WBF First Call for Project Proposals – Details related to the Info Sessions

In the period of November 21 and December 8, 2017, WBF team organized six Information Sessions in the Capitals of the region as foreseen in the framework of the WBF first Call for Regional Project Proposals. In cooperation with Ministries of Foreign Affairs of each respective WBF Contracting Party, the WBF team managed to smoothly organize these information sessions in a very short period of time. For the WBF team, this experience was one of the most successful ones since its establishment.

The WBF Secretariat staff for these information sessions prepared and made available materials as follows:

1. Information Session Meeting Agenda;
2. Application Guidelines (printed version);
3. Presentation on the Application Guidelines;
4. Collection of Questions & Answers.
5. Establishing the connections with the Civil Society organizations

Events took place as follows:

1. Tirana – November 21^st ,
2. Podgorica -December 1^st ,
3. Sarajevo -December 4^th ,
4. Skopje – December 6^th ,
5. Prishtina – December 7^th, and
6. Belgrade – December 8^th, 2017.

In each Capital, interest for participation in WBF information sessions was high. Participants were very diverse such as:

• Representatives of Civil Society Organizations (CSO),
• Representatives of universities and schools;
• Representatives of associations of arts, youth, culture and sports,
• Local authorities,
• Representatives of chambers of commerce and industry,
• Media organizations and also other non-profit stakeholders.

In total, including all information sessions, over 600 participants were able to directly get informed in details about the Call, and directly ask questions.  This was a great opportunity also to present the Fund for the first time in the region. WBF team received and answered over 60 direct questions. After the information sessions WBF team collected questions received via email and from information sessions where answers were published in the Fund official website. Also, there was a high interest from the media, which published news related to the WBF and the Call.

To better accommodate WBF potential grantees, during the Info Sessions’ period, WBF created a Partnership Platform on Facebook where potential applicants could find their partners in the region.  We are very happy that WBF is one of the first regional initiatives giving the opportunity to CSOs connect and work together in the Western Balkans.

Please visit this link for the photos of each Info Session.