European Investment Bank (EIB) to aid Commission in their endeavors.

The German Foreign Office's OPR (Open Regional Programme) offers funding to strengthen democratic developments in various countries. The program focuses on at least one of the overarching goals: strengthening pluralism and resilience, promoting value discourses and human rights, creating future prospects and democratic transformation, supporting dialogue and approximation.

The funding priorities are adjusted annually in coordination with foreign representations and country desks in the Federal Foreign Office. Projects can be carried out in the Eastern Partnership countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine), Russia, Germany, and in exceptional cases, third countries/other countries.

The OPR program funds German organizations in partnership with civil society partners in the program countries. These organizations must be part of the federal-wide network "Verbindungen fördern," which includes 16 partners across 10 German federal states. Examples include the Deutsches Forum für Figurentheater und Puppenspielkunst in Bochum, the Hochschule für Schauspielkunst "Ernst Busch" Berlin, UNIMA-Deutschland in Northeim, and the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und darstellende Kunst Stuttgart.

Certain measures involving state institutions are excluded from funding. The program funds measures that promote sustainable civil society structures for cooperation between democratic, non-state actors from Germany and Eastern Partnership or Russia countries.

The minimum annual application sum is 50,000 EUR. Interested parties can submit project ideas in October/November before the funding year on a specially created website. After evaluation and assessment of funding prospects, formal funding applications can be submitted at the beginning of the funding year.

In regular cases, projects are funded annually, but in exceptional cases, they can be funded for up to three years. For German-French projects, also in France, and for German-Polish projects, also in Poland.

In 2024, the main priorities are the preservation and rebuilding of democratically-oriented civil society structures and networks in the region or in temporary exile, strengthening resilience, especially against disinformation, and the particular support of vulnerable groups (women, children, youth, people with disabilities, etc.). Expenditures for evaluations are eligible for funding.

For more information about the OPR program and funding inquiries, please contact [email protected]. The OPR program supports civil societies in their role as key stakeholders for democratic developments in their countries. The funding concept is in effect, but the duration is not specified in the provided text.