Citizens Against Corruption | INL21GR0008 SERBIA CORRUPTION 12022020

Opportunity Information: Apply for INL21GR0008 SERBIA CORRUPTION 12022020

The Citizens Against Corruption grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number INL21GR0008 SERBIA CORRUPTION 12022020) is a discretionary grant program funded by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), under CFDA 19.703. It was created on December 2, 2020, with an original application closing date of February 3, 2021. The program is centered on Serbia and is designed to strengthen the rule of law by increasing citizens demand for justice, improving their access to justice, and deepening public respect for justice-related institutions and processes, with a clear emphasis on tackling corruption as a barrier to democratic governance and human rights.

At its core, the program aims to help build a Serbian civil society that is active, organized, and meaningfully engaged with the Government of Serbia, both through political participation and through engagement with the justice system. The underlying idea is that corruption weakens democratic institutions, undermines trust in government, and erodes human and civil rights, so a stronger, more coordinated civil society can play a practical role in raising public expectations for integrity, pushing for accountability, and supporting reforms that make public institutions more transparent and responsive.

The opportunity lays out several connected objectives for what funded projects should accomplish. One major focus is boosting the capacity of Serbian civil society organizations by encouraging coalition-building and collaboration among CSOs and activists. Rather than supporting isolated efforts, the grant prioritizes durable partnerships built around coherent shared objectives such as promoting good governance, increasing accountability and transparency across the public sector, combating corruption, and protecting civil and human rights. This implies an emphasis on coordination, shared strategies, and sustainability so that civil society efforts remain effective beyond the life of a single grant.

Another key objective is strengthening how rule-of-law focused civil society actors communicate with the public and decision-makers. The program specifically highlights the importance of improved messaging and the development of working relationships with media partners, so CSOs can communicate more effectively with citizens and convey citizen perspectives to policymakers. In practice, this means projects are expected to translate complex corruption and governance issues into clear public-facing narratives, highlight how corruption damages democratic institutions and rights, and help citizens understand why anti-corruption reforms matter in everyday life.

The grant also supports structured dialogue and joint action between civil society organizations, legal professionals, and other relevant stakeholders. The intent here is to bring together practitioners and advocates who can jointly identify governance problems, propose solutions, and push for reforms that increase transparency and accountability and strengthen anti-corruption measures. This part of the program suggests support for multi-stakeholder forums, collaborative initiatives, and efforts that connect citizen concerns to legal and institutional pathways for reform.

Finally, the opportunity emphasizes constructive engagement with national and local governments, private sector stakeholders, and regional or international mechanisms. This signals that projects should not only criticize problems but also build practical channels for engagement that can move anti-corruption and good governance goals forward. The program appears to value approaches that combine civic pressure with policy engagement, and that connect domestic reform efforts to broader regional or international standards and accountability tools where relevant.

In terms of funding parameters, the award ceiling is listed as $500,000. The source information notes an “ExpectedAwards” field but does not provide a number, so the total number of awards is not specified in the provided text. The eligible applicants are limited to non-governmental organizations and educational institutions, indicating that the program is intended for civil society and academic actors rather than government agencies or for-profit entities. The activity category is Law, Justice and Legal Services, reinforcing that proposed work should align closely with justice sector integrity, governance, and anti-corruption outcomes rather than unrelated civic programming.

• The Bureau of International Narcotics-Law Enforcement in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Citizens Against Corruption" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.703.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-12-02.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-02-03. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

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