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Organizations have now been selected. Find out more about the successful projects below.

Google.org Impact Challenge Central and Eastern Europe 2021

Let’s help bridge the digital divide in Central and Eastern Europe

The Google.org Impact Challenge Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) is an open call for applications to provide €2m in funding to support initiatives that put digital inclusion at the heart of economic recovery. We want to empower nonprofit organizations, for-profit organizations and academic institutions with charitable initiatives that use technology and innovation to help individuals and communities gain new skills for the future. Let’s build a digital economy for everyone.

Meet the organizations

We are delighted to announce the selected projects from the Google.org Impact Challenge Central and Eastern Europe. Each of these organizations receives funding between €50,000 and €250,000 and support from Google.

About the challenge

At Google, we believe that innovation and inclusion go hand-in-hand. Digital is key to the economic recovery across Central and Eastern Europe and it needs to involve and benefit everyone.

To help ensure an inclusive digital future, we’re calling on organizations across 11 countries to develop innovative and inclusive solutions that will support individuals and communities in need through economic recovery.

The participating countries are: Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. The boldest and brightest ideas will be selected by a regional panel of experts and will be provided a total of €2 million in funding and support from Google.

Meet the partner

Google’s commitment to economic recovery and reducing inequality

At Google, we want to help ensure that the opportunities created by technology are available to everyone. Digitization has proven to play a key role in enabling social and economic activity. More than ever there is a need to focus on inclusive solutions and digital upskilling. Since 2015, we've helped millions of people find a job, grow their career or business. Now, we are here to help accelerate economic recovery through our technology, tools and training so that local businesses, communities and people can grow stronger, faster and become more resilient.

More about Google programmes:

Google.org Grow.google

Meet the experts

  • Hrvoje Josip Balen

    Co-founder and President of the Managing Board at Algebra University

  • Rowan Barnett

    Head of Google.org
    EMEA & APAC

  • Paula Bruszewska

    Co-founder & CEO,
    Zwolnieni z Teorii Foundation

  • Nikoleta Gabrovska

    Executive Director,
    Single Step Foundation,
    Bulgaria

  • Marko Grobelnik

    Digital Champion of Slovenia
    & Co-head of AI Lab at
    Jozef Stefan Institute

  • Nicolas Hazard

    INCO.org's
    Chairman and Founder

  • Agnieszka Hryniewicz-Bieniek

    Global Director,
    Google for Startups

  • Ieva Ilves

    Cybersecurity and Digital Policy Expert, Adviser to the President of Latvia for Information and Digital Policy

  • Anna Korzeniewska

    Founder of Social Impact Alliance for Central & Eastern Europe

  • Liliya Makaveeva

    Director of
    INTEGRO Association, Bulgaria
    Board member of
    ERGO Network

  • Tibor Navracsics

    Former European Commissioner for Youth and Education, High Commissioner for the Economic Development of Northwest Hungary

  • Victor Negrescu

    Member of the European Parliament
    Vice-chair of the Culture and Education Committee

  • Jaromir Novak

    Partner for governmental affairs in CZNIC and former Chairman of Czech Telecommunication Office

  • Justyna Orłowska

    Prime Minister’s High Representative for Government Technology, Poland

  • Gergana Passy

    President at the Digital National Alliance, Bulgaria

  • Iveta Radičová

    Former Prime Minister
    of Slovakia

  • Gaja Šavelė

    Executive director of the
    National Coalition of
    Non-Governmental Organizations

Supported by

Social Impact Alliance for Central & Eastern Europe