EU accepting Applications for EIDHR Country Based Support Scheme 2019-2020 (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Deadline: 28 April 2020

The European Union (EU) is seeking applications for its “European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR): Country Based Support Scheme 2019-2020” to support and strengthen civil society organisations, democracy activists and human rights defenders working on critical human rights and democracy issues in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Objectives

The specific objective(s ) are to:

Support human rights defenders and civil society in countering systematic, widespread, and gross human rights violations and attacks against fundamental freedoms: A focused attention shall be given to addressing the shrinking civic, democratic and civil society space and most marginalised, stigmatised and isolated human rights defenders, such as LGBTI or indigenous peoples’ rights activists, and organisations working on the most sensitive human rights issues in the country.
Support civil society in furthering EU human rights priorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina: This objective will tackle fight against death penalty and torture/ill treatment, fight against discrimination in all its forms with a focus on women and the most vulnerable groups (LGBTI, indigenous peoples, children, migrants/refugees/IDPs, stateless people and other discriminated groups and minorities), promotion of freedom of religion or belief, economic, social and cultural rights (including the responsibility of business), fight against impunity and promotion of accountability, and upholding of international humanitarian law and the responsibility to protect.
Support civil society in strengthening democracy in Bosnia and Herzegovina: This objective will include promotion and protection of fundamental freedoms (in particular freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and association), actions aiming at strengthening pluralism in political life and fostering the participation of citizens in decision-making, actions tending to increase accountability, oversight and transparency, and civil society activities related to elections and follow-up to election observation missions.

Funding Information

The overall indicative amount made available under this call for proposals is EUR 2,000,000. The contracting authority reserves the right not to award all available funds.
Size of grants:
- Minimum amount: EUR 150,000
- Maximum amount: EUR 200,000

Eligibility Criteria

Lead applicant(s)

In order to be eligible for a grant, the lead applicant must:
- Be a legal person;
- Be non-profit-making;
- Civil society organisations, including non-governmental non-profit organisations and independent political foundations, community-based organisations, and private-sector nonprofit agencies, institutions and organisations and networks thereof at local, national, regional and international level;
- Be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action with the coapplicant(s) and affiliated entity(ies), not acting as an intermediary;
- Be established in Bosnia and Herzegovina or a Member State of the European Union, or any country, as all are eligible for participation in contracts financed under this Instrument.

Co-applicant(s)

Co-applicants participate in designing and implementing the action, and the costs they incur are eligible in the same way as those incurred by the lead applicant.
Co-applicants must satisfy the eligibility criteria as applicable to the lead applicant itself.

Affiliated entity(ies)

The lead applicant and its co-applicant(s) may act with affiliated entity(ies).
Only the following entities may be considered as affiliated entities to the lead applicant and/or to coapplicant(s):
- Only entities having a structural link with the applicants (i.e. the lead applicant or a co-applicant), in particular a legal or capital link.
- This structural link encompasses mainly two notions:
  - Control, as defined in Directive 2013/34/EU on the annual financial statements, consolidated financial statements and related reports of certain types of undertakings:
    - Entities affiliated to an applicant may hence be:
      - Entities directly or indirectly controlled by the applicant (daughter companies or first-tier subsidiaries). They may also be entities controlled by an entity controlled by the applicant (granddaughter companies or second-tier subsidiaries) and the same applies to further tiers of control;
      - Entities directly or indirectly controlling the applicant (parent companies). Likewise, they may be entities controlling an entity controlling the applicant;
      - Entities under the same direct or indirect control as the applicant (sister companies).
- Membership, i.e. the applicant is legally defined as a e.g. network, federation, association in which the proposed affiliated entities also participate or the applicant participates in the same entity (e.g. network, federation, association,…) as the proposed affiliated entities.