Call for Proposals: CSOs and Human Rights Thematic Program (Togo)

Deadline: 07-May-24

The European Commission seeking applications for the Human Rights and Democracy and Civil Society Organizations thematic program.

The “human rights and democracy” thematic program is aligned with the EU Action Plan for Human Rights and Democracy 2020-24, adopted on November 19, 2020, which identifies 5 priorities:

• Protection and strengthening of individuals
• Building resilient, inclusive and democratic societies
• Promotion of a global system of human rights and democracy;
• Protection of fundamental freedoms, including through new technologies
• Working together with other stakeholders such as civil society, EU member states and private sector actors.

The civil society organizations thematic program aims to “strengthen CSOs as independent actors of good governance and their development in their own right” and seeks to promote collaboration with civil society for “A civil society and a space democratic of an inclusive, participatory, emancipated and independent nature in the partner countries by creating an accessible environment conducive to citizen participation and civil society action.”

Objectives and Priorities

• The general objective of this call for proposals is to promote human rights and the creation of an environment favoring citizen participation and policy transparency, particularly for the improvement of basic services through community initiatives. civil society.
• The specific objectives are:
  • Lot 1: Human Rights (DH) thematic program: Promoting corporate social responsibility (CSR) in terms of human rights.
    • The priorities of specific objective 1 are:
      • Defense of workers’ rights against all forms of discrimination and the promotion of decent work
      • Improving working conditions for women
      • The fight against forced child labor
      • Promoting equal treatment, integration and employment of people living with disabilities
  • Lot 2: Civil society organizations (CSO) thematic program: Improving governance, accountability and quality of basic services
    • The priorities of specific objective 2 are:
      • The participation of civil society organizations in the fight against corruption and the impunity that accompanies it, as well as citizen monitoring of public policies, particularly in the priority sectors of the Europe team in Togo: sustainable agriculture, security food, energy, environment, public finances And
      • The participation of civil society organizations in improving the quality of basic services (health, education, water & sanitation, social protection), particularly for vulnerable groups (i.e. people with a disability, girls, children and the elderly).

Funding Information

• The overall indicative amount made available under this call for proposals amounts to EUR 2,999,500. The contracting authority reserves the right not to allocate all available funds.
• Any grant requested under this call for proposals must be between the following minimum and maximum amounts:
  • Lot 1: Promote corporate social responsibility (CSR) in terms of human rights.
    • minimum amount: 450,000 EUR
    • maximum amount: 510,000 EUR
  • Lot 2: Improve governance, accountability and quality of basic services
    • minimum amount: 2,400,000 EUR
    • maximum amount: 2,489,500 EUR
• Any grant requested under this call for proposals must be between the following minimum and maximum percentages of the total eligible costs of the action:
  • For Lots 1 and 2:
    • For consortia (applicant and co-applicants) composed exclusively of local organizations
      • Minimum percentage: 50% of the total eligible costs of the action;
      • percentage: 95% of the total eligible costs of the action
    • For consortia including non-local organizations:
      • Minimum percentage: 50% of the total eligible costs of the action;
      • percentage: 80% of the total eligible costs of the action
• The balance (i.e. the difference between the total cost of the action and the amount requested from the contracting authority) must be financed by sources other than the European Union budget or the European Development Fund. development

Eligibility Criteria

• Lead applicant
  • To qualify for a grant, the lead applicant must:
    • Be a legal person and
    • Have no profit motive and
    • Belong to one of the following categories of organizations: non-governmental organization and
    • Be established in a Member State of the European Union or in one of the countries eligible for the Neighborhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument and
    • Be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action with the co-applicants and the affiliated entity(ies) and not acting as an intermediary.
  • The lead applicant must:
    • act with at least 2 co-applicants AND
    • must have at least 2 co-applicants established in Togo.
• Co-applicant(s)
  • Partnership with at least 2 co-applicants is mandatory.
  • The co-applicants participate in the development and implementation of the action, and the costs they bear are eligible in the same way as those borne by the lead applicant.
  • Co-applicants must meet the same eligibility criteria as those that apply to the lead applicant itself.
  • If the grant is awarded to them, possible co-applicants become beneficiaries within the framework of the action (with the coordinator).

For more information, visit European Commission.