THE:PLACE is a collaborative exchange program designed to establish enduring networks between Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Local Authorities(LAs) in Türkiye and the European Union. Managed by ALDA – European Association for Local Democracy and MAD – Mekanda Adalet Derneği and supported by the Mercator Foundation the program explores empowering its participants through capacity-building activities and grant support for co-designed, exchange-based projects.

PROGRAM & OBJECTIVES

THE:PLACE program is based on the idea that social and spatial challenges encountered in Türkiye and the EU countries often share similar origins, even if they are not exactly the same. Local actors, civil society organizations, and local authorities in this context, have much to gain by collaborating and joining their forces to make a meaningful impact. The program, therefore, targets to enhance CSOs’ capacity and facilitate the exchange of knowledge and cooperation among them. As much, it encourages collaboration with local authorities through quadrilateral partnerships.

THE:PLACE will last from November 2021 to October 2025, supporting two rounds of beneficiaries. It provides targeted capacity building, peer learning activities, and subgrant support on joint partnership projects.

➔ 1st Round: February 2022 – October 2023
➔ 2nd Round: September 2023 – June 2025

2nd Edition is on the way! The plan is to start it in May 2026. Stay tuned for the details.

PARTICIPANTS

Here you may check 1st and 2nd round participants and explore details of their jointly designed, implemented exchange projects. If you are from an organization looking to engage in such an exchange process while enhancing collaboration with local authorities at the city level, please follow us and wait for the announcements of the next round.

THE:PLACE is inviting non-profit associations, foundations, and cooperatives from both Türkiye and the European Union to participate. There are no specific field requirements for participants, as long as their work aligns and interacts with the overarching framework of Human Rights and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

1st Round Participants

Click on the logos below to explore the first-round partnerships in detail.

İzmir Kent Hakkı Merkezi & Padek Pritapti

2nd Round Participants

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CALENDAR

This is how the program operates in every round, and the calendar displays the dates for the 2nd round. The program begins with an open call for applications across Türkiye and the EU. Selected CSOs, chosen based on motivation and organizational capacity, gather through both physical and virtual meetings. During these sessions, participants share what they are good at, their challenges, needs, or interests. Then they collectively shape THE:PLACE’s upcoming capacity-building and peer learning activities. Ultimately, organizations are paired up – one from Türkiye and one from the EU – to collaboratively design and execute projects with the aid of a project grant.

ORGANIZATION

THE:PLACE is jointly managed by ALDA – European Association for Local Democracy and MAD – Mekanda Adalet Derneği and supported by the Mercator Foundation since 2021.