Dear readers,

This collection aims to promote among interested NGOs, institutions, business organizations and citizens the results of the projects implemented under the NGO fund within the framework of the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism 2004-2009 (EEA FM). Through the NGO fund within the EEA FM, the three donor countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, granted Bulgaria a total of 2,064,000 Euro.

The objective of the NGO fund is to support the development of civil society in Bulgaria by supporting projects in three priority areas: Protection of the environment and promotion of sustainable development, Provision and development of social services, such as in health and child care, and Development of civil society and protection of human rights.

The Foundation for Local Government Reform (FLGR) in partnership with Bulgarian Environmental Partnership Foundation (BEPF) was selected as Fund operator. FLGR is the main negotiating unit with the Financial Mechanism Office in Brussels, which is in charge of the overall management of the Fund. The Environmental Partnership Foundation is a partner in the administration and management of the Fund for priority area 1 “Protection of the environment and promotion of sustainable development”.

Two calls for proposals were announced within the NGO Fund implemented in 2008 – 2010 – one in July 2008 and one in April 2009. A total of 704 proposals were submitted by NGOs and community centres (chitalishta) from the country, amounting to a total of 32,234, 564.61 Euro. The applicants included NGOs operating on the national level, as well as ones on the local level and newly registered ones.

115 organizations did not meet the administrative compliance and feasibility criteria. All projects that passed the administrative compliance and feasibility review were assessed by two independent assessors selected under a public procedure for recruiting assessors by the Fund Operator. The projects that received more than 60 points (average of the scores awarded by the two assessors) were reviewed by the Committee for selection of projects for funding which included 5 experts with practical experience in the three priority areas. Representatives of the Operator, the National Coordination Unit to the MF, the Royal Norwegian Embassy in the Republic of Bulgaria and the EEA FM Office acted as observers at the meetings of the Committee. The Committee approved 61 projects for funding, amounting to a total of 1,857,002.77 Euro, divided by priority areas as follows:

• Protection of the environment and promotion of sustainable development – 15 projects, amounting to a total of 743,199.77 Euro
• Provision and development of social services, such as in health and child care – 24 projects, amounting to a total of 649,303 Euro
• Development of civil society and protection of human rights – 22 projects, amounting to a total of 464,500 Euro

59 Projects were successfully implemented.

The projects presented here have contributed for the mobilization of communities and citizens in solving significant social problems, offered new approaches to the institutions and supported their implementation into practice; they carry out effective monitoring on the implementation of adopted strategic documents in the priority areas of the Fund, carry out effective monitoring on the implementation of social services and provide specific proposals for their improvement; develop the capacity of the funded NGOs in their fields, and attract volunteers in the implementation of project activities.

It is our hope that through these projects we have managed to contribute for a change of social significance in the priority areas under the Fund.

The team of the Operator of the NGO Fund

within EEA FM 2004-2009