Swiss-Bulgarian Civic Engagement and Transparency Facility (CETF)

We are extremely happy to announce that the consortium we are part of – Balkan Institute for Labour and Social Policy, Bulgarian Centre for Not-for-Profit Law and INNOVABRIDGE – has been selected as the operator of the second edition of the Swiss-Bulgarian Civic Engagement and Transparency Facility.

Our proposal for the development of civil society organisations (CSOs) is extremely ambitious but based on over two decades of experience in supporting a more enabling environment for CSOs and enhancing their capacity. We believe that CSOs can be sustainable and independent, serve both as a check on institutions and a partner to institutions in protecting our rights and freedoms and being a driver for the development of our society.

We are currently in the process of negotiation and consultations, including with various stakeholder groups before the launch of the programme, which is expected to take place in mid-2024 and run through to May 2029. Despite the early stage, we want to share the good news with the community and assure them that the key objective in the implementation of the envisaged interventions will be to support CSOs, which are the engine of any prosperous society.

The second Swiss contribution is an investment in Europe’s security, stability and prosperity. It seeks to strengthen cohesion in Europe and to support countries that face exceptional migration challenges. Through the second contribution, Switzerland is furthermore strengthening and deepening bilateral relations with the EU partner countries and the EU as a whole.