Civil Society Europe (CSE)

What Civil Society Europe (CSE) does

Civil Society Europe (CSE) is a Brussels-based international non-profit, established under Belgian law in 2016, that operates as the principal coordination body for EU-level civil society organisations. It aggregates 27 of the most representative EU-level platforms and networks spanning thematic areas such as civic space, funding, fundamental rights, and rule of law, thereby reaching millions of constituents across all 28 EU countries. Its core mission is to secure EU recognition of the role of independent, plural civil-society organisations (CSOs) in democratic life and to build a functioning civil-dialogue channel between CSOs and EU institutions (European Commission, European Parliament, Council of the EU, the European Economic and Social Committee, and the EU Fundamental Rights Agency).

CSE's product surface consists of advocacy campaigns (Voices of Millions, Civil Society for EU, Power of Many), educational resources (the EnTrust Wiki, structured in 8 interactive modules, and 7 short documentaries produced with the University of Siegen), recurring publications (Annual Reports 2016–2025, Civil Society State of the Union Report, infographics on civil society funding, joint contributions to the EU Rule of Law Report), and policy convening functions (working groups on civic space, funding, and fundamental rights, and the Civil Society Convention on the Future of Europe). The underlying technology is light: a WordPress-based public website, a separate collaborative wiki (entrust-wiki.eu), standard social-media distribution (Twitter/X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Bluesky), and email newsletters.

CSE is a non-revenue-generating entity that does not charge for its services; it is funded primarily through EU programme grants (Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values / CERV operating grants and project funding) and member contributions. Its go-to-market is community-led: policy influence is exercised through direct engagement with EU institutions, working groups, coordinated open letters (316–600 organisations mobilised per campaign), partnerships with the European Commission steering group, the European Parliament MEP Interest Group on Civil Society (39 MEPs), Greens/EFA collaborations, and research-consortium membership (EnTrust with 7 country partners). Pricing is not applicable; customer segments are EU institutions (Commission, Parliament, Council, FRA, EESC) and EU-level civil-society platforms/networks.

Name

Civil Society Europe (CSE)

Legal name

Civil Society Europe

Website

https://civilsocietyeurope.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Civil Society Europe (CSE) is a Brussels-based non-profit coordination body for 27 EU-level civil society platforms and networks, advocating for civic space, civil dialogue, and funding with EU institutions since 2016.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Society Coordination and EU Policy Advocacy

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Professional Organizations (813920), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Business Services, Nec (7389)

akta.pro primary industry

Civil Society Strengthening & Civic Space (BPADAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Democracy, Voting Rights & Civic Participation Advocacy (BPAGAFAJ), Civil Liberties & Constitutional Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAA), Technical Committees, Working Groups & Expert Panels (BPADANAB)

Keywords

• Civil society coordination
• EU policy advocacy
• Civic space protection
• Nonprofit network coordination
• Civil dialogue facilitation

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. EU Programme Funding: Civil Society Europe receives funding through EU programmes including CERV (Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values), operating grants, and other EU funding mechanisms for civil society organisations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Civil Society Europe is the EU-level coordination body for 27 civil society platforms and networks, providing advocacy, policy input, and civil dialogue facilitation with EU institutions. It coordinates working groups on civic space, funding, and fundamental rights; runs awareness campaigns (Voices of Millions, The Power of Many, Civil Society for EU); and produces publications, infographics, and educational resources including the EnTrust Wiki. Operations are funded primarily through EU programme grants (including CERV) and member contributions, under a Belgian-law non-profit structure.

Product overview

Civil Society Europe (CSE) operates as a coordination body for civil society organisations at EU level, not a traditional product company. The organization offers a portfolio of campaigns, publications, and educational resources rather than a unified software platform. Key offerings include the Voices of Millions Campaign, The Power of Many social media series, the EnTrust Wiki (educational resource on EU policymaking), and EnTrust documentary videos. CSE publishes annual reports, position papers, and infographics on civil society funding and civic space monitoring. The organization also coordinates the Civil Society for EU election campaign and produces the Civil Society State of the Union Report. These products and services serve to coordinate, advocate for, and amplify the voice of civil society organisations across the EU.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Voices of Millions Campaign Awareness campaign aimed at raising the profile of civil society at EU level in policy making and responding to societal needs, amplifying the voices of millions of citizens and marginalised groups.
• EnTrust Wiki A collaborative educational website that interactively presents how EU institutions work and how activists can concretely participate in EU policymaking. Structured in 8 interactive modules, each with learning outcomes, a glossary, policy recommendations, an interactive quiz, and resources.
• EnTrust Documentary Videos Seven short documentaries produced by Civil Society Europe together with the University of Siegen under the EnTrust project, highlighting findings about forms, determinants and consequences of (dis)trust in governance, featuring researchers, public officials, civil society activists and citizens from 12 countries.
• Infographics on Civil Society Funding Infographics created by Civil Society Europe to make civil society funding understandable and accessible to people and organisations across the EU, highlighting the main facts and figures of current EU funding for civil society.
• Activity and Annual Reports Annual reports published by Civil Society Europe documenting the organization's goals, activities and achievements, covering periods from 2016 to 2025.
• Civil Society Convention on the Future of Europe Report Official report titled 'The Future of Europe is Ours: A View from Civil Society' resulting from collaboration of 80+ European organisations coordinated by CSE to gather civil society perspectives for the Conference on the Future of Europe.
• EnTrust Integrated Policy Paper Policy recommendations stemming from 4 years of research by the EnTrust project, presenting findings on trust and distrust in governance with recommendations around democratic framework, reliable information, civic engagement, and whole-societal policy-making involvement.
• The Power of Many A social media series showcasing impactful stories from civil society organisations operating at national level, bringing their voices to the forefront every two weeks.
• Civil Society for EU Campaign A campaign led by Social Platform and Civil Society Europe aimed at putting civil society challenges on the agenda of European political families and candidates, calling for a Civil Society Strategy and Civil Dialogue Agreement.
• Civil Society State of the Union Report Annual report presenting civil society's main policy priorities for the EU, drafted by over 35 civil society organisations covering six thematic areas: democracy, migration, social EU, climate transition, digital transformation, and human-centred security.
• Joint Civil Society Contribution on Civic Space to the Annual Rule of Law Report Annual contribution prepared by CSE's Working Group on Civic Space and Fundamental Rights outlining cross-country trends on civic space, country-specific issues, and civil society recommendations for EU Member States.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ensured civil society participation in the Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoE)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered key and core.

• Greens/EFA Group (European Parliament)keyGTM or Marketing Partner · 3 June 2025Greens/EFA supported CSE in holding a high-level roundtable discussion on the European Cross-Border Associations (ECBA) Directive in the European Parliament.
• EnTrust Project ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020EnTrust (Enlightened Trust in Governance) is a multidisciplinary and international research project dedicated to providing novel insights into trust and distrust in governance. Civil Society Europe participates as a civil society practitioner active at EU level, contributing to policy recommendations based on 4 years of research. The consortium consists of seven research teams from Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland and Serbia plus CSE.
• University of SiegencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSE produced 7 short documentaries together with the University of Siegen within the EnTrust project framework. The videos highlight forms, determinants and consequences of (dis)trust in governance, including the relationship between civil society organisations and public authorities.
• CoQuality InitiativekeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSE and CoQuality are conducting a European study to understand how small and medium-sized Third Sector Organisations approach Quality Management, generating comparative insights to inform future support tools and advocacy.
• European Economic and Social CommitteekeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSE cooperates with the European Economic and Social Committee on civil dialogue and civil society engagement at EU level.
• European CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSE participates in the steering group of the Civil Society Platform developed by the European Commission, together with the Fundamental Rights Agency and the European Economic and Social Committee, to set working methods and direction for the platform.
• European Fundamental Rights AgencykeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSE cooperates with the EU Fundamental Rights Agency on monitoring civic space and developing an online knowledge hub on civic space.
• Interest Group on Civil Society (European Parliament)keyGTM or Marketing PartnerMEP Interest Group on Civil Society established to foster dialogue between MEPs and civil society actors, co-chaired by MEPs Ana Catarina Mendes, Sirpa Pietikäinen, Abir Al-Sahlani, and Sergey Lagodinsky, bringing together 39 MEPs.
• Civil Society Convention on the Future of EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSE coordinated the Civil Society Convention for the Conference on the Future of Europe, bringing together over 80 European organisations to develop 200+ recommendations through thematic clusters with 100+ experts from 40 organisations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Forum for European NGOs: A European coordination platform of NGOs active in development cooperation and humanitarian aid. Comparable as an EU-level NGO convening body with similar membership model, though focused more on development policy than civil dialogue/civic space.
• Civil Rights Defenders: European civil rights organisation focused on defending civic space and fundamental rights. Comparable thematic focus on shrinking civic space and rule of law, though operating more as a direct service/legal-aid provider rather than as a membership coordination body.
• European Foundation for Democracy: Brussels-based think tank working on democracy support, civic space, and rule of law. Comparable thematic focus and Brussels positioning, though operating more as a research and policy production entity rather than a coalition convener.

Direct peers

• Philanthropy Europe Association (Philea): Philea is the leading European association representing over 250 public-benefit foundations. Comparable as an EU-level membership coordination body for the philanthropic/civil society ecosystem, with similar Brussels location, EU institutional advocacy focus, and grant-funded operating model.
• Social Platform: Social Platform is the closest direct peer — a Brussels-based coalition of over 50 European networks of social NGOs operating at EU level. Co-led the Civil Society for EU campaign with CSE and shares overlapping membership, policy themes (social inclusion, civil dialogue), and EU institutional advocacy focus.
• European Civic Forum: A pan-European network of over 100 civic associations active in citizenship education, volunteering, and democratic participation. Directly comparable mission (civic space, democratic participation) and EU-level advocacy model, with similar Brussels positioning and EU grant funding profile.
• European Movement International: Pan-European pro-European integration umbrella coordinating national pro-European associations. Comparable as a Brussels-based EU-level membership coordination body advocating for democratic participation and citizen engagement with EU institutions.
• ENoP (European Network of Political Foundations): Network of European political foundations linked to political families at EU level. Comparable Brussels-based membership coordination model serving civil society actors engaged in EU policy, with similar structural engagement with EU institutions.

Regional players

• International Civil Society Centre: Berlin-based centre supporting international civil society organisations with research, convening, and capacity-building. Comparable as an NGO infrastructure body focused on civil society effectiveness and enabling environment, with thematic overlap on civic space protection.

Broad incumbents

• Transparency International EU: Brussels office of the global anti-corruption NGO coalition. Comparable as a Brussels-based EU advocacy organisation coordinating multiple national chapters on governance and rule of law issues, with similar EU institution engagement and civil society coalition-building activities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EuCivilsociety
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@civilsocietyeurope5937
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/civil-society-europe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Civil Society Europe (CSE)