Active Citizens Fund in Greece to Strengthen Civil Society and the Empowerment of Vulnerable Groups

Deadline: 21 June 2019

The Bodossaki Foundation, in consortium with the Solidarity Now, acting as the Fund Operator (FO) for the EEA Grants Programme “Active Citizens Fund” in Greece (ACF), announces the present open call for Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) project proposals which address the expected outcome “Vulnerable groups empowered”.

The overall objective of the Programme is the strengthening of civil society and active citizenship and the empowerment of vulnerable groups and it is based on the common values of respect of human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and the respect for human rights including rights of persons belonging to minorities.

Objectives

The aim of this call is the empowerment of vulnerable groups. The projects that will be selected will aim at strengthening social inclusion, empowering vulnerable groups and promoting equal access to education, employment and health care. NGOs will be encouraged to provide innovative solutions and services that help vulnerable groups overcome barriers to participation in socio-economic life.
Provision of welfare and basic services shall only be supported as part of actions addressing awareness-raising, advocacy, empowerment and reform initiatives.
The expression ‘vulnerable groups’ refers to women, minorities, immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees, and other disadvantaged groups (elderly, people with disabilities, drug users, unemployed, homeless, LGBT community etc). For this reason, these disenfranchised groups have tended not to participate in the political process, nor have they learned the advocacy or monitoring skills needed to represent or safeguard their own interests. Particular focus shall be given to projects involving Roma and unaccompanied minors.

Indicative Activities

The aforementioned objective shall be achieved through the following indicative project activities:

Provision of training in economic empowerment of vulnerable individuals in order to promote their integration in labour market.
Support to vulnerable groups to promote access to information about their rights and other relevant issues.
Provision of educational activities, also involving role models, to promote
Provision of scholarships in order to promote integration and equal educational opportunities.
Development of new or improved methods to address the needs of vulnerable groups.
Support for vulnerable individuals in order to be involved in advocating for their rights.

Grant Information

This is the first open call for this Programme, with an allocated amount of € 2,904,000.

Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants are NGOs (CSOs) that are established in Greece and fall within the following definition: “A non-profit voluntary organization established as a legal entity, having a noncommercial purpose, independent of local, regional and central government, public entities, political parties and commercial organizations. Religious institutions and political parties are not considered NGOs”. Eligible applicants shall abide by the principles of democratic values and human rights.
More specifically, eligible candidates must meet the following general conditions:
- Are non-profit organizations that have not been created nor operate to generate personal profit. Although they may have paid staff and may engage in revenue-generating activities, they do not distribute profits to their members nor to their board. Where revenue-generating activities are undertaken, these should not represent the purpose of the NGO but should be solely a means to support its mission and values.
- Have members who do not have any direct commercial interest in the outcome of the work of the organizations or of its commercial activities and should not pursue the commercial or professional interests of their members.
- This requirement therefore excludes trade and professional associations, where the aims and purposes of the association are to further the specific interests of its members only;
- Are voluntary in nature, formed voluntarily by groups or individuals and usually involving an element of voluntary participation in the organization.
- Act in the public arena and for the public good on concerns and issues related to the well-being of people, groups or society as a whole.
- Have some degree of formal or institutional existence, unlike informal or ad hoc groups, involving formal statutes or other governing documents (s) defining their mission, objectives and scope.
- Have transparent structures and an elected chair/board, and are accountable to their members and donors.
- Are independent of local, regional and national government and other public authorities.
- Are independent of political parties and commercial organizations.
Political parties and religious organizations, social partners or profit-distributing cooperatives are not considered NGOs and are not eligible.
Social enterprises are not considered NGOs and are not eligible.
Foundations and faith-based organizations are considered eligible NGOs as long as they fulfill the above requirements.