Deadline: 23-Oct-23
The European Commission (EC) has announced a call for proposals to strengthen the capacities of civil society organisations from Kosovo, supporting their role as competent, transparent, effective and accountable civil society actors.
Objectives of the Programme and Priority Issues
- The specific objective(s) of this call for proposals is to support the long-term capacity and commitment of civil society actors to influence public sector reforms and policy design/implementation through evidence-based programmes, analysis, monitoring, information and advocacy initiatives.
- The current Call for Proposals seeks to establish partnerships with CSOs working along the following 6 lots:
- Lot 1: LGBTQI+
- Lot 2: Fight of corruption and public procurement
- Lot 3: Mental health
- Lot 4: Green agenda/Circular economy
- Lot 5: Women’s rights and women empowerment
- Lot 6: Education/children’s rights
- Within this call for proposals, the EU is aiming at:
- Establishing a pool of framework partners that share the EU’s policies and priorities on specific sectors (aiming at least to one CSO per sector) across Kosovo and establishing a framework of enhanced cooperation based on mutual interests and common general objectives.
- Awarding specific operating grants to a number of those framework partners, in order to increase the capacities of CSOs and reinforce their role within the structural reform process of Kosovo.
- The proposed strategic plans must work towards the below three results in order for the application to be considered:
- Strengthened capacity and efforts to provide analysis, advocacy, reporting and monitoring of key reforms and policies at national and/or local level;
- Improvement of the environment for civic activism, and for state-civil society dialogue at local (municipal) and/or national levels;
- Improved capacity, legitimacy, transparency and accountability of CSOs in Kosovo in their strategic focus of work.
Sectors or Themes
- The proposed strategic plans should focus on delivering results against the objectives set out in section 1.2 and work on at least one the 6 priority areas. For each areas, CSOs can work on different aspects, such as those presented below:
- LGBTQI+
- Promote and advance the rights of LGBTQI+ people;
- inform and report on stigma, discrimination and violence towards people belonging to this community;
- Promote education activities and community activation to increase acceptance from society and empower LGBTQI+ people to live, work and love freely according to their choice;
- support LGBTQI+ activists in their work;
- strengthen cooperation and joint initiatives with authorities and relevant stakeholders (public administration, health, social protection, justice, police, etc.) to reduce barriers and inequalities.
- Public procurement and fight against corruption
- Act as corruption watchdog, monitoring the budget cycle (formulation, execution, and evaluation of budgets) and exposing and reporting corruption at all level within and outside the legal and administrative system (illegal public procurement, unfair competition and informal economy);
- conduct risk assessments to identify actual and potential shortcomings in the procurement process (for instance risks associated with the suppliers, the procurement methods, actual tenders and contracts);
- strengthen cooperation with authorities to improve the enforcement of legislation, control and prevention mechanisms and protect reporters, experts, activists and victims;
- advocate for reforms in public finance policies and practices, pushing for greater transparency, accountability, and citizen participation;
- build the capacity of citizens and grassroots organizations to understand public finances, budget processes, and Public Finance Management concepts.
- Mental health
- Collaborate with relevant stakeholders on policy development, prevention, advocacy, communication and identification of good practices, behavioural and cultural change at inter-familiar, inter-community or school/university levels. Analyse the socio-economic impacts of mental health on the population and economic sectors to incentivise policy changes. Raise awareness on risks and trends leading to mental health affectations and undertake prevention activities.
- Green agenda/Circular economy
- Advance reforms and policies to manage and mitigate climate change and the energy transition.
- Research, inform, explain and raise awareness and provide credible information on the necessary changes and social and behavioural transformations.
- Promote education activities and community activation for environmental, waste management and energy transition.
- Stir reflections on possible solutions regarding energy transition, environment protection and climate change and promote best practices for circular economy development.
- Act as watchdog to keep institutions accountable on their commitments in those areas.
- Women’s rights and women empowerment
- Promote gender equality and women’s rights through representing, supporting and defending (vulnerable groups of) women; monitor the gender mainstreaming of national strategies, laws and policies as well as sectorial and municipal plans and hold governments and other stakeholders accountable over the implementation of their gender-related commitments;
- foment cooperation and joint initiatives with authorities and relevant stakeholders to put in place or strengthen gender-responsive policies especially at the local level;
- advocate for a gender-responsive and balanced leadership at public and private level; Provide evidence-based reporting, awareness-raising, trainings and analysis on EU’s key areas of engagement that are not sufficiently supported in Kosovo in particular sexual and reproductive health and rights, economic and social rights and empowerment, equal participation and leadership, women, peace and security and green and digital transformations
- Education and children’s rights
- Promote equal access to quality early-childhood, primary and secondary education with a focus on young girls;
- prevention of bullying, addictions as well as early school leaving through diverse support programmes to teachers, staff and students, including non-formal education;
- monitoring the quality, accountability and transparency of educational settings and institutions.
- Strengthen cooperation and joint initiatives with authorities and relevant stakeholders (Municipal Education Directorates, schools, health, social protection, justice, police, etc.) to address those problems.
- LGBTQI+
Priority Areas
- In the framework of the priority area chosen, the annual programmes should seek to:
- increase visibility, transparency, outreach and contribute to dialogue processes
- advance and promote active citizenship, gender equality, inclusiveness, participation
- keep the institutions accountable, monitor the enforcement of the relevant legislation, advocate for rights and standards in line with the EU requirements and best practices
- promote awareness raising and activism to advance reforms
- enhance citizens’ engagement, participation and representation
Funding Information
- The overall indicative amount made available under this call for proposals (i.e. for the first year of the operating grants) is EUR 480,000. The contracting authority reserves the right not to award all available funds.
- Size of grants
- The maximum amount of funds available for operating grants under each lot is EUR 80,000.
- Any grant requested for the annual work programme under this call for proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum amounts of EU contribution:
- minimum amount: EUR 60,000
- maximum amount: EUR 80,000
- Any grant requested under this call for proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum percentages of total eligible costs of the action:
- Minimum percentage: 51% of the total eligible costs of the annual work programme.
- Maximum percentage: 95% of the total eligible costs of the annual work programme.
Duration
- The duration of the Framework Partnership (FP) will be four years from the date of signature of the FPA.
- The strategic plans submitted with the FPA application shall have a minimum duration of four years. The work programmes that will be funded (operating grants) will cover one financial year.
Eligible Activities
- The activities covered by the operating grant (annual work programme) should be directly linked to the strategic plan foreseen in the FPA, and should be coherent with the objectives of this plan.
- Policy research, analysis and engagement in policy formulation, implementation and monitoring
- Monitoring sectors, institutions, policies as well as international commitments in the context of the European perspective of Kosovo
- Communication, reporting and information sharing activities
- Organisation of public events
- Non-formal education / awareness-raising activities with individuals or entities promoting cultural diversity, reconciliation, gender equality and the pluralism of views.
- Reach-out and group activities to engage citizens and volunteers
- Fundraising campaigns
- Research, analysis and advocacy work for the enforcement/revision/adoption of legislation and policies;
- Publication and translation of researches, reports and articles
- Public awareness raising campaigns
- Knowledge transfer from experienced partners including study visits and internships
- Dialogue initiatives with groups of parliamentarians or other legislative bodies
- Identification of constituency interests, needs and concerns
- Promotion of networks and development of skills and systems to facilitate institutional processes
- Capacity assessments and capacity building activities
Location
- The Annual work programmes must be implemented in Kosovo.
Eligibility Criteria
- Lead Applicant(s)
- In order to be eligible for a grant, the applicant must:
- be a legal person and
- be non-profit making and
- be a civil society organisation and
- be established in the Republic of Kosovo and
- be an organisation whose aims and objectives declared in its statute or other official document establishing the organisation relate to the Lot it is applying to and
- have worked for minimum three years over the last six years in Kosovo in the area of the Lot it is applying to and
- be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the annual work programme, not acting as an intermediary.
- The lead applicant shall act individually.
- In order to be eligible for a grant, the applicant must:
- Contractors
- The beneficiaries are permitted to award contracts.
For more information, visit European Commission.