Locations
The European Union funded program provides $3.5 million grant support for projects to be implemented in partnership between civil society organizations and municipalities.
7 March 2025, Ankara - Funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Civic Engagement Small Grants Program under the Strengthening Civic Engagement for Enhancing Democratic Local Governance in Türkiye Project has concluded. The program aims to foster dialogue and collaboration between civil society organizations (CSOs), municipalities, and other local actors in key areas such as climate change, disaster response, volunteerism, and new technologies. Strengthening Civic Engagement for Enhancing Democratic Local Governance in Türkiye project is being carried out in partnership with the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye (UMT) and the Directorate General for Relations with Civil Society under the Ministry of Interior.
The program received 431 applications across Türkiye, and following a detailed evaluation process, 36 projects in 25 provinces have been selected. These projects will be carried out in collaboration between CSOs and municipalities, with a total grant funding of approximately $3.5 million.
Within the scope of the grant program’s climate change priority, the supported projects aim to strengthen the capacity of local governments and civil society organizations (CSOs) in climate change mitigation and adaptation, establish climate councils, and develop policy recommendations. These efforts seek to enhance the resilience of local communities, stakeholders, and cities against climate change.
Another key focus of the grant program is disaster preparedness, including training, awareness-raising, and planning activities for different target groups on disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and wildfires. The program also supports CSO-municipality cooperation and coordination in disaster response through innovative technological solutions.
Additionally, the grant program funds projects that promote cooperation between CSOs and local governments through new technologies and encourage the use of knowledge, strengthen existing civil society centers, and support the establishment of new ones.
Another important priority of the program is promoting civic engagement, which includes raising public awareness, supporting civic engagement mechanisms, empowering disadvantaged groups to take part in decision-making processes, and encouraging volunteerism.
The selected projects will be implemented over a period of 9 to 15 months, engaging diverse stakeholders, including public institutions, civil society organizations, children, youth, women, persons with disabilities, farmers, and seasonal agricultural workers.
Upon completion, these projects will contribute to strengthening civic engagement mechanisms, fostering collaboration between civil society and municipalities to address local challenges while enhancing local capacity for climate action and disaster preparedness.
The list of projects supported under Civic Engagement Grant Program
For further information:
Deniz Şilliler Tapan, UNDP Türkiye Communication Specialist deniz.tapan@undp.org
