> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://creating.toolkit.citiobs.eu/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://creating.toolkit.citiobs.eu/ensuring-sustainability-of-citizen-observatories/i-want-to-ensure-sustainability-of-the-co-by-accessing-open-funding-calls.md).
# I want to ensure sustainability of the CO by accessing open funding calls
## Why is it relevant?
A lack of funding often prevents the continuity of Citizen Observatory activities and the advancement of the maturity of related technical solutions. You may not be aware of available funding opportunities that could facilitate the sustainability of your Citizen Observatory.
## How can this be done?
Funding calls related to Citizen Observatories in particular, and to citizen science more generally, can become available in different contexts and at different scales, including European funding (e.g. Horizon 2020, ESA, Horizon Europe), regional, national and multinational grants (e.g. EEA grants), as well as via projects (e.g. open calls by ACTION and CSEOL, or the WeObserve Open Data Challenge) and other international programmes and initiatives.
The citizen science community at large is increasingly well-organised in terms of scanning for and sharing relevant funding opportunities, for example via the mailing lists and websites of regional citizen science associations. Also, there are many ways in which to connect to and collaborate with other Citizen Observatories. These collaborations can provide opportunities to join forces to respond to specific funding calls, while they can evolve to more coherent structures through the creation of partnerships or alliances aiming to leverage new opportunities in the field.
At the same time, this information needs to be tapped into and acted upon by Citizen Observatory leaders and community managers. So it is important to set up some deliberate search mechanisms in your Citizen Observatory team to regularly scan for suitable funding opportunities.
Finally, as many Citizen Observatories are project-funded, their post-project sustainability should be analysed and anticipated from the start of the Citizen Observatory, considering options for continuity for specific tools as well as the Citizen Observatory as a whole.
> ### Example from the Scent project
>
> The Scent Citizen Observatory established a smart toolbox of collaborative technologies and applications that engage citizens in monitoring environmental parameters during their everyday activities. A viable option, stemming from the analysis of different exploitation strategies, that could facilitate the continuity and further use of the realised toolbox, lies in seeking sponsorships. Sponsors can be, for instance, industrial organisations that, as part of their corporate responsibility, want to promote awareness about environmental issues and initiate calls-to-action. The ability of the toolbox components to adapt their graphics to the sponsor (i.e., inclusion of sponsor logo, or other customisations) can further support and sustain the realisation of this model.
>
> 
## Useful Resources
**WEBSITE:** Funding and tender opportunities linked to Horizon Europe can be found on the [Funding and Tender Opportunities page](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/home) of the European Commission website.
**WEBSITE:** The European Space Agency [Call for Proposals page](https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/CALLS_FOR_PROPOSALS) lists a range of funding opportunities across a various topics.
**WEBSITE**: The NASA [Call for Proposals page](https://science.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/grant-solicitations) lists a range of funding opportunities across a various topics.
**WEBSITE**: [FundsforNGOs](https://login.fundsforngospremium.com/) provides a list of upcoming funding opportunities, mostly focused at NGOs
## You may also be interested in:
[I want to ensure sustainability of the Citizen Observatory after the funding period by making project outputs with open access](https://books.fablabbcn.org/creating-successful-and-sustainable-cos-toolkit/~/revisions/AVk10pGxUrxz6q4lko9L/ensuring-sustainability-of-citizen-observatories/i-want-to-ensure-sustainability-of-the-co-by-making-project-outputs-open-access)
[I want to ensure sustainability of the Citizen Observatory after the funding period by defining a new service](https://books.fablabbcn.org/creating-successful-and-sustainable-cos-toolkit/~/revisions/AVk10pGxUrxz6q4lko9L/ensuring-sustainability-of-citizen-observatories/i-want-to-ensure-sustainability-of-the-co-by-defining-a-new-service)
[I want to ensure sustainability of the Citizen Observatory after the funding period by moving the infrastructure of the observatory into the cloud](https://books.fablabbcn.org/creating-successful-and-sustainable-cos-toolkit/~/revisions/AVk10pGxUrxz6q4lko9L/ensuring-sustainability-of-citizen-observatories/i-want-to-ensure-sustainability-of-the-co-by-moving-the-infrastructure-of-the-co-into-the-cloud)
[I want to ensure sustainability of the Citizen Observatory after the funding period by collaborating with other Citizen Observatories that have similar objectives](https://books.fablabbcn.org/creating-successful-and-sustainable-cos-toolkit/~/revisions/AVk10pGxUrxz6q4lko9L/ensuring-sustainability-of-citizen-observatories/i-want-to-ensure-sustainability-of-the-co-by-collaborating-w-other-cos-that-have-similar-objectives)
***
*This work by parties of the WeObserve consortium is licensed under a* [*Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License*](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/)*.*
---
# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.
## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.
Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:
```
GET https://creating.toolkit.citiobs.eu/ensuring-sustainability-of-citizen-observatories/i-want-to-ensure-sustainability-of-the-co-by-accessing-open-funding-calls.md?ask=&goal=
```
`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.
Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.