Call for Proposals: MATRA and Human Rights Fund – Georgia

Deadline: 30-Oct-23

The Embassy of the Netherlands in Georgia is pleased to announce a call for proposals 2024 for Georgian civil society organisations under two financial instruments: MATRA and Human Rights Fund.

Description of the Instruments

• MATRA
  • MATRA is a Dutch abbreviation for “societal transformation”. The objective of MATRA is to contribute to sustainable societal transformation by supporting reforms in the areas of rule of law, good governance and democracy.
  • Activities supported under the MATRA can be within the following areas:
    • Rule of law;
    • Public administration: promotion of integrity, transparency and accountability of state institutions;
    • Public order and law enforcement;
    • Stability and security: reconciliation, countering disinformation and prevention of hate speech;
    • Democracy: upholding the separation of powers and democratic participation, and inclusion of minorities.
  • In addition, activities which cover subjects related to the implementation of the Georgia-EU association agreement as well as the European Commission’s recommendations for reform in response to Georgia’s application for EU candidate membership (the ’12 priorities’ or possible subsequent recommendations) can also be supported through MATRA.
• Human Rights Fund
  • Promoting and protecting human rights worldwide is a priority in the foreign policy of the Netherlands. The Dutch human rights policy focuses on five human rights priorities. These are:
    • Freedom of expression online and offline, with the focus on preventing attacks on and obstacles to journalists and media workers, protection of journalists and media workers in emergency situations, and accountability for attacks on journalists and media workers;
    • Freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), including freedom not to believe;
    • Equal rights for LGBTIQ+ people;
    • Human rights defenders and civic space, with a focus on preventing attacks on and obstacles to human rights defenders, protection of human rights defenders in emergency situations, and accountability for attacks on human rights defenders.
    • Equal rights for women and girls, with a focus on decrease in violence against women and girls in public and private life; strengthening the role of women in conflict prevention and peace building, and protection in conflict situations; respect and protection of sexual and reproductive health and rights of all people.

Funding Information

• Budget requested from the Embassy of the Netherlands for the project can be between GEL 50,000 and GEL 250,000.
• Duration of the project can be between 6 and 18 months.

Eligibility Criteria

• This call is open to independent, non-partisan Georgian civil society organisations, which are both registered and based in Georgia.
• An organisation can submit only one proposal and only under one instrument: that is, either under MATRA or under Human Rights Fund.
• In case of organisations currently or previously funded by the Embassy of the Netherlands in Tbilisi, priority will in principle be given to those with at least a one-year gap between the project end date and the start date of a new project.
• Projects that largely or exclusively involve delivery of goods or materials are not eligible.
• Projects can have a proposed start date any time between 1 February 2024 and 1 December 2024. However, applicants must take into account that it may take up to several months for selected projects to have the contribution formally approved.
• Co-funding with other donors is permissible.
• Priority will be given in principle to projects outside Tbilisi and by organisations based outside Tbilisi.
• Organisations are encouraged to provide innovative and original approaches in the proposals. Where possible, cooperation with relevant state institutions is also encouraged.
• Organisations applying for a contribution of less than GEL 69,000 are allowed to submit their proposal in Georgian. Applicants for higher amounts should submit their proposal in English.

For more information, visit Embassy of the Netherlands in Georgia.