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Expanding Cooperation with Civil Society in the Eastern Partnership Countries and Russia (Eastern Partnership Programme)
Supporting civil-society engagement © Potsdam Media International e.V.
Civil societies play a crucial role in building and maintaining democratic, stable and inclusive societies. The German Government provides a targeted funding programme in the countries of the Eastern Partnership and in Russia.
Since 2014, through the programme “Expanding Cooperation with Civil Society in the Eastern Partnership Countries and Russia” (Eastern Partnership Programme), the German Government has been providing funding for measures to support permanent civil society cooperation structures between democratic, non-governmental stakeholders in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Russia, as well as their ties with German civil society.
The goal is to strengthen the civil societies in the programme countries in their role as key stakeholders for democratic development and the ongoing transformation processes in these countries.
The entire spectrum of cultural and education policy projects can receive support through the programme: particularly media, science, education and vocational training, culture, sport, language and youth work.
Target countries and focuses of projects
With the programme, the German Government, through the Federal Foreign Office, funds democratic civil society initiatives that provide comprehensive support to the democratic transformation processes in the Eastern Partnership countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine) and Russia.
Aims of cooperation with civil society
Measures that establish or expand durable civil-society cooperation structures between stakeholders from Germany and the Eastern Partnership countries or Russia are eligible for support. For this reason, every project proposal must be developed jointly by a tandem comprising one German civil society organisation and at least one civil society organisation from at least one programme country. In addition, Polish and French civil society organisations may be involved, in the spirit of the Weimar Triangle.
Projects must also pursue one of the following four objectives:
1. Strengthening pluralism and resilience – in order to promote diversity of media and opinion and to tackle FIMI.
Pluralism is a constituent element of modern democracies, whose legitimacy lies above all in tolerance towards the diversity of opinions, interests and values within a society.
As part of the Eastern Partnership programme, funding is provided for projects that strengthen diversity of information, opinion and media, combat foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) and enhance resilience against it in the respective countries. The projects are intended to enhance the resilience of societies to unreliable and false information by strengthening and training media professionals and by improving access to high-quality, pluralist (local) media. Measures promoting the development and use of digital protection technologies may also be funded to this end.
2. Promoting the discussion of values and human rights – with a view to deepening mutual understanding.
This objective primarily facilitates the funding of exchanges and cultural projects. Organised encounters are intended to enable people to exchange views on fundamental values such as respect for human rights, the legitimacy of the administrative authorities, the independence of the judiciary, the right of the individual to life and self-determination, and the principle of majority decision-making. Standing up for these values together also advances mutual understanding within the Eastern Partnership region in addition to enhancing knowledge of those countries in Germany. Measures are eligible for funding if they promote and strengthen the aforementioned fundamental values through civil society dialogue or cultural policy projects, and contribute to the networking of civil society in the partner countries and in the context of European integration and cooperation.
3. Creating future prospects and supporting democratic transformation – to strengthen democracies, tackle corruption and promote closer relations with the EU
Under this objective, initiatives can be supported that strengthen democratic efforts seeking to create secure future social prospects for all individuals. In Ukraine in particular, our priority is to support reform and transformation processes, also with a view to furthering EU integration, and to preserving and rebuilding civil society structures that have been damaged or destroyed by Russia’s war of aggression. Furthermore, we are supporting, in particular, projects that promote the EU accession process for Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, Georgia’s EU perspective, and Armenia’s closer relations with the European Union. In Russia and Belarus, we are focusing our funding on sections of civil society that, despite increasing repression and, where applicable, operating in exile, are still able to have an impact within the countries themselves and which, for example, stand up for the enforcement of fundamental rights. Projects eligible for funding also include academic, professional and socio-political initial and further training measures that encourage greater social engagement and facilitate political and social participation, particularly among marginalised groups. This also includes measures to support civil society activists and project partners who are subject to increased hardship due to war, persecution, repression or particularly challenging social contexts.
4. Supporting dialogue and rapprochement – confidence-building measures for overcoming regional conflicts in the future.
Measures in the fields of culture and education are eligible for funding if they help to prevent or manage crises arising from unresolved regional conflicts, thereby laying the groundwork for mutual understanding. This funding goal is focused in particular on the countries of the Southern Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia) and the Republic of Moldova. Project proposals that focus on the regional perspective of cross-border Black Sea cooperation among the neighbouring countries, thereby creating synergies with the EU’s Black Sea Strategy, are welcome.
Furthermore, people from Ukraine, Russia and Belarus have left their home countries in the course of Russia’s war of aggression or are suffering state repression and have settled in other Eastern Partnership countries because they were subjected to threats and repression on account of their convictions. Projects that promote dialogue and social participation among these people, strengthen their links with civil society in their new home countries, and thus contribute to resilient, inclusive and democratic societies, are also eligible for funding.
Submitting project ideas
Project proposals (in English or German) for 2026 can be submitted here from 7 August to 15 September 2026.
Further information and instructions on how to submit project outlines can also be found on this website. Please take note of the intended aims and purpose and the FAQs. The evaluation of project proposals is expected to be completed by early 2026. Applicants will be notified by email of whether, taking into account all other project proposals received, an application for funding in accordance with Section 44 of the Federal Budget Code is likely to be successful.