Info Session about the WBF opportunities at the Europe House in Belgrade

On 23 October, the Western Balkans Fund (WBF), together with our grantee Dah Theatre and the EU Opportunities Team, held an informative and interactive event at Europe House Belgrade, bringing together representatives of civil society, cultural institutions, educational organizations, and media.

The event showcased how good ideas evolve into regional projects with the support of the European Union and the Western Balkans Fund. Its main goal was to provide citizens with practical insights on how to apply for WBF grants, build partnerships, and successfully implement cross-border projects.

Presenting WBF Programmes

Uroš Čitaković, Program Coordinator at WBF, presented the Fund’s four main programmes: Annual Grants; MOVE Grants; Matching Grants; WBF–EU Joint Action (ERC Strategic Grants).

He also shared valuable application tips with the audience, emphasizing that: “Regional relevance is the number one key. Numbers and references speak louder than general statements. Be realistic — you can’t cover more than two horizontal topics in a short project.”

Speaking about MOVE Grants, Čitaković underlined their flexibility — small-scale grants of 3,000 EUR designed for individual experts, artists, and researchers to travel, conduct research, and build partnerships across the region.

Regarding Matching Grants, worth up to 10,000 EUR per project, he noted that they are open year-round, providing ongoing support to organizations that wish to expand existing activities with a regional dimension.

Practical Advice for Applicants

To help potential applicants, Čitaković shared practical recommendations on how to strengthen proposals and improve success rates:

Focus on regional relevance – show why the topic matters to the whole region, not just one country.
Keep it rational – three key activities are optimal, and a realistic budget reflects seriousness.
Avoid AI-written texts – evaluators can easily recognize them.
Build authentic partnerships – every partner should contribute to at least one phase (writing, implementation, or reporting).
Provide clear proof of cooperation – such as a memorandum, letter of intent, or volunteer certificate.
“Don’t forget — nothing is implied in a project application. Everything you do, write it down,” he reminded. “Every new collaboration adds value. Even if the partnership doesn’t continue, the knowledge remains.”

Building Regional Partnerships

Throughout the event, participants highlighted that regional partnership is not just a formal criterion but the core of the WBF philosophy.

To further support collaboration, the Fund has launched the WBF Partnership Platform, a public Facebook group where organizations can:

Share project ideas
Connect with potential partners
Exchange regional experiences
The official language of the group is English, and interested applicants can join directly by accessing WBF Partnership Platform on Facebook.