The Eastern Partnership Civil Society Facility is launching the second call for the 2026 cohort of EaP Civil Society Fellows.
This special call introduces Fellowships Without Borders – a new opportunity for civil society activists from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine whose work, learning, partnerships, or communities extend beyond national borders. Check the Application Guidelines for more details.
The Eastern Partnership Civil Society Fellowship programme supports individuals who are committed to creating positive social change and want to strengthen their impact through cross-border cooperation, learning, solidarity, and civic engagement.
Since 2017, the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Fellowship programme has supported more than 250 Fellows from across the region, helping them develop their leadership skills, implement civic initiatives, and contribute to reforms and positive change in their communities.
Civil society challenges often cross borders. Communities may be dispersed across countries, activists may be living outside their country of origin, and valuable knowledge and experience can often be found beyond national boundaries.
Fellowships Without Borders supports civil society activists who want to:
- learn from civil society actors and organisations in another country;
- build partnerships and solidarity networks across borders;
- support communities from the Eastern Partnership region wherever they are located;
- bring new knowledge, skills, and approaches back to their communities;
- strengthen civic engagement, advocacy, accountability, and social change through international cooperation.
Activities may take place in Eastern Partnership countries, European Union Member States, or EU Candidate Countries.
Successful applicants can expect approximately €5,000 in financial support, expert coaching, and opportunities to join networking and alumni activities.
The Fellowship follows the activist and the community rather than a specific location, creating opportunities for learning, cooperation, and impact wherever they can be most effective.
We strongly encourage all applicants to read the Application Guidelines carefully before submitting an application.
Successful applicants will receive:
- approximately EUR 5,000 in financial support for their Fellowship project;
- access to mentoring and coaching support;
- participation in training and learning opportunities;
- opportunities to attend networking and international events;
- access to the EaP Civil Society Fellowship alumni network.
As with previous calls, applicants may apply under one of two Fellowship streams:
Community Engagement Fellowships
These Fellowships support civic activists working on issues such as:
- public participation and civic engagement;
- policy dialogue and advocacy;
- evidence gathering and research;
- public accountability and monitoring;
- organisational development and capacity building;
- cooperation between civil society organisations;
- community mobilisation and awareness raising.
Civic Digital Fellowships
These Fellowships support civic tech practitioners, software developers, designers, data specialists, and innovators working on:
- digital solutions for community needs;
- transparency and accountability tools;
- open data initiatives;
- e-participation and civic engagement platforms;
- technology-based solutions that strengthen civil society and public participation.
Applicants must:
- be citizens of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, or Ukraine;
- be at least 18 years old;
- have a proven record of civic engagement, community leadership, or civic innovation;
- demonstrate a good working knowledge of English (minimum B1 level);
- not have previously benefited from the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Fellowship Programme.
Please note that Fellowships are awarded to individuals and not to organisations.
For this specific Call, applicants for a ‘Fellowship Without Borders’ must demonstrate:
- Commitment to positive social change — compulsory
Applicants must show that they are committed to leading or contributing to positive social change in their community, or for the benefit of their community[1].
- The “Without Borders” component — a choice between 2A or 2B or both
Applicants must clearly explain how:
- 2A. a learning activity in another country will be used to strengthen their constructive engagement with their communities and/or the authorities;
and/or
- 2B. they will support their fellow citizens active in civil society in another country to contribute to policy dialogue and advocacy on behalf of their community wherever it is situated.
[1] In this instance, a community may be a geographic location, a specific sector, or a group of citizens or practitioners.
Indicative activities include:
- study visits;
- job shadowing;
- internships;
- research projects;
- advocacy and awareness campaigns;
- community mobilisation initiatives;
- organisational development activities;
- mentoring and capacity-building programmes;
- cooperation between civic actors in different countries;
- civic technology development and promotion;
- data collection, analysis, and evidence-based policy work.
Activities should generate practical results and contribute to the Fellow’s leadership development and the wellbeing of communities of people from the Eastern Partnership region.
Priority Areas
Fellowship projects should contribute to one or more of the following priority areas:
- resilient, sustainable and integrated economies;
- accountability, rule of law and security;
- environmental and climate resilience;
- resilient and inclusive digitalisation;
- participatory decision-making and social justice.
Applications should be submitted in English through the online application form. If you think using the online form would put you at risk please contact us at [email protected]
Applicants will be required to provide:
- information about their experience and civic engagement;
- a Fellowship project proposal;
- a budget and activity plan;
- a CV;
- a recommendation letter;
- proof of citizenship;
- proof of English language proficiency.
Before applying, please read the Application Guidelines carefully to ensure that you meet all eligibility requirements and understand the objectives of the Fellowship programme.
A webinar on how to prepare a successful Fellowship application will take place on 15 July 2026 (date TBC). The recording will be made available afterwards for those unable to attend live.
As of today we have 200 EaP Civil Society Fellows in our network. If you want to know more about the current Fellows, check this out:
- Fellowship section of our website with the infographics for each call (2017 – 2024)
- Meet our current Fellows and check the Fellows profiles and description of their projects
- Check the Featured Stories of some of our Fellows
If you have additional questions please send them by e-mail no later than 5 days before the deadline for the submission of applications to [email protected].
