RYCO OPEN CALL FOR PROJECTS PROPOSALS OPEN UNTIL NOVEMBER 20 Opportunity for CSOs to enhance youth empowerment and regional cooperation
Creating chances and providing opportunities for youth empowerment in the Western Balkans region is one of the core missions of the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO). Supporting youth-led projects implemented by civil society organizations adds further value to this mission. Therefore, RYCO has once again launched an Open Call for projects proposals that foster reconciliation and regional cooperation among young people in the Western Balkans.
The 6th “RYCOconnecting” Open Call aims to strengthen the capacities of civil society organizations to implement youth projects with the focus on two key areas: Peacebuilding and reconciliation, and Youth empowerment and engagement in society.
A total of €300,000 has been allocated for this Call, which is open until November 20, 2024 to non-profit organizations that have been registered for at least one year in one of the WB6: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia.
Grants will range from €15,000 to €30,000, and Lead Applicant organizations will implement projects with minimum of 1 and maximum of 5 partners, with at least one from a different WB6 Contracting Party than the one of the Lead Applicant. The Lead Applicant organization and its partners will jointly implement the project through all stages, ensuring active youth participation or assigning them a leadership role in the project. The call also encourages collaboration with cultural institutions, sports associations, educational institutions, and youth informal groups with a proven track record of working with and for young people
Focusing on young people age 14 to 30, selected projects will not only strengthen capacities of CSOs working with youth, but will also help address stereotypes and prejudices, fostering a culture of mutual respect and understanding among young people.
Through the RYCOnnecting Open Call, the civil sector is empowered to contribute more strongly to positive changes in the region. All application details can be found on the RYCO webpage www.rycowb.org.
Since its establishment in 2016 in the framework of the Berlin Process, RYCO remains the only intergovernmental organization in the Western Balkans fully committed to youth cooperation and peacebuilding, actively working on development of programs and policies that provide meaningful support for youth empowerment. So far, through RYCO programs around 240 civil society organizations have been supported. The RYCOnnecting initiative creates additional opportunities for youth exchange, mobility, and cooperation across civil, cultural, and educational sectors in the region.
The 6th Open Call reaffirms RYCO’s commitment to continuously support constructive dialogue, peace, and reconciliation in the region by addressing pressing issues and providing essential support to build lasting peace and understanding.
*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.