Deadline: 18-Apr-25
People in Need Moldova invites applications for the INSPIRED Moldova Programme to provide technical and financial support for joint cooperation initiatives between CSOs and public authorities and civic engagement activities.
INSPIRED Moldova is an EU-funded project running from 2024 to 2027 which aims to contribute to creating an enabling environment for civil society in Moldova by empowering civil society organisations (CSOs) to actively engage in policy discussions at all levels. Building on the momentum generated by the EU accession process, the project facilitates policy dialogue processes on the enabling environment for civil society and relevant plans and programmes stemming from the accession negotiations. Recognising the importance of prioritising democracy building in the EU’s new methodology on the fundamentals first accession criteria, the initiative will strengthen the capacities of CSOs to act as catalysts for democracy both at national and local level and in the digital sphere.
Objectives
- The specific objectives of this call for proposal are:
- To empower CSOs as key intermediaries to mobilise citizens and ensure their voices are reflected in policy decisions at local and regional levels.
- To strengthen consultation mechanisms by supporting CSOs in creating or enhancing platforms that facilitate dialogue between public authorities and communities.
- To enhance participatory governance by fostering collaboration between CSOs and authorities to improve policy implementation, inclusion, and responsiveness.
- To promote citizen engagement and civic education through participatory budgeting initiatives, policy monitoring and evaluation, and awareness-raising activities that increase transparency, accountability, and informed public participation.
Grant Lots
- The grant recipient will sign a grant contract agreement with ALDA or PIN, as grant intermediaries of European Union funding. Several proposals are expected to be funded under this call, divided under three streams:
- Lot 1: Consultation mechanisms at the national, district level or in several municipalities. These grants will support the development and strengthening of consultation platforms (for example, such as District Participatory Councils, Transparency Councils, etc), as well as the work of advocacy coalitions to enhance civic engagement in policy implementation within specific sectoral policies (for example, the implementation of social policies, environmental policies, development plans, etc). The amount available for these grants can be up to EUR 30,000.
- Lot 2: Consultation mechanisms for communes and villages. These initiatives should help foster inclusive decision-making at the local level by ensuring that community voices are actively represented in governance processes, aiming at reinforcing existing participatory platforms or at establishing new ones. The amount available for these grants can be up to EUR 16,000.
- Lot 3: Grassroots participation initiatives at the commune and village level. These grants enable CSOs to promote active citizen engagement, implement participatory budgeting initiatives, and develop local engagement strategies that integrate communities into governance structures and policy dialogues. The amount available for these grants can be up to EUR 12,000.
Duration
- The grants’ duration will range from 6 to 18 months, depending on its size, scope and objectives. It is set to begin in June 2025 and must be completed no later than November 2026.
Eligible Activities and Priorities
- The following types of activities are eligible for funding. The list is neither exhaustive nor cumulative. Additional types of activities may be considered, provided they align with the objectives of this call for proposals. These examples are offered as suggestions to inspire potential applicants and guide their project design.
- Civic education and citizens’ engagement in democratic processes
- Conducting awareness campaigns to promote democratic governance and support democratic processes in order to increase civic and democratic culture at the local level, focusing on civic and voter education, active participation and inclusion;
- Organising training sessions and workshops on civic education, media literacy and community mobilisation and organisation to encourage informed and active participation in democratic processes;
- Facilitating citizen forums, debates, town hall meetings, and policy discussions to encourage dialogue with local authorities and involve citizens in the public consultation process and decision-making, especially for groups that are less represented;
- Promoting civic responsibility through awareness campaigns and media outreach, including through community events, digital campaign and direct engagement with citizens;
- Partnerships for participatory policy-making
- Creating or strengthening multi-stakeholder consultation platforms and other participatory mechanisms involving public authorities to develop sustainable partnerships among community actors and to involve them in solving community problems;
- Structured consultations between CSOs, local authorities, and community representatives to increase awareness on their role in local policy-making;
- Public hearings and roundtables to gather citizen input on local policies and initiatives by organising sessions of policy dialogue through budget hearings, participatory budget-making, and social audits with public authorities;
- Mechanisms for feedback collection and response to ensure that authorities act on citizen concerns across the policy and budget cycle (from design to monitoring and evaluation) through joint reflection and coordination meetings with public authorities (central or local) to improve their responsiveness and the quality of citizen involvement in public policymaking;
- Transparency and inclusiveness
- Participatory initiatives allowing citizens to propose and vote on local spending priorities through the development of tools that enhance the participation of civil society in budget-making processes at the local level;
- Citizen monitoring mechanisms for democratic and governance processes and budget allocation through the conduction of social audits, public budget hearings, or public consultations, prioritising budgetary processes that relate to policy priorities such as gender, environment, and climate change;
- Community-led development initiatives that reflect the needs of diverse social groups by promoting the needs and rights of the most vulnerable groups towards the public authorities to include specific and targeted provisions responding to their needs.
- The cross-cutting priorities of this call are to strengthen civil society’s ability to protect democratic spaces by fostering citizen engagement and collaboration with public authorities. Additionally, it aims to promote informed decision-making in response to the growing spread of disinformation concerning public affairs and democratic processes. The key elements outlined below should be considered while preparing the application:
- Proposals featuring public awareness initiatives on disinformation risks, digital and media literacy, and electoral integrity will be highly valued, particularly in the early project stages. However, no activities should take place immediately before or on election day.
- Civic education and citizens’ engagement in democratic processes
Eligibility Criteria
- The organisation must be an NGO registered in Moldova and provide a certificate of registration.
- The organisation must be able to sign a grant agreement with PIN or ALDA.
- The organisation is not already a beneficiary of a grant within the INSPIRED Moldova project.
For more information, visit People in Need Moldova.