Belgrade, 24 April 2026 – With the support of the European Union and in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Aranđelovac, Vranje, Vrnjačka Banja, Ćuprija, and Šabac have announced public calls for the financing of projects implemented by civil society organizations (CSOs) that can contribute to the development goals of these cities and municipalities. The public calls are launched within the Regional Programme on Local Democracy in the Western Balkans 3 (ReLOaD3).

The aim of these public calls is to improve the quality of public services provided to citizens by strengthening cooperation between civil society organisations and local authorities.

Support will be provided through the public calls to a range of CSO projects in areas such as public health and social protection, rural development, tourism, supporting youth and vulnerable groups, improving gender equality, and environmental protection. 

All interested civil society organisations from Serbia may submit their project proposals by 29 May 2026 at 15:00, in response to individual public calls published on the official websites of the partner cities and municipalities, where detailed information on eligibility criteria, deadlines, application procedures, and all required documentation is available in Serbian:

Municipality of Aranđelovac 

City of Vranje – Official Notice Board

Municipality of Vrnjačka Banja

Municipality of Ćuprija

City of Šabac

Financial resources will be awarded to CSOs whose project proposals contribute to one or more local priorities and meet the required quality standards and eligibility criteria. The total funding available for CSO projects in 2026 across all five local self-governments is approximately USD 280,000.

During the open call period, information sessions and training on the project cycle and project proposal development will be organised for representatives of interested CSOs. Additionally, interested CSOs will have access to mentoring support throughout the project proposal preparation process. The exact dates and venues of the training sessions will be published on the websites of the local self-governments.

Any additional questions related to the application process may be submitted via email to: reload.rs@undp.org.

The Regional Programme on Local Democracy in the Western Balkans 3 (ReLOaD3) is funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The initiative aims to empower civil society and citizens to actively participate in decision-making processes by improving the legal and financial environment for civil society.