EU Project: Roma Children Leading the Way: Active Participation for a Brighter Future (Voices Unheard)
Background and Context
OlamAid e.V., in consortium with partners across Greece, Ukraine, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, is implementing the EU-funded CERV project: “Roma Children Leading the Way: Active Participation for a Brighter Future – Voices Unheard”. The project’s general objective is to empower Roma children, particularly girls, by strengthening their participation in democratic processes and civic life at local, national, and EU levels.
As part of Work Package 3 (WP3), the project will establish the Voices Across Borders (VOICES) cross-country participation network. This network aims to build sustained peer connections, shared advocaciy, and mutual learning among Roma children aged 14 to 17.
Objective of the Call
OlamAid e.V. is seeking a qualified software company or web development agency to develop, test, launch, and maintain the VOICES Network digital platform and the project website into which it will be integrated.
The general objective of this digital platform is to contribute to the implementation of the EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child and directly connect to the EU Children’s Participation Platform. It will prepare Roma children for civic engagement, involve them in the application process, and enable them to lead local advocacy and communication actions across borders.
Scope of Work and Deliverables
The selected service provider will be responsible for the following deliverables:
• Platform Development: Design and develop the digital platform for the VOICES Network, integrating it seamlessly with the main project website.
• Virtual Discussion Platform: Create a safe digital space that enables Roma children and professionals from the five partner countries to regularly exchange practices, reflect on challenges, and share experiences through roundtables, webinars, and feedback circles.
• Multilingual Support: The digital platform must be developed in English for international networking and in four local languages to support national-level digital activities.
• Content Hosting and Integration: Provide the technical infrastructure to host digital storytelling outputs (such as personal narratives, short video clips, and photo-voice projects), child-led proposals, and collaborative cross-country mini-projects.
• Testing and Maintenance: Conduct rigorous testing prior to launch and provide ongoing maintenance, backup systems, and rapid support for technical issues throughout the project duration.
Technical and Ethical Requirements
Given that the primary users are children aged 14 to 17, the platform must adhere to strict ethical, technical, and security standards:
• Child Safeguarding: All content sharing and platform interactions must strictly follow child protection and safety protocols aligned with the Keeping Children Safe Child Safeguarding Standards.
• Data Protection and Privacy: The platform must be fully compliant with EU GDPR. Personal data must be collected with informed consent, anonymized where possible, and securely stored. Any child-related data transactions will require parental or institutional confirmation.
• Accessibility and Usability: The platform must be user-friendly, mobile-accessible, and responsive to the needs of Roma children who may face digital access barriers, ensuring offline learning options and mobile-friendly layouts where necessary.
• EU Visibility: The platform design must incorporate EU visibility elements, including the EU emblem and an acknowledgment of financial support, across all digital outputs.
Budget and Timeline
• Estimated Budget: The maximum allocated budget for this subcontracting assignment is open for competition. The provider will be selected through an open, competitive procedure based on efficiency, technical quality, and compliance with safeguarding and gender equality standards to ensure best value for money.
• Timeline: The platform shall be operational in September 2026 of the project schedule, and the digital tools will be used actively throughout and following the project lifecycle.
Application Requirements
Interested companies should submit the following:
• Technical Proposal: Detailing the development approach, platform architecture, security frameworks (specifically regarding child data protection), and delivery timeline.
• Financial Proposal: A clear breakdown of costs reflecting the design process.
• Portfolio/References: Examples of previous relevant web development projects, ideally featuring multilingual functionality, community-driven platforms, or youth-centered UI/UX. Previous experience in working with the Roma community is considered an advantage.
• Compliance Statement: Proof of capacity or a stated commitment to adhere to GDPR and international child safeguarding standards.
Application Deadline: 24.08.2026
Submission Email: visibility-officer-rs@olamaid.org
For any inquiries, please contact the project visibility officer at visibility-officer-rs@olamaid.org.
About Voices Unheard
Voices Unheard – Roma Children Leading the Way: Active Participation for a Brighter Future is co-funded by the European Union and implemented by OlamAid, together with Center for Youth Integration, KEAN, Nova Generacija and Voice of Romni, aimed to empower Roma children, particularly girls, by strengthening their participation in democratic processes and civic life.
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