Piloting, Innovation & Scaling
“Education is a fundamental enabler of an active and informed citizenship and thus, for democratic participation”.
Report A9-0060/2022 of the European Parliament
The Civic Innovation Fund (CIF) is a unique European pooled fund of THE CIVICS Innovation Hub. It pioneers new ideas in civil society, enhances their visibility, and integrates them into NECE, a growing pan-European network of civic educators. The fund supports start-up ideas in civic education that apply interdisciplinary and inclusive approaches to promote resilience, diversity, and collaboration in democracy.
Each project receives between 10,000 € and 12,000 € for piloting, incubation, and scaling up for 12 months. The CIF targets primary young civic educators (under 35) and young NGOs (under three years of existence). The awarded startups also qualify as informal NECE Impact Spots and are involved in all NECE activities.
A complete list of projects supported by CIF can be found here.
Eligibility criteria
Projects should be startups in civic education that focus on strengthening democratic competencies that promote participation, cohesion, and resilience. Project ideas can range from workshops, cultural interventions, eyewitness talks, exhibitions, scientific studies, and scenario methods, to apps, or augmented reality storyboards.
Projects should align with one of the NECE topics or a specific topic of the call (applicable to thematic calls).
Projects should be carried out in a transnational partnership with at least one partner (individual, organisation, etc.) from wider Europe. The main implementing organisation should be based in a European country. The partnership can be set up across sectors, but one of the partnering organisations should come from either the formal or non-formal/informal civic education sector.
Projects should incorporate the principles of diversity, interdisciplinarity, and inclusiveness.
Call for civic innovation projects
Open calls:
- –
Upcoming calls:
- Civic Innovation Fund 2025 with King Baudouin Foundation in March 2025
Finished calls:
- Civic Innovation Fund 2025 with Porticus
- Civic Innovation Fund 2023-2024 with Robert Bosch Foundation
- Civic Innovation Fund 2024 with Porticus
- Civic Innovation Fund 2024 Ethics in AI with King Baudouin Foundation
- Me-(e)conomics: CIF Financial and Economic Literacy Call with ERSTE Foundation
- Civic Innovation Fund 2024 – 2025 with Robert Bosch Foundation
Feel free to follow us on social media to be updated on our upcoming calls.
FAQ
How do we define “civic education”?
We apply a definition of civic education following the wording and recommendation of the Council of Europe.
Are well-established NGOs (more than 3 years of existence) eligible to apply?
Yes, well-established NGOs are eligible to send their applications as well. However, during the assessment process, priority will be given to younger NGOs and projects.
Can applications be submitted by teams other than civic educators and NGOs?
Yes, we welcome projects proposed by the university teams and SMEs too. However, it is important to note that the projects submitted by these teams must be directly related to the field of civic education.
What costs can be covered by CIF?
These should be direct costs related to the implementation of the project. Office costs should constitute max. 10 %.
I do not have a partner for my project. Where can I find them?
If you have difficulties with finding partners, check our virtual map of civic educators which offers you a great variety of partners in civic education to network and cooperate with.
The Civic Innovation Fund is supported by the Robert Bosch Stiftung, Porticus Amsterdam C.V., ERSTE Foundation, and King Baudouin Foundation.
In case of questions, feel free to reach out to cif@thecivics.eu
