European Social Fund

European Social Fund (ESF)

The European Social Fund (ESF), one of the European Structural and Investment Funds, represents a very important source of financing for civil society organisations.

Apart from contributing to economic, social and territorial cohesion, ESF is the main financial instrument for investing in people. This fund is used to improve employment opportunities for European citizens, encourage better education and improve wellbeing of persons at highest risk of poverty. The main thematic goals of ESF include encouraging employment and supporting mobility of work force, promoting social inclusion and fighting against poverty, encouraging investments in education, skills and lifelong learning as well as in capacities of institutions and efficiency of public administration.
The European Social Fund has been implemented in Croatia through two programme periods: 2014 - 2020 and 2007 - 2013. Before the 2007 - 2013 programing period the IV component of the IPA (Instrument of Pre-Accession Assistance) Programme ”Human Resources Development” was implemented in Croatia.

Programing period 2014 -2020

On 18 December 2014, the European Commission adopted the Operational Programme Efficient Human Resources, which defines areas in which the Republic of Croatia will be able to invest funds from the ESF and the Youth Employment Initiative until 2020.
In compliance with Regulation on bodies in system for management and control of use of the European Social Fund, the European Regional Development Fund and the Cohesion Fund (OG 107/2014, 23/2015, 129/2015, 15/2017 and 18/2017), the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs of the Republic of Croatia was defined as one of the bodies in the system of control and management for implementation of the Operational Programme Efficient Human Resources 2014 - 2020, in Priority axis 4. “Good governance”, investment priority 11.ii “Capacity building for all stakeholders delivering education, lifelong learning, training and employment and social policies, including through sectoral and territorial pacts to mobilise for reform at the national, regional and local levels”, specific objective 11.ii 1 “Developing capacities of civil society organisations, especially NGOs and social partners, and enhancing civil and social dialogue for better governance”.

The Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs acts as an Intermediate body of level 1, in line with the provisions of Article 7 of the aforementioned Regulation: the Office plans funds, implements information and visibility measures, prepares tender documents for project selection, initiates strategic projects, participates in the selection of projects to be funded, participates in payment to beneficiaries process and in repayment processes in case of irregularities, etc.

The institutional framework of ESF management system is set out in the Act on the Establishment of the Institutional Framework for the Implementation of European Structural and Investment Funds in the Republic of Croatia in the Financial Period 2014 - 2020 (OG 92/2014). Following the compliance assessment process conducted from 23 February 2016 to 13 May 2016, the Agency for the Audit of the European Union Programmes Implementation System, provided a positive (unqualified) opinion, confirming on 18 May 2016 that the ESF management and control system was aligned with relevant EU regulations for the 2014-2020 financial period, i.e. the system was accredited for ESF management. Based on this Unqualified Report, on 19 May, 2016, the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds adopted the Decision on Identifying the Governing Body and the Certifying Authority.

The Office for Cooperation with NGOs has participated in the programming of the ESF investment priorities, i.e. the Operational Programme "Effective Human Resources", where funds for CSO projects are available through priorities "High Employability and Mobility of Workforce", "Social Inclusion", "Education and Lifelong Learning" and "Good Governance".

Links:

Grant Schemes:

Support to volunteering organizers for the improvement of volunteer management and the implementation of volunteering programs

Overall goal: strengthen the contribution of volunteering to the implementation of reforms for social and economic growth and democratic development
Specific objectives:
1. improve the capacity of volunteering organizers for efficient volunteer management in order to improve the quality of services of public interest
2. increase the number of quality and sustainable volunteering programmes and volunteering as well as school volunteering and education for volunteering

Call for Proposals
Informative workshop for potential applicants
Decision on Project Financing
Second Decision on Project Financing
Decision on the Amendment to the Second Decision on Project Financing
List of contracted projects
Contract award ceremony

Support to the development of partnerships of civil society organizations and higher education institutions for the implementation of service learning programmes

Overall goal: increase the number of students with acquired practical knowledge and skills for solving specific social problems and community development
Specific objectives:
1. Strengthen the professional, analytical and advocacy capacities of civil society organizations through cooperation with higher education institutions
2. Establish sustainable programs of socially useful learning at higher education institutions as part of a systematic approach for strengthening social responsibility of teachers and students

Call for Proposals
Informative workshop for potential applicants
Decision on Project Financing; List of contracted projects
The second Decision on Project Financing

Strengthening the capacities of civil society organizations to support effective resocialization and reintegration of perpetrators of criminal offences into social community

Overall goal: to create conditions for more effective re-socialization and reintegration of offenders into the community

Specific objectives:
1. improve the co-operation between civil society organizations, educational institutions, adult education institutions, social welfare institutions, social cooperatives, enterprises established by non-profit organizations and local and regional self-government units in the implementation of treatment processes of offenders initiated as part of implementation of legal sanctions, as well as improve policies of postpenal treatment and resocialization of perpetrators of criminal offenses;
2. improve the capacities of civil society organizations for the design, development and implementation of postpenal treatment services and support criminal offenders in approaching the labor market through training and improvement after detention.

Call for Proposals
Informative workshop for potential applicants
Decision on financing
Contract award ceremony; List of contracted projects

Participation Areas - Development of a programme for revitalisation of publicaly owned space through a partnership between CSOs and local communitieis

Overall goal is to increase the range of services of civil society organizations that are of general interest to citizens that improve the quality of life in the local community.

Specific objectives of the Call:

Improve cooperation between CSOs and local communities in the use of public spaces;
Increase the use of public spaces for social life at the local level through civil-public partnerships and cross-sectoral cooperation;
Improve the capacity of community-led local development CSOs.

The total financial allocation within this Call for Grants amounts to HRK 120,000,000.00, where potential applicants and partners are not obliged to provide co-financing from their own funds.

Call for Proposals
Informative workshop for potential applicatns
Decision on financing
Contract award ceremony to successfull applicants

Strengthening the Capacities of CSOs for popularisation of STEM

Overall Goal of the Call is to strengthen of the CSOs capacities for the active involvement of children and youth as well as the general population in the popularisation of STEM

Specific objectives:

Improve of the CSOs capacities to implement programs in the field of STEM popularisation;
Improve cooperation between civil society organizations and educational and higher education institutions in the field of STEM popularisation;
Increase the number of activities aimed at popularisation of STEM in the general population, with an emphasis on children and youth.

The total financial allocation within this Call for Grants amounts to HRK 150,000,000.00, where potential applicants and partners are not obliged to provide co-financing from their own funds.

Call for Proposals
List of contracted projects (First Decision)
Contract award ceremony; List of contracted projects (Second Decision)
Contracts award ceremony; List of contracted projects (Third Decision)
Contract award ceremony; List of contracted projects (Fourth Decision)
Fifth Decision on financing; List of contracted projects

Strengthening of the CSOs capacities to respond to the needs of the local community