The first €60,000 funding cycle highlighted initiatives with meaningful social impact.
The “Connect for Change” event, organized by the ENA Foundation on the 4th of December, brought together non-profit organizations and businesses in the same space with the shared goal of launching an open dialogue on partnerships with meaningful social impact.
In this environment of exchanging ideas and experiences, the Foundation also announced the three projects that stood out in the first cycle of the Grants for Change 2025 programme, confirming the value of collaboration, participation, and the empowerment of local communities.
The programme, which attracted more than 40 applications from over 80 organizations, was designed to strengthen initiatives that respond to real social needs and to give local groups and NGOs the opportunity to implement projects with measurable and sustainable impact.
With a budget of €60,000 in the first cycle and an open call for proposals, the Grants for Change programme supports initiatives that promote inclusion, knowledge, skills development, and social cohesion, raising the bar for collaboration among civil society actors.
One of the three projects selected for the first cycle of the programme is ACCESS+, an initiative by the organizations Ablebook and “Ena Emeis,” which stands out for the practical and technologically mature way in which it addresses accessibility barriers in urban spaces in Cyprus. Through participatory mapping in one municipality, the project will collect data, images, and proposals for improvement from persons with disabilities, volunteers, and local stakeholders.
At the same time, the Ablebook platform will be enhanced with two new digital features: a system for the immediate reporting of accessibility problems, such as illegal parking or obstacles on ramps, and a job opportunities section specifically designed for persons with disabilities. The combination of participatory research, technology, and institutional cooperation makes the project a meaningful intervention, with the potential to leave a lasting footprint on the communities where it is implemented.
Among the three winners is also the PLAYSCAPE project by Urban Gorillas and Gardens of the Future, an ambitious initiative that changes the approach to public space for children through participatory design and creative experimentation. The project stands out because it places children themselves at the center: it gives them the opportunity to design, imagine, and shape their own ideal play space, actively participating in every stage.
This participatory process is supported by storytelling and design workshops, model-making, and the collective development of a new playground model inspired by international practices but adapted to the needs of the community.
PLAYSCAPE will function as a “laboratory of imagination,” a space where play strengthens creativity, problem-solving, and children’s relationship with their environment, while at the same time creating a model that can be applied in municipalities, schools, and neighborhoods across Cyprus.
The third project selected for the first cycle is “Women for the Green Transition,” which will be implemented by the Laona Foundation in cooperation with the Larnaca Rural Women’s Association. The programme aims to empower women in rural Cyprus by offering practical environmental education and skills that can be applied in their daily lives and in local communities.
Through theoretical seminars, workshops, visits to businesses, mentoring, and the creation of local action groups, participants will gain knowledge on recycling, composting, the circular economy, natural preparations, and resilient crops. The programme will be implemented in 27 communities in Larnaca and in areas of Paphos, where environmental challenges are particularly intense.
The goal is for women to participate actively in the green transition, strengthen their role in local decision-making, and contribute to the spread of more sustainable practices in their communities.
On the completion of the project selection for the first cycle, ENA Foundation coordinator Anastasia Ellina stated:
“The first cycle of Grants for Change showed how rich and mature the potential of civil society in Cyprus is. We would like to warmly thank all the organizations that submitted proposals and supported the programme with such trust. The quality of the ideas we received confirms that there are remarkable organizations ready to offer meaningful solutions.
The success of the first cycle gives us even greater momentum for the next one. We invite more organizations to participate, submit their proposals, and make use of this opportunity to turn their vision into real social action. ENA Foundation will continue to support initiatives with real impact and ideas that deserve to be implemented.”
During the event, the upcoming launch of the next cycle of the programme, Grants for Change 2026, was also announced. It is expected to be launched around mid-February with a renewed submission process, encouraging more organizations to develop proposals with social impact.
ENA Foundation remains committed to supporting initiatives that strengthen social cohesion, equal access to opportunities, and the active participation of civil society, with an emphasis on actions that produce practical and sustainable results.
Change begins with one step and moves forward when we support it together.
