On November 20, the Active Citizens Fund final event took place at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. With the aim of disseminating achieved results and assessing the impact of projects funded under the current Financial Mechanism, the event brought together various entities and non-governmental organizations interested in taking stock of the program.
The National Focal Point of EEA Grants was also present, represented by its Head, Maria Mineiro, who participated in the panel discussion "EEA Grants Support: Overview and Future Perspectives." Topics covered by the panelists included the assessment of the current Financial Mechanism, the overall results achieved, and the importance of bilateral cooperation between the beneficiary countries and Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. Other participants in the panel included Pedro Calado, Director of the Active Citizens Program, Martin Essayan, Administrator of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, and Maria Lúcia Santos, Administrator of the Bissaya Barreto Foundation.
Maria Mineiro also had the opportunity to present scenarios for the next Financial Mechanism and to highlight thematic priorities and key objectives for the upcoming period.
The day was rounded out with the presentation of two studies—one focused on evaluation and another on the evolution of the NGO sector in Portugal—as well as a practical exhibition of projects funded under the Active Citizens Fund.