What ForumCiv does

ForumCiv is Sweden's largest civil society platform, founded in 1994 as Forum Syd and rebranded to its current name in May 2020 to reflect its role as a coordination body for Swedish NGOs working internationally. The organization operates from its headquarters in Stockholm with regional offices in Lithuania, Colombia, Kenya, and Liberia, serving 150 Swedish member organizations and their civil society partners across 70+ countries. Its core activities encompass development cooperation, advocacy, project funding, and capacity development for civil society actors working on democracy, human rights, gender equality, climate justice, and land rights in challenging and often shrinking civic space environments.

ForumCiv's portfolio includes multiple project funding programmes (SASA, Wajibu Wetu, EAST, Our Rights Our Future!, and the Swedish Partnership Programme), the Eastern Partnership Network for civil society collaboration across Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus, and digital platforms including the Changers Hub Resource Center (an e-learning platform being upgraded for 2026), the Civis Member Portal for its 150 member organizations, and the Globalportalen web portal. The organization also operates the Transformative Partnership Programme (consultancy services on governance, risk management, and results monitoring), the Artivism Fellowship for emerging civic artists in East Africa, and the Leave No One Behind initiative. A Leave No One Behind symbol was co-created with CONCORD Sweden.

The revenue model is grant-based and donor-funded, with Sida (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency) as the principal funder. The most recent disclosed funding event is a three-year strategic partnership with Sida announced in November 2025 totalling SEK 137 million for the 2025-2028 period. ForumCiv also operates under GDPR compliance and is governed by a board chaired by Victoria Enström (appointed May 2019), with Göran Holmqvist currently serving as Secretary-General following the February 2019 transition from Anna Stenvinkel. The organization does not disclose annual revenue and operates as a nonprofit membership platform rather than a commercial entity, with no traditional shareholders or equity holders.

Name

ForumCiv

Legal name

ForumCiv, Enskilda organisationers biståndssamverkan

Website

https://forumciv.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ForumCiv is Sweden's largest civil society platform, founded in 1994, supporting 150 Swedish member organizations and partners across 70+ countries through development cooperation, project funding, advocacy, and capacity development via offices in Sweden, Lithuania, Colombia, Kenya, and Liberia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Development Cooperation

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK)

Keywords

• Civil society development
• Development cooperation
• Project funding grants
• Capacity development
• Civil society advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Stockholm

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Sida Strategic Partnership Funding: ForumCiv receives major funding through strategic partnerships with Sida (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency). A three-year partnership was announced totaling SEK 137 million.
2. Swedish Partnership Programme: Funding program supporting democracy, human rights, gender equality, and sustainable development in over 70 countries.
3. Project Funding Programs: Multiple funding programs including SASA Programme, Wajibu Wetu Programme, EAST Programme, and Our Rights, Our Future! providing grants to civil society organizations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

ForumCiv is a Swedish civil society platform that provides project funding, capacity development, advocacy support, and development cooperation services to civil society organizations. With five offices and operations in over 70 countries, it delivers grant programmes (SASA, Wajibu Wetu, EAST, Our Rights Our Future!, Swedish Partnership Programme), an online Resource Center (Changers Hub) for learning, the Civis Member Portal for its 150 Swedish member organizations, and the Transformative Partnership Programme for governance and risk management consultancy.

Product overview

ForumCiv offers a portfolio of services for civil society strengthening, including an online Resource Center with courses, podcasts, and learning materials; the Civis member portal for its 150 Swedish member organizations; project funding programmes (SASA, Wajibu Wetu, EAST, Swedish Partnership Programme, Our Rights Our Future!); the Eastern Partnership Network; the Transformative Partnership Programme for consultancy services; and the Leave No One Behind initiative. The organization also runs an e-learning platform (updating in 2026) and the Globalportalen web portal. ForumCiv's work spans over 70 countries with offices in Sweden, Lithuania, Colombia, Kenya, and Liberia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SASA Programme: Project funding programme
• Wajibu Wetu Programme
• The EAST Programme
• Our Rights, Our Future!
• Eastern Partnership Network
• Changers Hub
• People's Partnership Podcast

Products and services

• Resource Center (Changers Hub) Online platform providing capacity development tools including online courses, podcasts, webinars, methodological materials, and seminars for ForumCiv staff, member organizations, and partners.
• Civis Member Portal

Quantifiable outcome

• Swedish Partnership Programme advanced democracy, human rights, gender equality, and sustainable development in more than 70 countries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Member Organizations (150 Swedish Civil Society Organizations)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerForumCiv serves as a platform for 150 Swedish civil society organizations, providing them with project funding access, capacity development, and a collective voice in international development cooperation.
• Akili DadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKenyan organization implementing Hamasisha Dada project supporting young women's leadership in Kilifi and Kwale, supported by ForumCiv through capacity building and organizational support.
• ENVIROCARE (Environmental, Human Rights Care & Gender Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTanzanian organization implementing 'Empowering Women and Youth for Inclusive Governance' project, supported by ForumCiv to build leadership skills and political participation.
• Eastern Partnership NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwedish civil society platform comprising multiple organizations (Civil Rights Defenders, Kvinna till Kvinna, LSU, and others) aimed at strengthening collaboration with civil society in Eastern Partnership countries.
• We EffectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwedish development organization collaborating on projects such as the Erley Monroy Peasant School in Colombia for peacebuilding and territorial development.
• ANZORC (National Association of Peasant Reserve Zones, Colombia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerColombian peasant organization partnering on peasant reserve zones and peacebuilding initiatives.
• Green Advocates International (Liberia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLiberian environmental and human rights organization working on land rights and environmental protection, supported through Our Land programme.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• We Effect: Swedish development organization operating globally on rural development, housing, and rights. Comparable as a Stockholm-based Swedish CSO receiving Sida funding and running partner programmes in Latin America and Africa; explicitly partners with ForumCiv on Colombia projects.
• Bond (UK NGO network): UK membership body for NGOs working in international development. Direct functional analog—national CSO platform serving ~300 members with advocacy, capacity building, and FCDO-facing coordination; useful peer benchmark for ForumCiv's platform model.
• InterAction: Largest US alliance of international NGOs and partners. Closest global analog to ForumCiv's model—membership-based NGO platform coordinating US foreign aid engagement, advocacy, and capacity development for 180+ member organizations.
• Civil Rights Defenders: Stockholm-based human rights organization supporting HRDs in Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. A named partner inside ForumCiv's Eastern Partnership Network with overlapping geographic focus and Sida-aligned funding.
• Forus International: Global network of national NGO platforms coordinating CSO advocacy on aid effectiveness and civic space. Conceptually the closest structural peer—a meta-platform for CSO platforms—making ForumCiv a potential member/peer at the global level.
• Kvinna till Kvinna: Swedish women's rights and peace organization working in conflict-affected regions. Direct peer within ForumCiv's Eastern Partnership Network and shared Sida funding model; both target shrinking civic space and partner with local women's organizations.
• Diakonia: One of Sweden's largest development NGOs funded by Sida, working on human rights, democracy, and gender equality in 25+ countries. Highly comparable in mission, Sida dependence, and Swedish civil society ecosystem; even surfaces on ForumCiv's own job board.
• CONCORD Sweden: Confederation of Swedish NGOs for development cooperation and humanitarian aid. Directly comparable as a Swedish CSO umbrella platform; jointly created the 'Leave No One Behind' symbol with ForumCiv and shares the same member-base of Swedish development organizations.

Broad incumbents

• Oxfam Sweden: Swedish affiliate of a global development and humanitarian confederation. Comparable as a Swedish Sida-funded CSO with international programmes, but with a much larger global brand and broader thematic mandate.
• PMU Interlife: Swedish faith-based development organization active in humanitarian and long-term development. Comparable in scale and Sida funding profile; broader thematic reach but similar Swedish CSO positioning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ForumCivESA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forumciv-lac
• Instagraminstagram.com/forumciv
• Xx.com/ForumCivESA

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ForumCiv