The Western Balkans Fund, an international organization set up by the region’s foreign ministries, has announced open calls for regional grants aimed at boosting co-operation in the region.

This is the fourth call since the establishment of the WBF in 2017, but the first to enjoy significant support from the European Union, which co-finances regional grants through the IPA scheme – Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance.

Civil society organizations are the main beneficiaries of the joint EU / WBF program, but potential grant beneficiaries also include associations, foundations, non-profit organizations, regional networks, local and regional entities, and business associations.

The call will remain open until December 23, 2021, for a total of 45 days. The WBF team will travel during this period to meet potential beneficiaries in a series of Info Sessions, during which stakeholders will be informed on how to apply, how to form partnerships with similar partners in the region, and more more.

In Albania, the Info Sessions provided are:

1. Korce. 15 November 2021. Time 11.00. At the Fan Noli University Amphitheater
2. Tirana. 23 November 2021. Time 12.30. At Hotel Rogner, Antigonea Hall

The Western Balkans Fund is a unique mechanism of regional cooperation and a sign of the new spirit of cooperation that is being established in the region. In previous calls for proposals in the region (2017-20), the WBF withdrew 890 applications from Civil Society Organizations and other stakeholders, with a total of 3,430 organizations and over 10,000 citizens involved.

/Klara Ruci/

Thanks to the support of the European Union, the fourth call for proposals will be the largest ever in the number of projects and financial value supported.