Carpathian Civil Society Platform for Ukraine

Program Summary for Donors and Partners

The Carpathian Civil Society Platform for Ukraine is a strategic, multi-year capacity-building and grant-making program designed to strengthen civil society organizations (CSOs) in Ukraine and actively support the country’s European Union integration process. The project places strong emphasis on cross-border cooperation, shared learning, and long-term organizational development as key drivers of democratic resilience and sustainable recovery.

🤝 Implementation & Partnership
The project is jointly implemented by the Carpathian Foundation–Hungary and the Carpathian Foundation–Ukraine, in close partnership with the members and coordinators of the Carpathian Civil Society Platform—a transnational network connecting civil society actors across the Carpathian region.

💶 Budget & Donor Support
With a total budget of €170,000, generously supported by the Bosch Stiftung, the program addresses a critical funding gap in civil society and community-driven development. Strengthening civil society capacities is essential for preparing Ukrainian organizations to meaningfully engage in EU-related processes both before and after accession.

🎯 Core Objective
At its core, the program aims to promote and strengthen cross-border partnerships between Ukrainian grassroots CSOs and organizations from neighboring EU member states—Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, and Poland. These partnerships are designed to foster:

• EU integration readiness,
• mutual and balanced cooperation, and
• joint learning and experience exchange on EU policies, funding mechanisms, and democratic participation.

📚 Program Approach & Activities
The program combines targeted small grants with structured capacity building, ensuring that grants function as tools for organizational development rather than one-off financial support. Key components include:

• Grants enabling CSOs to strengthen their organizational capacity while serving their constituency
• Competitive grant-making complemented by professional mentoring and strategic assistance
• Cross-border partner matching through the Carpathian Civil Society Platform network and its virtual hub
• Tailored education and peer-to-peer learning on EU integration, EU funding opportunities, and project implementation
• Study visits, joint planning, and collaborative strategy development

🧭 Selection Principles
Selection criteria prioritize:

• Demonstrated practical achievements and experience sharing capacity
• Clear identification of organizational needs in cross-border cooperation
• A long-term vision for utilizing EU-related opportunities through transnational collaboration

🌱 Long-Term Impact
By strengthening organizational capacities, encouraging transnational cooperation, and embedding a culture of joint learning and experience sharing, the project prepares participating CSOs to successfully access EU funds during the pre-accession period and following Ukraine’s EU membership. Ultimately, it contributes to stronger democratic institutions, enhanced regional cooperation, and more resilient civil society ecosystems across the Carpathian region.

✉️ Contact for Further Information
Boglárka Bata
Director, Carpathian Foundation
Further information is available upon request via email: boglarka.bata@cfoundation.org