

This is not support for your studies, a travel stipend to attend conferences, or personal income without a project.

Fix: Make the project the star. Your personal development should be linked to the successful implementation of real activities and results.

Mistake 4: Ignoring sustainability

Reviewers know 5,000 EUR will not permanently fix systemic problems. But they do want to see what happens after the fellowship.

Fix: Describe how your project could continue in some form: a tool that remains online, trained volunteers who keep meeting, local partners who adopt the method, or plans to seek follow-up funding using the results and evidence.

Mistake 5: Submitting at the last minute

Online systems crash. Files corrupt. Electricity goes off.

Fix: Set your personal deadline several days before the official one. Submit early; sleep better.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to be part of a registered organisation?

Not necessarily. The programme is open to individual civil society fellows, which can include activists, informal group leaders, or people affiliated with organisations. However, if you are not part of a formal NGO, you should still show that you have the relationships and capacity to run the project (partners, mentors, hosting organisations, etc.).

Can I apply if I am currently living outside my home country?

Yes. The call explicitly states that it is open to citizens of EaP countries regardless of current location. The key issue is that your project idea should still relate meaningfully to civic life in the EaP region and fit the programme goals.

Is English absolutely required?

You need a working knowledge of English. Training, communication with coordinators, and some documentation will be in English. If you struggle to follow a simple online workshop in English, you might want to improve your level or get occasional support from a colleague.

How competitive is this fellowship?

While exact numbers vary by call, you should assume that only a portion of applicants will be selected. That is why clarity, realism, and a strong fit with programme priorities matter so much. You cannot control how many people apply, but you can control how strong your Concept Note is.

Can I submit more than one project idea?

You should plan to submit one well-developed Concept Note. Trying to spread your energy across multiple half-formed ideas is almost always worse than focusing on your strongest, best thought-through concept.

What types of costs are usually eligible?

You need to check the official guidelines for the exact rules, but typically you can cover:

• Costs directly linked to activities (rooms, materials, online tools)
• Modest salaries or stipends for key roles
• Travel related to your project
• Communication and outreach costs

Large, unrelated purchases or purely personal expenses are rarely acceptable. The budget should read like a clear mirror of your project plan.

What happens if my Concept Note is not accepted?

You do not move on to the Full Application stage for that cycle. However, you can often reuse and refine the idea for future calls or other donors. Treat it as practice: you will now have a more structured project concept than you had before.

How to Apply and What to Do Next

Your next steps are straightforward, but they do require you to be disciplined.

1. Visit the official opportunity page
   Go directly to the source:
   Eastern Partnership Civil Society Fellowship 2026 – Official Page

2. Download and read the 2026 Fellowship Application Guidelines
   Do not skip this. The guidelines spell out exactly what the organisers want, how the Concept Note should be structured, any word limits, and what criteria reviewers will use.

3. Draft your Fellowship Concept Note
   Use the template and instructions from the guidelines. Base it on a real, grounded problem you know well. Show clearly how your idea fits into community engagement or civic tech and links to the programme’s strategic priorities.

4. Get feedback before you submit
   Ask a colleague, mentor, or fellow activist to read your Concept Note. If they are confused, a reviewer probably will be too. Adjust accordingly.

5. Submit your Concept Note well before 30 December 2025
   Follow the instructions on the official page for how and where to submit. Aim to be done several days early to avoid last-minute issues.

If you are serious about becoming a stronger civic leader and testing an idea that has been in your head for months (or years), this fellowship is a very smart move. The money helps, of course, but the skills, visibility, and network you will gain are arguably worth even more.

Ready to take your idea from “someday” to “I ran a real project with EU support”?

Head here to get started: https://eapcivilsociety.eu/fellowship2026