Call summary :

The 2024 CBSS Project Support Facility call for proposals is open from 15 February to 31 March 2024.

The 2024 CBSS Project Support Facility call for proposals focuses on strengthening resilience, safety, collaboration, and trust in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR). Specifically, the call invites innovative projects that foster understanding, cooperation, and mutual trust building for more resilient societies. Submitted project proposals should relate to one of the CBSS’ three long-term priorities, including specific thematic areas.

About the PSF

The Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) established the Project Support Facility (PSF) in 2012 to provide co-financing for projects across the Baltic Sea Region, with the aim of promoting sustainable partnerships in line with the CBSS’s three long-term priority areas. The first PSF Call was launched in 2013.

The PSF invites all eligible actors in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) to apply for grants to implement small-scale projects. These projects can be community-based or profession/expert-based, and aim to foster sustainable development in the BSR.
- Projects shall emphasise the development of sustainable processes and networks aimed to bring added value for the BSR and to at least one of the CBSS long-term priority areas as well as to bring added value to and visibility for macro-regional cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region.
- Projects must involve partners from at least three CBSS Member States including a lead partner;
- The maximum amount of co-financing granted is 65 000 euros;
- The project proposals may be initiated by individuals, groups, organisations, institutions, associations and companies in the CBSS Member States, as well as members of CBSS Expert Groups and CBSS Networks;
- The granted projects should have the potential to become a basis for a network, partnership or cooperation model that would become viable beyond the duration of the project life itself.

“Safe and Secure Region”: aims to enhance the safety and security across the Baltic Sea region. Key elements include enhancing civil security and protection systems within the Baltic Sea region countries, emphasizing cross-border cooperation – for example to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.

1. Thematic area: Civil Security
- Implementation of the whole-of-society approach – a model where vital societal functions are handled together by authorities, civil society organisations, businesses and citizens to strengthen resilience and safety of the BSR. Projects may include initiatives beyond traditional disaster risk reduction approaches, developing wider and more inclusive partnerships across sectors and levels, involving local communities, empowering citizens to act, building future skills and competences and fostering common societal security culture...

Scope of the activities??

- Developing and extending cooperation between national, regional, and local governments, civil society organisations, volunteer organisations,?researchers, practitioners and policy makers from different sectors and levels for managing increasing risks stemming from natural and/or man-made disasters.?
- Enabling the exchange of good (implementation) practices, as well as building regionwide awareness of the common challenges.
- Providing training and capacity building for national and local actors to identify, assess and manage the adverse impacts of climate change to societies and ecosystems.??
- Establishing and maintaining sustainable and inclusive programmes, developing practical measures, cooperation models and tools to protect?societal groups from the consequences of risk factors such as climate change in the BSR.???
- Developing new integrated and innovative approaches to promoting the objectives of this call, particularly involving young people as future region builders.
- The CBSS encourages inclusion of partners from Ukraine in planned projects.

Who can apply?
- National, regional and local public authorities.
- Non-profit and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
- The Lead Partner must be registered in one of the CBSS Member States. The Lead Partner shall have the authority to contract external services as part of the proposed project.
- Partners may also include legal entities in any of the CBSS Observer States.
- Applying entities must demonstrate having the necessary financial and managerial capacities to carry out the project from initiation to the end. They will need to confirm that, if the project is selected, other sources of funds are secured in order to implement the project as described.
- Only legal entities are eligible for funding. The PSF does not provide grant