Call for Proposals: Human Rights & Democracy and Civil Society Thematic Programmes in Indonesia

Deadline: 30-May-23

The European Commission (EC) is currently accepting proposals to reinforce EU’s partnership with Indonesia by boosting efforts to promote a vibrant civic space, an enabling environment for civil society, and the promotion of human rights.

Objectives of the Programme and Priority Issues

• The global objective of this call for proposals is to strengthen CSOs as independent actors of good governance and development, aiming to contribute to an inclusive, participatory, empowered, and independent civil society and democratic space that upholds human rights and fundamental freedoms.
• The specific objective(s) and priorities of this call for proposals are divided into two Lots:
  • Lot 1 – Civil Society Organisation Thematic Programme
    • The specific objective of LOT 1 is to increase capacities of CSOs and establish an enabling environment for Indonesian CSOs to address poverty, inequality, and promote a just green transition.
    • The two priorities of LOT 1 are:
      • Promote an enabling environment for CSOs to better contribute to sustainable development, governance reforms, and gender equality in Indonesia. Particular attention will be paid to CSOs capacities to benefit from the digital transformation which will pay attention to accessible digital technology and reduce inequality in access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). Activities may include, but are not limited to, the following:
        • Support CSO’s initiatives to uphold and promote an enabling environment for CSOs and monitor current trends through fact-finding and independent analysis around relevant policy development and regulatory frameworks and more generally in the democratic space (including freedom of expression, freedom of religion or belief, threats to the digital space, etc).
        • Support CSOs efforts to claim space for CSOs participation in policy dialogue with national and local authorities, representing and voicing the concerns of people in vulnerable and marginalised situations, and hold governments to account.
        • Reinforcing the capacities of gender and youth-focused CSOs to advance women’s rights and gender equality and youth empowerment, thus enabling them to reach their full potential.
        • Support CSO’s research and advocacy efforts to strengthen their financial sustainability vis-a-vis both conventional and innovative local philanthropy sources (including crowdfunding, social impact funds, etc.) as well as ensuring better access to public funding without diminishing the independence of CSOs.
      • Promote a just transition towards clean energy and sustainable land use in support of national policy priorities and international initiatives (e.g. Just Energy Transition Partnership/JETP between Indonesia and International Partners, Indonesia Forest and Land Use/FOLU strategy) through a stronger voice and structured participation of CSOs in policy development and implementation at national and local levels, notably with a focus on regions and populations most affected by the transition, women as well as vulnerable and marginalised groups. Activities may include, but are not limited to, the following:
        • Support CSOs’ research and evidence-based contributions to policy development in areas such as land use and forestry, oceans, clean energy, energy efficiency and access to energy (e.g. technical and social barriers hampering access to energy, development of inclusive sustainable economic models, green jobs assessments etc.).
        • Support CSOs’ education and awareness raising campaigns addressing the challenges and harnessing the opportunities offered by the green transition, including issues such as affordable energy, social forestry, land rights and/or the rights of specific constituencies (e.g. women farmers, rural workers etc.).
        • Support CSOs’ monitoring and watchdog efforts around land use, forests13 and energy policies and investments (conducting fact-finding, undertaking independent analysis, undertaking advocacy, establishing alliances with media and think tanks).
        • Support to pioneering initiatives to showcase energy and land use practices contributing to the just green transition (e.g. biogas for rural communities, agro-forestry, climate smart agriculture), notably through CSO’s involvement in public-private partnerships (PPP) as well as multi-stakeholder initiatives (e.g. with the private sector, think tanks, farmer organisations, women and youth organisations).
  • Lot 2 – Human Rights and Democracy Thematic Programme
    • The specific objective of LOT 2 is to strengthen the resiliency, inclusiveness and democratic values in Indonesia based on the respect for all human rights, and duly recognising the dignity, value and importance of each individual in Indonesia. The proposals and awarded projects should reflect all of the following priority issues:
      • Countering the misuse and abuse of digital technologies to the detriment of human rights and democracy whilst at the same time taking advantage of its opportunities to promote democracy and to protect human rights.
      • Enhanced freedom of expression, access to information online and offline and pluralism, including through inclusive and sustainable support measures for journalists, especially women journalists, and whistle-blowers to protect them from harassment and threats.
      • Promote non-discrimination principle of women and girls and/or children and youth and/or LGBTI individuals and/or persons with disabilities and/or persons belonging to religious minorities and/or traditional communities through enforcement and adoption of equality and non-discriminatory laws, policies and practices.
      • Protection of human rights defenders including women human rights defenders
      • Activities may include, but are not limited to, the following:
        • Support to monitoring, research and documentation, and reporting of rights violations, that contributes to evidence-based advocacy initiatives at local, national and international human rights fora.
        • Support to specific actions to counter the possible abuse and misuse of digital and new technologies against human rights defenders and civil society at large.
        • Support to capacity building activities for human rights defenders and CSOs active in human rights and democracy relevant to the priority issues.
        • Support to awareness raising and communication campaign activities on specific human rights and democracy relevant to the priority issues.
        • Support in ensuring access to remedy for victims of human rights abuses and the accountability or prosecution of perpetrators.
        • Support to concrete measures to improve the capacity of human rights defenders and CSOs in proactively responding to harassment, threats and attacks. These measures should be sustainable that can create durable solutions on local protection mechanisms, advocacy, networking and lobbying for legislative and policy reforms, as well as dialogue with relevant stakeholders that contribute to strengthening civic and democratic spaces for human rights defenders, including women human rights defenders.
        • Direct assistance to human rights defenders such as legal, medical, psychological support, etc.

Funding Information

• The overall indicative amount made available under this call for proposals is EUR 9 200 000.
• Indicative allocation of funds by lot/geographical distribution:
  • LOT 1 – Civil Society Organisation Thematic Programme: EUR 7 800 000
  • LOT 2 – Human Rights and Democracy Thematic Programme: EUR 1 400 000
• The overall indicative amount under LOT 2 of this call for proposals is EUR 860,000 to be financed under the 2022 budget allocation and an indicative amount of EUR 540,000 to be financed under the 2023 budget allocation, subject to the availability of the appropriations provided for in the general budget of the Union for 2023.
• Any grant requested under this call for proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum amounts:
  • LOT 1 – Civil Society Organisation Thematic Programme
    • minimum amount: EUR 1 200 000
    • maximum amount: EUR 2 000 000
  • LOT 2 – Human Rights and Democracy Thematic Programme
    • minimum amount: EUR 500 000
    • maximum amount: EUR 700 000

Duration

• LOT 1 – Civil Society Organisation Thematic Programme
  • The initial planned duration of an action may not be lower than 36 months nor exceed 48 months.
• LOT 2 – Human Rights and Democracy Thematic Programme
  • The initial planned duration of an action may not be lower than 24 months nor exceed 36 months

Location: Actions must take place in Indonesia.

Eligibility Criteria

• Lead applicant(s)
  • LOT 1 – Civil Society Organisations Thematic Programme
    • be a legal person and
    • be non-profit-making and
    • be a Civil Society Organisation (CSO) and/or its associations constituted in accordance with the legislation in force in the country concerned and
    • be established in Indonesia or a Member State of the European Union and
    • be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action with the co-applicant(s) and affiliated entity(ies), not acting as an intermediary
  • LOT 2 – Human Rights and Democracy
    • be a legal person and
    • be non-profit-making and
    • be a non-governmental civil society organisation and
    • be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action with the co-applicant(s) and affiliated entity(ies), not acting as an intermediary
  • Under LOT 2, no nationality restriction applies to applicants and (if any) affiliated entities.
  • For all LOTs, international organisations are NOT eligible
• 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 himself.
  • Actions proposed by CSOs originating from the European Union must be based on an initiative of local organisations. Indonesian CSOs participating in this call as applicants (or affiliated entities – see below) must be fully associated to the proposals design and implementation to ensure the actions build on local knowledge, and contribute to capacity development and sustainability objectives.
  • LOT 1 – Civil Society Organisations Thematic Programme
    • Associations of Local Authorities (ALAs) are eligible as co-applicants under this call for proposals.
  • LOT 2 – Human Rights and Democracy Thematic Programme
    • National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) are eligible as co-applicants under this call for proposals.
  • Co-applicants must sign the mandate form.
• Affiliated entities
  • 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 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.

For more information, visit European Commission (EC).