The Balkan Civil Society Development Network (BCSDN) invites you to the Civic Space Hackathon held in Skopje, 17-18. June 2025, in order to jointly devise solutions to the challenges faced by civil society in the region (disinformation, smear campaigns, reduction of available resources).
Are you ready to turn bold ideas into concrete solutions?
BCSDN invites civil society organizations and academic institutions from all over the Western Balkans to gather their best team and apply for the first Civic Space Hackathon: Innovate for Impact!
Together, we will create powerful solutions to some of the most pressing challenges facing civil society today: misinformation, smear campaigns and diminishing access to basic resources. This is an opportunity to bring together your brightest minds — activists, IT experts, lawyers, communicators, designers — and design the future of a resilient civil sector.
Challenge: Let’s design a future of resilient civil society
Civil society in the Western Balkans is under double pressure:
Smear campaigns and misinformation undermine public trust.
Restrictive and politicized funding practices undermine the independence of organizations.
As a result, civil society becomes financially unstable and vulnerable, while fake organizations (so-called GONGOs) dominate due to a lack of transparency.
The invitation is open to civil society organizations and academic institutions from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, which can form interdisciplinary teams of 4 to 6 members.
Who can apply?
● The applicant must be a registered organization or academic institution from the region.
● Applications from individuals are not accepted.
● Teams need to bring together different skills – from activism, technology, design, law, communications to research.
● Participants must be committed, ready for teamwork and intense engagement before and during the event.
What do you get?
First prize: €3,500
Second prize: €2,000
Support after the hackathon: Initial funding and the possibility of a contract for further development (up to €50,000)!
Expert Mentoring: Hands-on support from mentors in the fields of technology, communications, advocacy and digital innovation.
Networking: Meet regional innovators, civic tech experts and potential partners.
Visibility: Your solution will be presented throughout the region through BCSDN’s network and partners.
In addition, all travel, accommodation and local expenses for the selected teams are covered.
Who? Civil society organizations and academic institutions from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.
Applications are open until May 11, 2025.
The full text of the call and the application form can be found on the BCSDN website, available HERE.