New Democracy Fund for Armenian media, youth, and civil society projects

• Eligibility criteria: A broad range of civil society actors can apply. This includes independent media and journalist groups in Armenia or organisations working closely with Armenian communities, particularly in regional areas outside Yerevan.
• Type of Funding: Grant
• Target Region: Armenia
• Application Language: English

The New Democracy Fund has opened its 2026 targeted funding call to support civil society organisations, youth groups, and independent media in Armenia’s regions outside Yerevan. The call aims to strengthen democratic participation, enhance access to fact-based information ahead of the parliamentary elections in June 2026, and maintain non-partisanship while being sensitive to the political context.

Thematics

Applicants may request support for initiatives that strengthen democratic participation and information resilience in Armenia’s regions ahead of the elections. Projects may include, but are not limited to:

• Local democratic dialogue and civic engagement initiatives
• Youth participation and first-time voter engagement
• Media literacy, fact-checking, and countering misinformation
• Cooperation between civil society organisations and local media
• Community-based information and dialogue platforms
• Cultural or educational initiatives that promote civic participation
• All projects must be strictly non-partisan.

The following activities are not eligible:

• Election observation
• Support to political parties, candidates, or campaign activities
• Activities that may reasonably be interpreted as partisan mobilisation

Applicants are expected to integrate gender equality, inclusion, and a human rights-based approach into all projects.

Eligibility

The call is open to civil society actors based in Armenia. For the purpose of this call, civil society actors include the following:

• Civil society organisations and community-based initiatives
• Independent media and journalist groups
• Youth organisations and informal civic networks
• Cultural, educational, and knowledge institutions
• Professional associations and labour-related civil society actors

Applicants must meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Be legally registered and based in Armenia; or
• Be based outside Armenia but demonstrate a clear and ongoing engagement with beneficiaries in Armenia’s regions.
• In addition, Moldovan and Georgian organisations may participate only in limited capacity-building or peer-learning roles. Their involvement must add clear value to Armenian regional partners. These organisations are encouraged to share relevant election experience from comparable regional contexts.

The call operates within a single budget range: €13,000 – €53,500 / DKK 100,000 – 400,000. Applicants should propose budgets that are realistic, proportionate, and appropriate to their organisational capacity and the short pre-election timeframe.

How to apply 

• Submit the application form and annexes for the NDF by creating a profile on this page by February 11, 23:59 CET 2026.
• The application must be filled in in English.
• The online platform provides guiding questions regarding the details to be included in the application. In addition to the application, applicants should upload an activity-based budget, contractee information, and a workplan.
• Download all the templates via the links or at the bottom of this page.
• Applicants may contact the fund administration by e-mail for technical advice the writing process,: support@newdemocracyfund.org.
• Applicants may contact the granting platforms support team by e-mail in case of technical issues during the application process: support@grant.nu
• All advice and support from our staff and the grating platforms team will be in English.

For more information, please visit this page.