This year 2026, the Embassy will award for the first time, a prize to a local human rights defender or a civil society organization for the work and their unwavering commitment in promoting and defending human rights in the Czech Republic.

The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Czech Republic is pleased to open nominations for the Embassy Tulip Award 2026. The award will recognise and celebrate the courage, commitment and impact of human rights defenders or civil society organisations working to promote and protect human rights in the Czech Republic. It is meant to stimulate human rights advocacy, research and to promote the protection of human rights. It also aims to support and strengthen the civil society network and increase awareness and appreciation of the work of human rights defenders by the general public.
The award is part of the wider Human Rights Tulip program of the Government of the Netherlands, which includes Embassy Tulip Awards organised by 26 Dutch embassies around the world, as well as the Central Human Rights Tulip Award: a flagship international award awarded in The Hague during the Human Rights Day celebration in December.

The winner of the Embassy Tulip Award Czech Republic will receive:

•    EUR 5,000 to use for your human rights work;
•    A commemorative bronze tulip sculpture and recognition and visibility via the Embassy;
•    Access to media and storytelling training with opportunities to network and showcase their work with other Embassy Tulip winners from around the world;
•    Automatic nomination into the global Central Tulip with other Embassy Tulip winners. Out of 26 Embassy Tulip winners, 5 will be selected as Central Tulip finalists to participate in a 4-Day Fellowship in the Netherlands and 1 final Central Tulip winner will receive a grand prize of EUR 50,000.

Who can be nominated? Nominations are open to:

•    Human rights defenders, informal groups, networks, movements, and civil society organizations that demonstrate a strong commitment to human rights through work that is locally rooted and relevant.
•    Their work is preferably linked to one of the six human rights priorities of the Netherlands, being freedom of expression and internet, freedom of religion and belief, equal rights for LGBTI-persons, human rights defenders and civic space, tackling impunity for serious crimes, equal rights for women and girls (including SRHR).
•    Nominees must be Czech nationality or be an organization registered in Czechia and carry out their activities in anywhere within the country.
•    Multiple nominations for the same nominee will not give the nominee an advantage; each nominee will be considered once.

Nominations can be submitted by filling in the nomination form below and sending it to pra@minbuza.nl. All nominations must be submitted by Sunday 9th of August 2026, 23:59.

Embassy Tulip Nominees will be assessed based on the following criteria:

•    Impact and beneficiaries: The nominee’s work has made a meaningful contribution to the promotion or protection of human rights, including through concrete changes in people’s lives, communities reached, or increased awareness and advocacy.
•    Courage and risk: The nominee demonstrates commitment and courage in advancing human rights, including where relevant in contexts of repression, resistance, restricted civic space or personal, legal, digital, reputational, financial or physical risk.
•    Innovation and creativity: The nominee uses creative, adaptive or effective approaches to address human rights challenges in their context, including through new methods, partnerships, tools, narratives, or mobilisation strategies.
•    Community ownership and partnerships: The nominee works with affected communities and relevant partners in a way that is inclusive, locally rooted and responsive to community needs.
•    Sustainability and potential for further impact: The nominee’s work has the potential to continue, grow or inspire wider change.

The Embassy Tulip winner will be announced in September, and the award ceremony will take place around International Human Rights Day in December.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to us in case of any questions about the award and the process through martina.vachova@minbuza.nl.  

> Nomination Form