On February 16, 2026, the call for proposals under the Code Success Fund will start, part of the project “Partnership between Civil Society Organizations for Impact on Rights and Values” (PACT).
The call aims to contribute to the development of active and resilient local communities, in which civil society organisations play a key role in promoting democratic values, the protection of human rights, the rule of law and social inclusion.
The call is aimed at organizations that work locally and outside large urban centers.
Who can apply?
The call is open to civil organizations registered in Bulgaria as non-profit legal entities, including those registered as community centers and as branches of foreign non-profit legal entities.
Eligible for participation in the competition are community-based organizations with an annual turnover of less than 50,000 euros for the last financial calendar year.
What initiatives will be supported?
The Code Success Fund will support initiatives that:
- raise awareness of the rights and values of the European Union;
- promote democracy and civic participation;
- protect media freedom;
- work for equality, inclusion and non-discrimination;
- counter disinformation;
- build sustainable local partnerships;
- develop civic education, including through culture and art.
Initiatives should contribute to the project priorities: EU Rights, Democracy and Diversity and Equality.
Gender equality and non-discrimination should be applied as a horizontal principle in all initiatives.
How to apply?
The call for proposals will be held in two stages:
First stage – submission of a concept
Deadline: April 20, 2026, 17:00
Second stage – submission of a full project proposal
Only approved candidates from the first stage will be admitted to this stage.
Deadline: August 3, 2026, 17:00
Applications in both stages are carried out entirely online through
The Electronic System for Submission and Management of Projects (EMSS), accessible from the project website: https://pact.osis.bg
The application guidelines and all sample documents are published on the project website.
Funding
Maximum grant amount per initiative: up to €15,000, with no co-financing required by applicants
The fund has a total budget of €450,000 and around 30 initiatives are expected to be supported. The duration of the initiatives should be between 12 and 18 months
An important condition is that an organisation can receive a total of up to €60,000 in funding under all competitions under the PACT project (including the Partnership Fund and the Success Code Fund).
Information meetings and webinars
A series of information meetings and webinars will be held to support the candidates.
Three face-to-face information meetings are planned:
- Sofia – February 23, 2026, at 13:30
- Stara Zagora – 9 March 2026, at 14:00
- Burgas – March 11, 2026 at 14:00
During the meetings, the specific eligibility criteria will be examined, as well as practical aspects in the preparation and submission of a proposal. A capacity-building session on “Democracy and EU Values” is also planned. Participation in the face-to-face meetings is done after pre-registration here.
Organizations that do not have the opportunity to attend live can join the planned two identical webinars. During the online meetings, the application guidelines will be discussed in detail. The webinars will take place on February 24 and February 27, 2026 on the Teams platform. Participation requires prior registration here.
More about the Success Code Fund
The Code Success Fund is managed by the Workshop for Civic Initiatives Foundation.
Its purpose is to raise awareness of the rights and values of the European Union and to promote their protection and implementation in practice. The main focus is on strengthening the rule of law, supporting transparency and good governance, as well as promoting open public dialogue.
The Fund also aims to strengthen the role of civil society organisations working for democracy, fundamental rights and a culture of respect for EU values.
Applicant organisations will have access to various forms of training and building practical knowledge and skills organised by the Workshop for Citizens’ Initiatives (WCIF) Foundation and the partner European Citizens’ Action Service (ECAS).
More about the PACT project
The Code Success Fund is part of the PACT project. The project aims to:
- to raise public awareness of EU values and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, with a focus on the practical implications for everyday life;
- to strengthen the influence of Bulgarian civil society organizations dedicated to promoting a culture of values based on the rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights.
The project is implemented with financial support from the European Union through the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) program in the amount of EUR 4,264,112.97, representing 90% of its budget. The funding institution is the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), under its delegated powers by the European Commission.
The project is implemented by a consortium including: Open Society Institute – Sofia Foundation, Workshop for Civic Initiatives Foundation and The European Citizen Action Service (ECAS) – International Non-Governmental Association “European Citizen Action Service”
The members of the consortium co-finance the project with their own funds in the amount of EUR 473,790 (10% of the total cost).