MATRA stands for maatschappelijke transformatie, meaning ‘social transformation’, aiming to enact societies in which fundamental freedoms are guaranteed. The MATRA Fund is part of our support to current and potential EU candidate countries and supplements the European Commission’s efforts. It aims to help countries to strengthen democracy and the rule of law, thus enhancing stability.

The government of the Netherlands attaches particular importance to the MATRA fund, as it aims to reinforce and promote shared European values – values that connect European countries and bridge their cultural diversity. A strong and pluralist democracy under the rule of law, stable democratic processes and good governance are part of these values and of the agenda for Europe. The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Pristina is looking forward to advancing these principles in Kosovo and will be pleased to receive your organization’s ideas on how to achieve this.

What types of projects are eligible?
Project proposals must be in line with our policy priorities and mission statement. To be eligible for support, projects should promote the process of transformation in the following areas:

    1.    Rule of Law: projects that focus on justice reform, media freedom and efficiency, accountability and transparency of justice/independent institutions.
    2.    European Approximation: projects focusing on implementation and monitoring the Reform Agenda, the Stabilization and Association Agreement, with a focus on Clusters 1 and 6.
    3.    Stability and Security: projects that promote interethnic relations and address migration-related challenges.

What are the minimum requirements?
•    Applications are only taken into consideration in the Embassy provided formats: Appendix A  for the proposal, Appendix B  for the budget overview;
•    Applications must be relevant to the MATRA objectives as highlighted above;
•    The project reinforces local ownership;
•    The applicant should contribute to the project (financially or in kind), to be specified clearly in the activities and budget overview;
•    The applicant has had a yearly turnover of a minimum of EUR 100.000 for at least three consecutive years. In case your organization does not meet this condition, we encourage partnerships with organizations that do;
•    The project duration should be between 12 to 24 months.
•    The project amount should be between 50.000 EUR to 80.000 EUR. 
•    If other donors are involved, you need to specify this in the application and budget forms. It needs to be clear which donor contribution goes to the different activities.
•    The budget must comply with the following minimum requirements, based on the enclosed budget template:

    o    No more than 30% of the Embassy’s contribution goes to salaries. Concerning the staff involved in the project (regular and contracted) information must be provided on the hours / percentage of the time that they are directly involved in the project activities as well as the hourly rate / wage for their involvement;
    o    Not more than 10% of the contribution can be allocated to Administrative Costs (rent, utilities, office material, communication, bank fees). Only Administrative Costs directly related to the project are eligible for financial support (e.g. the proportion of the rental costs for the office space that will be used directly for the project activities);
    o    Not more than 10% of the contribution can be used for study trips or tours. In case of a study tour, the reason and location / country of destination needs to be specified.

Preference is given to proposals that:
•    Use innovative ways to tackle issues;
•    Use a broad coalition around shared concerns;
•    Show risk awareness and realistic planning, including mitigation measures and achievable outcomes;
•    Ensure inclusiveness and gender sensitivity, creating equal access to project results for all groups in society. Organisations are encouraged to implement  activities in areas where needs are higher, e.g. outside the capital or within underrepresented communities;
•    Promote sustainable results, contributing to long-term improvements;
•    Demonstrate cost awareness and value for money, whilst seeking in-kind contributions.

Not eligible are:
•    Humanitarian aid;
•    Commercial activities;
•    Business registered organisations;
•    Projects with a predominantly academic focus, i.e. feasibility studies, research etc.;
•    Projects that exclusively or largely include the delivery of goods or materials;
•    Infrastructural or construction projects;
•    Scholarships or education programmes.

Co-financing with other donors is possible provided that:
•    The applicant provides statements from the other donor(s) explaining their motivation to finance project activities;
•    A clear and transparent description is given of the division of activities and how the different donors contribute to these activities.

The application procedure
•    The deadline for submitting project proposals is 30 January 2026;
•    Proposals must meet the minimum requirements;
•    Applications must be submitted to the Embassy via e-mail (pri-projects@minbuza.nl);
•    Applications must be submitted by the project organisers themselves, although they may be assisted by third parties, such as Dutch NGOs;
•    Applications must be submitted in English; 
•    All documents submitted as part of the application must be signed by the applicant.

Approval, contract, payment and reporting
•    If the project is approved, the applicant will receive two copies of the contract, outlining the conditions of the grant. One copy must be signed and returned to the Embassy. Upon receipt of the signed contract, the first instalment of the grant will be transferred;
•    The maximum duration is two years (24 months). The applicant is required to submit mid-term and final narrative and financial reports on the results achieved. The final narrative and financial reports have to be submitted within one month after the completion of the project; 
•    The reports must describe activities carried out to date, activities still planned (if any), problems encountered, achievements, lessons learned etc. Upon approval of these documents, the Embassy will disburse the remaining instalment(s). The Embassy reserves the right to inspect the project accounts and activities at any time.