ROMA CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS PROMOTING EU VALUES:
2026 Calls for proposals for Roma and pro-Roma NGOs in EU Member States
The European Roma Grassroots Organisations (ERGO) Network, together with 5 national partners, is launching calls for applications for Roma and pro-Roma civil society organisations registered and operating in EU Member States. Eligible organisations should work to promote fundamental rights and EU values*, strengthen Roma communities, and support Roma empowerment and participation.
While the content of all calls is similar, there are different sets of application documents for organisations registered in Bulgaria, Romania, Spain, Hungary, Czechia, and Slovakia, and for organisations in any other EU Member State.
Aim and objectives of the call
Overall aim: to build the capacities of Roma and pro-Roma civil society and Roma communities through raising awareness of, monitoring, and enforcing EU values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law, and human rights, including those of minorities.
Objectives:
- To promote access to fundamental rights for Roma.
- To promote equality and social inclusion of Roma.
- To promote a human rights perspective on the situation of Roma.
- To combat antigypsyism.
- To monitor the implementation of national Roma Integration strategies at the local, regional or national level.
- To develop cooperation between Roma communities and public institutions.
- To develop cooperation between Roma and non-Roma civil society.
Duration of the projects and level of support
- Projects supported under this call must be implemented between 1 September 2026 and 30 September 2027 (13 months).
- Each organisation may submit only one application. Consortia are not eligible to apply under this call.
- Organisations that received a grant for individual NGOs under the 2025 ROVA calls for proposals are not eligible to apply again.
- The total available grant for projects funded under this specific call for proposals is EUR 200,000, with a maximum grant of EUR 25,000 per project for organisations registered in one of the so-called BIG SIX EU Member States (Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Czechia, Slovakia, and Spain) and of EUR 20,000 per project for organisations from ALL OTHER EU Member States.
- Own contribution (including voluntary work or financial contributions) is not required and will not be considered an advantage during the evaluation process.
Application process
The application process has two rounds. In the first round, only concept notes are required. Concept notes must be submitted before 17.00 CET on 16 March 2026 by filling in an online application form.
All the information and application forms for the different national and the EU calls are available on https://rovaproject.org/grants/
Applicants will be notified of the results of the first round of the selection process no later than 23 April 2026. If shortlisted for the second round, they will receive an application form for the full proposal, which must be submitted no later than 26 May 2026 at 5 pm CET.
Funding decisions will be communicated no later than 3 July 2026, and funding contracts will be concluded with successful applicants by 14 August 2026 at the latest. Applications will be evaluated by external evaluators and a jury in both rounds.
Eligible organisations
Civil society organisations legally registered and operating in EU Member States may apply for the grant if they meet the following conditions:
- They are a Roma or pro-Roma organisation (see definition below).
- They have not received a grant for individual NGOs under the ROVA calls for proposals in 2025.
- They are legally registered.
- They are not established for private gain.
- They may engage in paid economic activities and employ staff, but any income must not be distributed among members, founders, or managers. Economic activities must remain secondary and support the organisation’s mission.
- Their main purpose is not to represent the economic or professional interests of their members.
- They were established voluntarily by private individuals or groups, and their activities include elements of voluntary work.
- They operate in the public interest and in public life, for the well-being of people, certain groups or society as a whole, but do not aspire to political power.
- They have a clearly defined mission, internal structure, and governing rules, laid out in their statutes or founding documents.
- They operate in a transparent and participatory manner, with elected or appointed leaders who are accountable to the organisation’s members and supporters.
- They publish annual activity and financial reports, in line with national legislation, and ensure that their activities are publicly accessible. Newly established organisations that are not yet legally required to submit public reports may instead provide a description of their initial activities and planned transparency measures.
- They are independent from national, regional, and local governments, public institutions, political parties, and for-profit entities. A majority of their founders or governing body members must not represent any of these institutions.
- They have no outstanding public debt.
They respect and promote the fundamental rights and values of the European Union, as outlined in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union and the Charter of Fundamental Rights. A signed declaration confirming this must be submitted with the application.
Definition of Roma and pro-Roma organisations
Only Roma and pro-Roma organisations are eligible to apply. In the selection process, preference will be given to Roma organisations as opposed to pro-Roma organisations.
We consider Roma organisations to be civil society organisations working for the strengthening and social inclusion of Roma communities, which define the inclusion and strengthening of Roma communities in their founding documents as part of their goals and activities, and in which people who identify as Roma constitute the majority of the organisation’s leadership and staff.
We consider pro-Roma organisations to be civil society organisations working for the empowerment and social inclusion of Roma communities, which define the inclusion and strengthening of Roma communities in their founding documents as part of their goals and activities, and which do not have a significant proportion of people who identify as Roma within their leadership and staff.
Type of activities eligible for funding
- Capacity development activities targeting organisations, professionals, or community members, such as training, coaching, workshops, mentoring, and other non-formal education tools.
- Awareness-raising activities aimed at the broader public, including communication actions and campaigns, the creation and dissemination of offline and online materials, public events, and cultural products.
- Advocacy and monitoring activities to strengthen the rule of law and represent disenfranchised groups, including legal advice and advocacy work, community organising and mobilisation, monitoring and evaluation of government policies and programmes targeting Roma, and drafting position papers and publications.
- Community initiatives that foster active citizenship and participation among Roma and other societal members, such as local actions, volunteer initiatives, and support for grassroots movements.
To prepare your application, please read the related Application Guide on https://rovaproject.org/grants.
For more information, you can also contact ERGO Network at rova_ergo@ergonetwork.org
*EU Values are defined in Art. 2 of the Treaty on the European Union. The EU is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. The ROVA project aims to support Roma and pro-Roma civil society in promoting these shared values.
This call for applications is published within the framework of the ROVA project. The ROVA project is implemented by ERGO Network and five of its member organisations (Autonomia Foundation – Hungary, FAGIC – Spain, Integro Association – Bulgaria, Nevo Parudimos – Romania, Romanonet – Czech Republic) between January 2025 and December 2027. The ROVA project is funded by the European Union and receives co-funding from the Foundation Remembrance, Responsibility, Future (EVZ Foundation). The programme provides financial support and capacity-building to Roma and pro-Roma civil society organisations working to promote fundamental EU rights and values, strengthen Roma communities, and promote social inclusion.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union nor the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
The project is supported by the Foundation Remembrance, Responsibility and Future (EVZ).
