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EuropeAid Funding for Human Rights Defenders and Civil Society Organisations

EU funding support for human rights defenders, civil society and democracy projects through NDICI-Global Europe and its Human Rights and Democracy Thematic Programme.

The European Union supports human rights and civil society programmes through NDICI-Global Europe. Its Human Rights and Democracy Thematic Programme for 2021–2027 succeeded the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) from 2014–2020. It supports projects protecting human rights defenders, freedom of expression, civil society, gender equality and democratic governance. INTERALTER supports civil society organisations, human rights defenders, media freedom organisations and their international partners in accessing this funding.

EU funding landscape

  • NDICI Human Rights and Democracy Thematic Programme

    The current programme succeeding EIDHR; check the specific call for available grants and eligibility for local organisations.

  • Civil Society Organisations and Local Authorities (CSO-LA)

    Calls specifically designed for civil society organisations working on development and democracy.

  • NDICI-Global Europe (thematic)

    Human rights and democracy as cross-cutting themes across all NDICI geographic pillars.

Typical project types

  • Human rights monitoring and documentation
  • Freedom of expression and media freedom
  • Protection of human rights defenders
  • LGBTQI+ rights and inclusion
  • Women's rights and gender-based violence
  • Indigenous peoples' rights
  • Transitional justice and memory

Typical applicant types

  • Human rights NGOs and civil society organisations
  • Media freedom and journalist protection organisations
  • Research institutes documenting human rights situations
  • Umbrella organisations and civil society networks
  • Universities with human rights law programmes

Relevant EuropeAid regions

  • Western Balkans
  • Eastern Neighbourhood
  • Middle East
  • Africa
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Latin America & Caribbean

How INTERALTER supports Human Rights & Civil Society projects

  • Human Rights and Democracy Call Support

    We support applications under the NDICI Human Rights and Democracy Thematic Programme, including relevant EU Delegation calls. The current call defines eligibility, grant size and application requirements.

  • Civil Society Capacity Building Grants

    We help civil society organisations access capacity building and institutional support grants that can fund their core work as well as specific project activities.

  • Strategic Positioning

    We help organisations position their work relative to EU human rights priorities and identify the most relevant funding windows for their specific mandate.

Common questions

Can small local NGOs apply directly for EU human rights grants?
Some calls under NDICI-Global Europe and the Human Rights and Democracy Thematic Programme are open to local civil society organisations. Check each current call's applicant eligibility, financial requirements and procedures; direct eligibility and simplified conditions are not universal.
Does the EU fund advocacy work?
The EU funds evidence-based advocacy and policy engagement activities, though the rules on what constitutes eligible advocacy vary by call. We advise on how to present advocacy activities within EU eligibility constraints.

Related sectors

  • governance-rule-of-law
  • gender-equality
  • migration-displacement