The Open Society Foundation Serbia issued a call for submitting projects within the Freedom of Expression and Public Information program.

The projects that can be submitted are those which:

•   Strengthen the integrity and free editorial policy of the media, in particular of public media services and media in minority languages, advocate equal treatment of media in access to information of public importance, and improve the conditions for the functioning of all media (traditional and on-line) in accordance with the norms and standards of professional and independent journalism;

•  Contribute to the effective operation of media (self) regulatory mechanisms and improve conditions and practices for the application of their decisions in favor of the freedom of the media, the freedom of expression and information in the public interest, and the suppression of false news;

•  Ensure equality of the media on the market and equal access to all sources of state assistance in order to support media pluralism and to ensure the citizens' right to information is well-placed;     

•  Affirm and protect the neutrality of the Internet, develop self-regulation in the digital public space, and improve the safety of journalists-professionals and citizens as sources of information; •   Contribute to improving the legal framework for the work of the media in the public interest.     

Projects can be submitted by civil society organizations and institutions (associations of citizens – in particular associations of consumers, parents, professionals …), independent state bodies and other public institutions.

The Foundation will give priority to projects that have developed a communication strategy, form new alliances and motivate individuals and group players to broadly support freedom of expression and the right to information, develop means of fundraising and new forms of activism to empower media and civil society organizations in the physical and digital space.

Application forms can be downloaded on  https://www.civilnodrustvo.gov.rs/konkursi/konkurs.15.html?competitionId=428 and are  available only during the competition period.  Project proposals are to be submitted exclusively in the Serbian language and submitted electronically to office.projekti@fosserbia.org  with the words "Application for Competition" and the name of the program for which one is applying.

An applicant who does not have the technical capacity to submit the project electronically can submit it to the address of the Foundation – Kneginje Ljubice 14, 11000 Belgrade.  

The project can be submitted by an individual legal entity or by several legal entities together. The Foundation supports the projects that are implemented in the territory of the Republic of Serbia. 

Applications for the competition will be received until April 14, 2019.

Source: Office for Cooperation with Civil Society and Coordination Body