This week the Fund Operator of the Active Citizens Fund in Portugal has seen a set of emergency measures proposed to the Financial Mechanism Office (FMO) approved to help Civil Society Organisations address the difficulties and challenges arising from the Covid-19 outbreak. These measures are coupled with a more flexible approach to adaptations of methodologies, activities, schedules and products defined initially.

These measures are aimed at projects already under implementation, so that they can complete their activities and meet their targets, but they are also aimed at Civil Society Organisations with weaker structures, so that they can overcome situations of lack of liquidity and participate in fully in the calls to be launched in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Thus, in October an exceptional call will be launched exclusively for projects already under implementation, approved under the 2018 and 2019 calls. This call will allow NGOs to request additional funding to cover costs with human resources, related to the temporary interruption or slow down in activities during the lockdown. Costs related to personal protective equipment essential for implementing activities in pandemic times will also be eligible for this additional funding. The Project Promoters may also request an extension of the duration of the already funded projects, within the maximum limits allowed by the rules of the Active Citizens Fund in Portugal.

Within the scope of these emergency measures now approved, in the next calls already scheduled for September 2020, as well as in the calls for 2021 and 2022, Civil Society Organisations with weaker structures will be given the opportunity to apply with projects in which their contribution value may be made entirely through volunteer work (instead of 50% of the contribution in cash). Organisations with annual spending below 250 thousand Euros can be considered, provided that their headquarters are located outside the metropolitan areas of Lisbon and Porto or, regardless of the geographical area in which they are based, provided that they have been created and are made up of young people, migrants or ethnic minorities.