Call for Proposals to enhance CSO Participation in Development Agenda – Namibia

Deadline: 17-May-24

The European Commission (EC) is accepting proposals to enhance CSO participation, free and independent engagement in the definition and implementation of the country’s development agenda with a special focus on sustainable, equitable and inclusive natural resources management within a transparent and accountable governance.

Objectives

• The specific objectives of this call for proposals are:
  • To strengthen CSO capacities in promoting evidence-based policy advocacy and participate in policy dialogue towards a well-governed, equitable and inclusive green growth, energy and the extractive industry with a special attention to equitable and sustainable management of natural resource (land, forests, marine resources, water, minerals etc) as well as to issues of transparency and accountability, governance, and the upholding of the highest environmental, social, human rights and labour standards.
  • To enhance the engagement of communities and the citizenry, particularly the youth, women and vulnerable and indigenous groups in the extractive sector and energy, particularly around the sustainable management of natural resources, enabling them to fully participate in decisions affecting their lives and their rights to sustainable livelihoods, taking advantage of opportunities and mitigating any environmental, social and governance risk.

Priorities

• The priorities of this call for proposals are:
  • Reinforce, consolidate and scale up the capacities of Namibian CSOs, including think tanks, independent media, community organisations, to promote evidence based advocacy and communication, participate in policy dialogue to influence government and corporate policy and practice, contributing to an accountable and transparent governance and management of the energy transition and natural resources, with particular attention to mining, forestry, fisheries, water and other natural resources.
  • Enhance and protect equitable and rightful access for communities, particularly indigenous and marginalized populations, to natural resources, fulfilling their rights for livelihood, culture, and spirituality while fostering community, government and corporate practices that responsibly and sustainably manage and utilize minerals, land, forests, and marine and water resources
  • Improve community engagement in the green growth and energy transition by developing capacities of communities and local CSOs (conservancies, small NGOs, community-driven cultural and ecotourism initiatives, women and youth groups, indigenous groups, associations of local authorities, local business groups and associations, others), enhancing their visibility and the support they can receive, enabling them to access comprehensive and independently verified information, participate effectively in consultations and negotiations, as well as monitoring any company commitment to ESG and any agreement entered into with companies and government.
  • Enhance the capacities of CSOs to monitor energy, mining and other natural resources across the whole value chain at project level and nationally, particularly in the exploration and development stages, independently verifying Environmental and Social Impact Assessments and licenses, monitoring implementation of management plans and compliance with ESGs standards, national and international, and with the overall legal and regulatory framework.
  • Promote the active participation of women and youth CSOs in the energy transition and extractive sector enabling them to advocate for inclusive, equitable and sustainable government and corporate policy and practice, which create opportunities while addressing ESG risks, with particular attention to risks affecting vulnerable women.
  • Promote the active engagement and advocacy of CSOs to ensure accountability of government and companies to national, regional and international standards in relation to transparency and access to information. Promote community consultations, good governance and anti-corruption awareness and education, social and environmental risks in the sectors related to energy and the extractive sector (particularly oil & gas, green hydrogen and renewable energy, the mining of critical raw materials, land, forestry, water).
  • Support civil society and media to hold Stakeholders accountable by fulfilling their watchdog functions on budget transparency, public financial management and budget advocacy, including on expenditure analysis, government procurement, licensing, anti-corruption and anti-money laundering.
  • Support CSOs capacity to monitor and analyse EITI/ESG reports, identifying discrepancies and potential areas for improvement, to hold governments and companies accountable for transparent reporting and responsible resource management, raising awareness and advocating for corrective actions.
  • Support CSOs work in promoting the development of skills needed for the green transition and maximizing employability opportunities for local Namibians, especially youth, women and the underserved population. By promoting these actions, CSOs can play a vital role in ensuring a just and inclusive green transition that leaves no one behind and empowers individuals to thrive in the new green economy.
  • Connect and interlink CSOs from the grassroots up to national, regional and international levels, creating opportunities for effective networking, exchanges, learning and collaborations to enable civil society to become more influential, while building common ground, solidarity and a safer environment for anticorruption activists, environmental and human rights defenders.
  • Promoting knowledge dissemination, coalition building, networking opportunities for CSOs through the support to platforms, coordination mechanisms and sector associations at national, regional and international level (e.g. under the EITI and with trade unions, youth and women groups, environmentalists);

Funding Information

• The overall indicative amount made available under this call for proposals is EUR 2 300 000. The contracting authority reserves the right not to award all available funds.
• Size of grants
  • Any grant requested under this call for proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum amounts:
    • minimum amount: EUR 350 000.
    • maximum amount: EUR 750 000.

Eligibility Criteria

• Lead applicant(s)
  • In order to be eligible for a grant, the lead applicant must:
    • be a legal person and
    • be non-profit-making and
    • be a specific type of organisation such as: civil society organisation and
    • be established in a Member State of the European Union or the Republic of Namibia and
    • be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action with the co-applicant(s) and affiliated entity(ies), not acting as an intermediary.
• Co-applicant(s)
  • Co-applicants participate in designing and implementing the action, and the costs they incur are eligible in the same way as those incurred by the lead applicant.
  • Co-applicants must satisfy the eligibility criteria as applicable to the lead applicant himself.
  • Co-applicants must sign the mandate form.
• Affiliated entities
  • The lead applicant and its co-applicant(s) may act with affiliated entity(ies).
  • Only the following entities may be considered as affiliated entities to the lead applicant and/or to co-applicant(s):
    • Only entities having a structural link with the applicants (i.e. the lead applicant or a co-applicant), in particular a legal or capital link.
    • This structural link encompasses mainly two notions:
      • Control on the annual financial statements, consolidated financial statements and related reports of certain types of undertakings:
        • Entities affiliated to an applicant may hence be:
          • Entities directly or indirectly controlled by the applicant (daughter companies or first-tier subsidiaries). They may also be entities controlled by an entity controlled by the applicant (granddaughter companies or second-tier subsidiaries) and the same applies to further tiers of control;
          • Entities directly or indirectly controlling the applicant (parent companies). Likewise, they may be entities controlling an entity controlling the applicant;
          • Entities under the same direct or indirect control as the applicant (sister companies).
      • Membership, i.e. the applicant is legally defined as a e.g. network, federation, association in which the proposed affiliated entities also participate or the applicant participates in the same entity (e.g. network, federation, association,) as the proposed affiliated entities.

For more information, visit EC.