205,000 euros will be donated by Lidl Bulgaria for the implementation of the approved ideas of civil society organizations, journalists, regional media and youth groups
A record high number of projects – 364, have been submitted in the ninth edition of the grant program “You and Lidl” of Lidl Bulgaria. This is 31% more applications than in 2024, when the strongest interest was reported and shows that the program has established itself as a recognizable and significant opportunity for people who want to turn their ideas into positive change.
“You and Lidl” is the largest donation initiative of Lidl Bulgaria, which finances projects in five thematic areas, and in each of the categories youth groups from 14 to 18 years of age can apply
Traditionally, the greatest interest is from civil society organizations, which this year have submitted 331 applications or nearly 91% of the total number. In the journalistic category #BeVocal 12 proposals have been received from regional media and 16 from individual journalists. Five more projects have been submitted by youth groups.
Active lifestyles, cultural heritage and traditions attract the most applications
Among the applications received this year, the ideas for promoting an active lifestyle and civic engagement (thematic area #BeActive) prevail – 112, followed by the projects dedicated to culture, traditions and historical heritage (#BeLocal) – with 97 applications. In the direction of #BeGreen related to environmental protection, 36 proposals have been received, and the five applications of youth groups have been distributed among them – two in #BeLocal and #BeGreen and one in #BeActive.
More opportunities to support ACTIVE people
The fund of the program for the ninth edition is 205,000 euros. These funds are entirely donated by Lidl, and the chain’s customers actively contribute to its collection, choosing to shop in the chain’s stores from 01 to 31 October. The value of the fund is determined by allocating 0.02 euro cents of its revenues for each receipt issued during this period.
In the ninth edition, which is held under the motto “We support and active people”, Lidl Bulgaria has increased the maximum amount of project funding.
In the #BeLocal, #BeFair, #BeGreen and #BeActive strands, approved initiatives can receive up to €10,000. In #BeVocal, the maximum funding is €5,000 for media projects and €2,000 for individual journalistic projects, while youth initiatives can receive up to €2,000.
The special focus of the publication is dedicated to the prevention of violence and addictions among young people under the motto “Give them direction before the street does it!”. In each of the five thematic areas, as well as in the category for youth projects, an excellent project dedicated to the special focus will receive an additional grant of 1000 euros. The support is aimed at specific solutions for prevention through sports, cultural and educational activities and support in risky situations.
After the application, which attracted a record high amount of interest, the ninth edition of “You and Lidl” moves to the stage of administrative evaluation, and then a jury of experts, as well as employees of Lidl Bulgaria, will select the projects that will receive support for their implementation. More information about the program can be found on ti.lidl.bg.
About “You and Lidl”
“You and Lidl” is the largest socially responsible initiative of Lidl Bulgaria, which supports socially significant civic projects in order to contribute to people across the country to lead a better and more fulfilling lifestyle.
Funding focuses on five thematic areas:
● #BeActive, for an active lifestyle and civic activism
● #BeGreen, to protect the environment
● #BeLocal, for culture, art and historical heritage
● #BeFair, for social equality and inclusion
● #BeVocal, for journalists and regional media.
The program was launched in 2017 and is implemented in partnership with the Workshop for Civic Initiatives Foundation (WCIF), the Bulgarian Donors’ Forum (BDF) and the Association of European Journalists – Bulgaria (AEJ-Bulgaria).