Although the Code Success Fund of the PACT project provides affordable funding for local organizations, practice shows that some applicants encounter difficulties already at the eligibility stage. The reason is not the complexity of the procedure, but several key conditions that are often overlooked, underestimated or misinterpreted.
Below we summarize the most important requirements that you should pay special attention to before applying.
Annual turnover
One of the main conditions is:
- The organization should have an annual turnover of less than 50,000 euros for the last financially ended calendar year, namely 2024.
- This requirement applies to the overall activity of the organization during the respective year – both economic and non-profit activities.
- For new organizations registered after 2024, 0 should be indicated in the field for filling in the annual turnover.
This condition exists because the focus of the Success Code Fund is to support smaller or new organizations that operate at the local level
Local impact is not a formality
The fund is aimed entirely at local communities, which means:
- Activities must be carried out in local communities that are within the administrative area in which the organization is registered.
The purpose of the fund is to support local organizations that have the necessary infrastructure to reach local communities.
There are no official partners
- Only one organization is required to take responsibility for the implementation of the project
- Others may participate in the activities themselves, but not as formal partners in the project proposal
Funding constraints
Financial parameters also require attention:
- up to 15,000 euros per project
- up to EUR 60,000 in total per organization under all PACT funds, in case an organization participates in other initiatives under the PACT project, namely those financed by the Partnership Fund.
- no own contribution required
Only one project proposal
Each organization has the right to submit only one project proposal.
Requirement for independence
The organization must be:
- independent of state institutions
- independent of political parties
Project duration
Projects must be planned within:
- minimum 12 months
- Maximum 18 months
Two-step application
The procedure includes:
Stage 1: Concept
Apply only with a concept, without the need for a developed budget.
- Approved concepts go through training and develop a complete proposal with the support of a mentor
- Mandatory participation in the training of those who presented the selected concepts. Without participation, a full proposal cannot be submitted.
Step 2: Complete proposal
Development and submission of a complete project proposal.
- The approved proposals continue to be negotiated.
Deadline
April 20, 2026, 5:00 p.m.
The application is made online through the EPSS. If you have technical questions about the online application system, please write to the official email of the EPSS support: administrator.pact@osi.bg
The Code Success Fund was created with small local organizations in mind, but it is precisely because of this focus that there are specific requirements that should not be ignored.
The most common problems when applying are not related to the quality of the ideas, but to:
- misunderstanding of eligibility
- Skipping key restrictions
- underestimating local focus
Therefore, it is highly recommended that applicants familiarize themselves with the guidelines in detail before submitting a concept. The application guidelines and all other documents for the competition under the Code Success Fund can be found here: Call for project proposals Code Success Fund – PACT.