Open Call for the Selection of 3 Communities in the South of the Republic of Moldova

A.O. Centrul Regional de Dezvoltare Comunitară is launching an open call to select 3 communities from the south of the Republic of Moldova to participate in the project “Local Citizens’ Juries for Community Mobilization and Public Participation of Women and Youth”.

Through this initiative, we aim to support local communities in identifying issues that matter to residents, creating meaningful opportunities for women and young people to participate, and developing local solutions through consultation, dialogue with public authorities and advocacy.

What will happen in the selected communities?

A Local Citizens’ Jury (LCJ), consisting of approximately 10 people, will be established in each of the three selected communities.

With the support of the CRDC team, LCJ members will work together to:

• consult residents and identify community issues and needs;
• analyse and collectively prioritise a local issue;
• develop a local advocacy and community action plan;
• engage in dialogue with local public authorities and other relevant stakeholders;
• mobilise resources and promote the identified solution;
• contribute to the implementation of a concrete solution in the community.

The process places particular emphasis on the participation of women, young women and young people in public life and local decision-making processes.

What will each selected community receive?

Participating communities will benefit from:

• support for establishing and operating the Local Citizens’ Jury;
• the participation of 5 people from the community in a training programme on public participation, community organising and advocacy;
• facilitation and methodological support throughout the process;
• support in organising community consultations;
• support in developing a local advocacy plan;
• facilitation of dialogue with local public authorities and other relevant stakeholders;
• support in mobilising local resources;
• up to EUR 1,700 for each community to implement a concrete local solution/project resulting from the participatory process;
• promotion of results and good practices developed at the local level.

Important: the community issue and the solution that will receive financial support do not need to be determined at the application stage. They will be identified and prioritised later together with residents as part of the Local Citizens’ Jury process.

Who can apply?

The call is open to communities and localities in the south of the Republic of Moldova.

An expression of interest may be submitted through:

• a local public authority;
• a civil society organisation or initiative group;
• a community institution;
• an informal group of active citizens with a designated contact person.

The application must reflect the interest of the community, rather than only the interest of a single person or institution.

What kind of communities are we looking for?

We are looking to work with localities where there is:

• genuine interest in participation and addressing local issues;
• women and young people interested in becoming actively involved;
• willingness to engage in dialogue with public authorities and other community stakeholders;
• potential to form a local group of approximately 10 people;
• openness to consulting residents and engaging in local advocacy;
• willingness to participate in the entire process, from establishing the LCJ to implementing the community solution.

The community may also contribute local resources, such as venues for activities, promotion, volunteering, access to community groups or other forms of support.

How will the communities be selected?

Applications will be assessed against several criteria, including:

• the community’s motivation;
• the potential to mobilise women and young people;
• willingness to engage in dialogue and cooperation;
• the availability of a local resource person;
• the feasibility and continuity of the local process;
• the inclusion and diversity of participants.

The selection will be carried out by a committee appointed by CRDC. The organisation may request clarifications or hold brief discussions with applicants before making the final decision.

Application deadline: 30 September 2026.

The evaluation of applications and any necessary clarifications will take place between 1–7 October 2026, while the selection results are expected to be announced between 10–12 October 2026. The local process in the selected communities is expected to begin from 15 October 2026.

How to apply?

Please consult the full call document and complete the Application Form: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1u66M32nTt54w54ZHzrozRRVoJDZOX9iu/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=110625377518197093738&rtpof=true&sd=true

The completed form should be sent to: asociatiacrdc@gmail.com, with CC to: aoabtds@gmail.com with the subject line: Apel JCL – [name of locality].

Questions and requests for clarification may be sent to the same email addresses until 29 September 2026.

We are looking for communities where people are ready to get involved, openly discuss local issues and work together to build concrete solutions.

About the project

The project “Local Citizens’ Juries for Community Mobilization and Public Participation of Women and Youth” is implemented by A.O. Centrul Regional de Dezvoltare Comunitară under a grant awarded by the East Europe Foundation within the project “Civic Engagement for the Empowerment of Youth and Women”, funded by the European Union.

The project aims to strengthen the participation of women and young people in local decision-making processes by creating and activating local mechanisms for community mobilisation, civic dialogue, advocacy and concrete action.

This material was produced by A.O. Centrul Regional de Dezvoltare Comunitară with the support of the East Europe Foundation, in partnership with the National Youth Council of Moldova, the Centre “Partnership for Development” and the Non-Commercial Organisation Regional Development Agency of Tiraspol, with financial support provided by the European Union.  The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the East Europe Foundation, the National Youth Council of Moldova, the Centre “Partnership for Development”, the Non-Commercial Organisation Regional Development Agency of Tiraspol, or the European Union.