Grants Available for CSOs Supporting Vulnerable Children and Families (Moldova)

Deadline: 28-Sep-2026

The Grant Competition for CSOs to Develop Community Services and Programs to Prevent Family Separation and Institutionalization of Children supports civil society organisations in Moldova to develop community-based child protection and family support services. The programme has a total budget of €294,000 and aims to improve access to prevention and early intervention services for at least 500 vulnerable children while strengthening the capacity of at least 200 parents and caregivers.

About the Grant Competition

The grant competition is designed to strengthen Moldova’s community-based child protection system and reduce the risk of children being separated from their families or placed in institutional care. Selected civil society organisations (CSOs) will receive financial support to develop or strengthen social services and programmes at community level. In addition to grant funding, selected organisations will benefit from: Collaboration opportunities with public authorities and other relevant actors. Projects may be implemented for up to 18 months. Key Objectives The programme seeks to strengthen prevention and early intervention mechanisms for vulnerable children and families.

Its main objectives are to:

Create and develop at least seven social services or programmes. Increase access to prevention and early intervention services for at least 500 vulnerable children. Strengthen the capacity of at least 200 parents and caregivers. Support families at risk of separation. Reduce children’s risk of institutionalization. Strengthen community-based child protection. Improve cooperation between CSOs and public authorities. Focus Areas Projects should address one or more of the programme’s priority areas. Prevention and Early Intervention Activities can focus on identifying risks at an early stage and connecting vulnerable children and families with appropriate community services. Child Protection and Social Inclusion Projects can strengthen mechanisms that protect children from neglect, exclusion and other risks while promoting their participation and inclusion in community life. Support for Children with Disabilities The programme supports services and programmes for children with disabilities and children with special educational needs (SEN). Activities may help improve access to appropriate support, education, social services and community participation. Strengthening Parents and Caregivers Projects can strengthen the ability of parents and caregivers to respond to children’s developmental, emotional and social needs. CSOs can develop community awareness initiatives that improve understanding of: Children’s rights. Available social services. Child protection mechanisms. Prevention and early intervention. Available support for vulnerable families. CSO Capacity Strengthening The competition also seeks to strengthen the institutional and technical capacity of participating CSOs so they can provide sustainable community-based services.

Partnerships and Coordination

Strong partnerships between CSOs, public authorities and other relevant stakeholders are an important component of the programme. Projects should demonstrate how different actors will cooperate to improve services for children and families. Expected Results The grant competition has clearly defined programme-level targets.

Selected projects collectively aim to:

Establish or develop at least seven social services or programmes. Reach at least 500 vulnerable children with prevention and early intervention services. Strengthen collaboration between civil society and public authorities. Support sustainable alternatives to family separation and institutionalization. Grant Budget and Project Duration

The total available grant budget is:

€294,000

Selected projects may run for:

Up to 18 months Grant funding is complemented by non-financial support, including training, technical assistance and mentoring. Who Is Eligible? The competition is open to qualifying civil society organisations in Moldova. Applicants must meet the following requirements: Be a non-profit, non-governmental legal entity. Be legally registered in the Republic of Moldova. Be directly responsible for implementing the proposed project. Have no history of illegal or unethical activities. Have a collaboration agreement with a local, regional or central public authority. The collaboration agreement is an important eligibility condition because the programme emphasises cooperation between CSOs and public authorities. Why This Grant Matters Family separation and institutionalization can have significant consequences for children’s development and wellbeing. Community-based services can help families receive support earlier and address challenges before they escalate. This grant competition therefore provides CSOs with resources to develop practical alternatives based on prevention, early intervention, family strengthening and community-based child protection. The combination of funding, mentoring, technical assistance and public-sector partnerships can also help successful organisations develop services that are more sustainable beyond the grant period. How to Apply Eligible CSOs should prepare their applications around the programme’s objectives and target results.

Step 1: Confirm Organisational Eligibility

Verify that the organisation:

Is a registered Moldovan non-profit NGO or other eligible non-governmental legal entity. Can directly implement the proposed project. Meets the programme’s integrity requirements. Has the required collaboration agreement with a public authority.

Step 2: Identify the Community Need

Clearly define the child protection or family-support problem that the project will address.

Applicants should explain:

Who is affected. What services are currently available. Where gaps exist. Why additional community-based intervention is necessary. How the proposed service will prevent family separation or institutionalization.

Step 3: Develop