Open Call for Thematic Programme on Human Rights and Democracy in Montenegro

Deadline: 24-May-23

The European Commission (EC) is now seeking proposals for the thematic programme on Human Rights and Democracy to strengthen the role of civil society in promoting human rights, democracy and good governance in Montenegro.

The specific objective(s) of this call for proposals are twofold: one is to support civil society and human rights defenders working in the area of access to justice and the rule of law, and the other is in the area of fighting impunity and the protection of journalists.

Priorities

The multi-annual indicative programming for the thematic programme on human rights and democracy follows the structure of the EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy 2020-2024 with its five overarching priorities:

• Protecting and empowering individuals;
• Building resilient, inclusive and democratic societies;
• Promoting a global system for human rights and democracy;
• Harnessing the opportunities and addressing challenges of new technologies;
• Delivering by working together.

The thematic programme on human rights and democracy is designed to support civil society to become an effective force for political reform and defence of human rights. It is global in scope, operating at national, regional and international levels. It offers independence of action, which is a critical feature of cooperation with civil society organisation at national level, especially in the sensitive areas of democracy and human rights. It offers great flexibility and increased capacity to respond to changing circumstances or to support innovation.

Funding Information

• The overall indicative amount made available under this call for proposals is EUR 900,000. The contracting authority reserves the right not to award all available funds.
  • Indicative allocation of funds by lot:
    • Lot 1 Supporting good governance and rule of law: 400,000 EUR
    • Lot 2 Fighting impunity and support to journalists: 500,000 EUR
• If the allocation indicated for a specific lot cannot be used due to insufficient quality or number of proposals received, the contracting authority reserves the right to reallocate the remaining funds to (an)other lot(s).
• Size of grants for both lots
  • Any grant requested under this call for proposals must not exceed the below maximum amount and must fall between the following minimum and maximum amounts:
    • Minimum amount:  EUR 100,000
    • Maximum amount: EUR 150,000

Eligibility Criteria

• Lead applicant
  • In order to be eligible for a grant, the lead applicant must:
    • Be a legal person and
    • Be non-profit-making and
    • Be a civil society organisation and
    • Be established in Montenegro or a Member State of the European Union , or any country, as all are eligible for participation in contracts financed under this Instrument, without prejudice to the limitations inherent in the nature and objectives of the action 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 and
    • In case the lead applicant is not established in Montenegro, it must act with at least one co-applicant that is established in Montenegro and
    • Be registered at least 24 months prior the deadline for submission of project proposals.
  • Potential applicants may not participate in calls for proposals or be awarded grants if they are in any of the situations;
    • Lead applicants, co-applicants, affiliated entities and, in case of legal entities, persons who have powers of representation, decision-making or control over the lead applicant, the co-applicants and the affiliated entities are informed that, should they be in one of the situations of early detection or exclusion of the practical guide, personal details (name, given name if natural person, address, legal form and name and given name of the persons with powers of representation, decision-making or control, if legal person) may be registered in the early detection and exclusion system, and communicated to the persons and entities concerned in relation to the award or the execution of a grant contract. In this respect, provisionally selected lead applicants, co-applicants and affiliated entities or those placed in the reserve list are obliged to declare that they are not in one of the exclusion situations through a signed declaration on honour. For grants of EUR 15000 or less, no declaration on honour is required.
• 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.

For more information, visit EC.