SI Leader Lab – Connecting leaders in civil society

Are you a leader in an organisation working for democracy, human rights or freedom of expression? SI Leader Lab is a leadership programme for civil society leaders in Eastern Europe, the Western Balkans and Türkiye who want to discover innovative tools and new forms of collaboration. Apply to SI Leader Lab if you want to grow as a leader, develop your organisation’s advocacy work and exchange knowledge in a network of inspirational peers.

Available for Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, Ukraine

Opens for applications 21 January

Overview How to apply FAQ

Overview

SI Leader Lab 2025 will be delivered in an updated format. More info coming soon.

SI Leader Lab is designed to strengthen the capacity of civil society organisations to drive successful advocacy work linked to democracy, human rights or freedom of expression. The programme brings together influential civil society leaders who are open to new digital solutions and innovative methods. The network consists of peers from across various sub-sectors in civil society and provides the participants with broad input from different spheres in the field. SI Leader Lab invites 100 participants from Eastern Europe, the Western Balkans and Türkiye.

The programme combines online workshops, in both regional and cross-regional learning groups, with regular coaching support. In May, all 100 programme participants will come together in Stockholm for an intensive week of onsite learning that deepens the experience and enhances collaboration.  

The programme is an opportunity to develop your organisation’s advocacy work and strategic outreach. It is also an opportunity to grow as a leader, exchange knowledge, form new connections and test out innovative tools and methods with peers. 

The programme features personal as well as professional development. Not only do you get renewed confidence and insights as a leader, but you get to explore and develop tools to build a more sustainable team culture and increase your impact.  

To support the organisational implementation of the programme tools and methods, SI welcomes colleagues within the same organisations to apply to the programme. All applications will be evaluated on an individual basis, but organisations with more than one qualified applicant tend to be prioritised in the selection process. 

SI Leader Lab will give you:

Personal insights as a leader: how to lead yourself and others through increased self-awareness and increased understanding of group development.
A stronger capacity in your organisation to successfully organise and lead teamwork.
A stronger capacity in your organisation to implement and lead effective advocacy work.
The possibility to share and build knowledge among a network of experts, to inspire each other and to share experiences around common challenges.

3 women and 1 man using post-it notes during a workshop — SI Leader Lab allows you to explore areas of development for your own organisation with peers who work in similar fields. Photo: Moa Karlberg

Am I eligible to apply?

Applicants to SI Leader Lab must meet the following requirements:

Have a leading position in a civil society organisation or network working in the field of democracy, human rights or freedom of expression. The work should benefit one of the programme countries.
Work with a team in which they have a leadership role (formal or informal).
Be between the ages of 22 and 45 (born in the 1979 to 2003 range).
Have a good working knowledge of both written and spoken English.
Be a citizen of Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belarus, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye or Ukraine.
Be available to participate in all parts of the programme.
Be prepared to implement tools, competencies and knowledge they gain from the programme in their team and organisation.

No exceptions can be made to any of the eligibility requirements.

Please note that SI Leader Lab is a demanding programme that uses experience-based learning and reflection as a tool for personal growth. Therefore, participants need to be dedicated with a strong capacity for self-exploration.

Programme timeline 2025

21 January–18 February: Call for applications
February–March: Selection process
April–June: Online sessions and individual assignments
5–10 May: Onsite meeting in Sweden
15 June: Diploma ceremony (online)

Costs covered and arranged by the Swedish Institute

Your flights to and from Stockholm  
Your accommodation and meals in Stockholm during the onsite meeting in Sweden
Your insurance during the onsite meeting in Sweden  
All training materials online and onsite

How to apply

1. Apply - 21 Jan 2025 - 18 Feb 2025

Only applicants who have submitted a complete application will be considered for the programme. These are the steps you need to go through in order to submit your application:

1. Register your profile in the application portal.
2. Select what programme you would like to apply for (SI Leadership Lab is available 21 January–20 February 2025).
3. Answer all the questions for the different sections in the application portal (found in the left-hand menu).
4. Upload your CV under the document section.
5. After you’ve submitted your application, you’ll receive a confirmation to your inbox in Dream Apply.
6. You will also receive a message to your inbox in Dream Apply with a link to record a short video. Follow the instructions in the message. It will take less than ten minutes to record the video. You will get two questions to answer within two minutes each. We ask you to make the recording in a quiet setting and, if possible, use headphones with a built-in microphone. Please note that it is mandatory to make the video recording. We wish you the best of luck!

2. Evaluation of applications - 18 Feb 2025 - 11 Mar 2025

Each application is evaluated according to the following criteria:

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16: To what extent does the work of the candidate fall within the scope of democracy, human rights and freedom of expression?
Organisational impact: What capacity does the applicant’s organisation have to drive development within the scope of democracy, human rights and freedom of expression.
Impact within organisation: What capacity does the applicant have to impact strategic decisions within his/her organisation?
Drive and leadership capacity: Has the applicant demonstrated drive and enterprise – for example by undertaking new initiatives?
Advocacy: Is the applicant working with advocacy in their daily work? If not, possibilities to benefit from the programme will be limited.
Teams: Is the applicant collaborating with others in their daily work? If not, possibilities to benefit from the programme will be limited.
The candidate’s overall potential to both benefit from and contribute to the programme.

As part of the final selection process, the evaluation committee also considers the overall English proficiency level and equal representation of gender amongst the programme’s participants, as well as including a balanced mix of geographic origins and expertise.

3. Admission - 12 Mar 2025

FAQ

What costs will not be covered? 
You will need to pay for the following:  
- Visa costs  
- Occasional meals that are not included during the onsite meeting
- Fares for taxi rides in Sweden, if you take any  
- Insurance when not in Sweden
- Local travel expenses within your home country
I am from a country that is not listed on your website. Can I still apply?
Can I still apply if I’m not quite within the listed age range for applicants (e.g. 47 years old)?
Can the Swedish Institute support my visa application if I am selected? 

The offer to participate in the SI Leader Lab onsite meeting in Stockholm will be valid only if the selected candidate obtains a visa to travel to Sweden. SI will provide the invitation letter and insurance certificate needed for the visa application, but we cannot guarantee a visa. Candidates have had their visa applications rejected in a few cases in recent years.
How much time do I need to allocate for the programme?
What are the programme countries?

You can apply to the programme if you are a citizen of Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belarus, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye and Ukraine. If you represent a Swedish organisation working for democracy, human rights or freedom of expression, you can apply to be a strategic partner. More information is available on the page: Är du en av de svenska deltagarna?
Can Swedish citizens apply to the programme?
What are SI Leader Lab's programme objectives?
Strengthened capacity in the organisation to successfully organise and lead teamwork
- Strengthened ability to lead goal-oriented group processes in ways that promote inclusion, creativity and ownership.
- Strengthened ability to create openness, trust and effective working structures in a team.
- Strengthened ability to create a work culture characterised by continuous learning, feedback and development.
- Strengthened ability to nurture wellbeing in a team.
Strengthened capacity in the organisation to implement and lead effective advocacy work 
- Strengthened ability to drive systemic change to consider the root causes of problems.
- Strengthened ability to create effective narratives and methods with the purpose to shift mindsets and influence policy.
- Strengthened ability to design and implement people-centred processes in the organisation’s advocacy work (for example, design thinking).
Strengthened capacity in the organisation to successfully drive strategy and change management processes.
- Strengthened ability to drive change through a specific strategy.
What do you define “teams” and “organisations”?

Teams
In SI Leader Lab, a team is defined as a group of people who perform interdependent tasks to work towards accomplishing a specific objective or common mission. Some teams only exist and operate for a limited time.

Organisation
In SI Leader Lab, an organisation is defined as a group of people with specific roles who work together to achieve shared goals within a specific structure. For example, it can be an NGO or a foundation.
Are alumni from previous SI Leadership Programmes eligible to apply for SI Leader Lab?

Badri Belkania participated in SI Leader Lab 2024. Photo: Moa Karlberg

'I met a lot of incredible people, professionals from different countries. Without participating in this kind of programme, meeting so many people in such a short period would be impossible. I really appreciated that we had private sessions with trainers to discuss our specific problems, merging theory and practice. That was really helpful.’

Badri Belkania

Read the full interview with Badri

Badri Belkania participated in SI Leader Lab 2024. Photo: Moa Karlberg

Tetyana Teren, participant in SI Leader Lab. Photo: Magnus Liam Karlsson

'I think one of the most powerful parts of SI Leader Lab is how you can build such a strong network with individuals and organisations from different countries in such a short time. It has been a unique opportunity to meet a lot of new people and to build new partnerships with organisations in other countries. I know that in the future it will be very important to have these contacts to be able to start any cooperation. Thanks to the Swedish Institute I now have strong connections to a lot of different people and organisations around the world.'

Tetyana Teren

Read the full interview with Tetyana.

Tetyana Teren, participant in SI Leader Lab. Photo: Magnus Liam Karlsson

SI Leader Lab team

Programme Managers:
Maria Henoch
Ulrika K. Engström

In collaboration with

Hyper Island

Questions about the programme?

Please contact us at: [email protected]