CFPs: Thematic Programme on Human Rights and Democracy in BiH

Deadline: 7-Jun-22

The European Union Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina launches a call for proposals under the Thematic Programme on Human Rights and Democracy, the successor of the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR).

Objectives

• The global objective of this call for proposals is promotion and protection of:
  • human rights and fundamental freedoms;
  • democracy; and
  • the rule of law in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• The specific objectives are:
  • Specific objective 1: Protecting human rights and fighting discrimination (Lot 1)
  • Specific objective 2: Protection and promotion of human rights and democracy by supporting the new technologies and engaging with the business sector (Lot 2)

Priorities

• Lot 1:
  • To facilitate implementation and enforcement of public human rights-related policies and improve their effectiveness in terms of transparency, inclusiveness, equal opportunities and accessibility, reach, service quality, environmental protection and gender-responsiveness.
  • To advocate for the elimination, prevention and protection from sexual and gender-based violence, including harmful norms and practices such as child, early and forced marriage, and discrimination. Encourage the swift ratification and implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention).
  • To advance towards equality, inclusion and respect for those persons in vulnerable, disadvantaged and marginalized situations – women and girls, children and youth, LGBTI persons, persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, persons with disabilities and migrants, refugees, internally displaced and stateless persons.
• Lot 2:
  • To make public participation easier and more effective by increasing access to public services, facilitating the documentation of violations and abuses, and supporting online activism, anti-corruption measures and best practices on corporate social responsibility, due diligence, accountability and access to remedies in a participative manner.
  • Enhance business engagement in decent job creation, sustainable development and related advocacy work along the supply chain.
  • Develop tools and training material on business and human rights, responsible business conduct, private/public-sector dialogue and human rights diligence

Funding Information

• The overall indicative amount made available under this call for proposals is EUR 1,000,000.
• Indicative allocation of funds by lots:
  • Lot 1: EUR 600,000
  • Lot 2: EUR 400,000
• Any grant requested under this call for proposals, in case of both Lots, must fall between the following minimum and maximum amounts:
  • minimum amount: EUR 150,000
  • maximum amount: EUR 200,000

Eligibility Criteria

• Lead Applicant(s)
  • In order to be eligible for a grant, the lead applicant must:
    • be a legal person
    • be non-profit-making
    • be a civil society organisation active in human rights and democratic governance.
    • be established in  Bosnia and Herzegovina or a Member State of the European Union.
    • 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)
  • If the applicant is established (see footnote 18) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, it must act with at least one (1) co-applicant, with no restrictions concerning co-applicant(s)’s place of establishment.
  • If the applicant is not established in Bosnia and Herzegovina, it must act with at least two (2) co-applicants established in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
  • 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 itself.
  • Co-applicants must sign the mandate.
  • If awarded the grant contract, the co-applicant(s) (if any) will become beneficiary(ies) in the action (together with the coordinator)
• 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, as defined in Directive 2013/34/EU 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 https://bit.ly/3LaXWAQ