EC Active Citizenship Program (Mozambique)

Deadline: 2-Jul-24

The European Commission has announced a call for proposals under its Active Citizenship Program to improve the participation of citizens and CSOs, including representation of women, youth and people with disabilities, in democratic processes (Specific Objective), contributing to strengthening inclusive and participatory democracy in Mozambique.

The Active Citizenship program seeks to respond to the challenges through three components:

• facilitate the environment for action and dialogue (improve the capabilities of CSOs to defend a conducive environment and engage in a structured dialogue with relevant actors, including authorities and groups of rights holders);
• enhance the capabilities of CSOs in the areas of strategic management and communication, institutional development, project management, digital competencies, and participation in public policies
• facilitate the participation of CSOs in the elaboration and non-accompaniment of public policies. The three components are developed in the two priority sectors of EU cooperation in Moçambique, such as the environment, climate change, youth, digitalisation, gender equality and women’s empowerment, etc.

The Active Citizenship program is aligned with the EU’s “Global Gateway” strategy, which supports a solid, inclusive, ecological and digital recovery and transformation, based on democratic values, good governance and transparency. The program is part of the support measures in favor of civil society of the EU-Mozambique Multiannual Indicative Program 2021-2027, and contributes to its three priority areas: Growing Green, Growing Young and Governance, Peace and Fair Society.

Objectives

• The specific objectives of this invitation to present proposals are as follows:
  • Enabling environment and dialogue: Enhance the capabilities of civil society, including organizations of women, youth and people with disabilities, to defend an environment conducive to action, and carry out a structured and inclusive dialogue with relevant actors, including authorities and groups of rights holders.
  • Capacities: Enhance the capabilities of civil society, including women’s organizations, young people and people with disabilities, for the management of strategic communication, or institutional development, for the management of projects, for digital competencies and for participation in public policies.
  • Participation: Enhance the capabilities of civil society, including the organizations of women, youth, and people with disabilities, to participate in the development and monitoring of public policies.

Priorities

• LOT 1: Digitalization – empowering civil society through digital transformation
  • The scope of this Lot foresees strengthening the capacities and actions of civil society through digital transformation, in accordance with the following interlinked priorities:
    • Enabling environment and dialogue: raise awareness about digital rights, in order to guarantee that the benefits of the digital economy and society are inclusive, sustain and focus on people, increase access to basic services and contribute to transparency and responsibility effective; strengthen the capabilities of CSOs to defend the space of civic action and confront disinformation and digital attacks, safeguarding democratic values and rights in the interaction between cities and technology and security of online civic spaces and ensuring that no access is left behind technologies and digital platforms.
    • Capacities: support and reinforce the work in the CSO network to generate new ideas, enhance their competencies and promote innovation through the use of ICT (information and communication technologies) and digitalization to engage and actively contribute to dialogues to digital transformation as well as decision-making processes; empower and promote civic spaces for online participation that are inclusive and safe; improve the capacity of CSOs to collect and analyze data and evidence and present recommendations for the reform of public policies focused on people, on the protection of data of users and on the promotion of cyber security; filling digital skills and access to services, promoting literacy and digital entrepreneurship, particularly among women, young people and people with disabilities.
    • Participation: increase the opportunities of CSOs to exercise influence and monitor public policies and inform citizens about issues of public interest; advocate for adequate regulatory framework (secure, transparent and inclusive), including non-respect for the protection of users; take advantage of the benefits of digitalization in favor of the green transformation, the transformation of the economy and businesses and the digitalization of public services; Support the development of joint digital innovations (e-governance) as a response to societal challenges that impede an inclusive digital society.
• LOT 2: Green Transformation – strengthening civil society participation in environmental governance
  • The scope of this Lot foresees reinforcing the participation of civil society in environmental governance, in accordance with the following interlinked priorities:
    • Conducive environment and dialogue: maintain and promote an environment conducive to dialogue on the themes of green transformation, with the participation of civil society, including organizations of women, youth and people with disabilities; strengthen the participation of CSOs in political dialogue at the national and local level regarding the sustainable management of natural resources and preservation of the environment; promote collaboration between authorities, the private sector and civil society to limit climatic alterations induced by human action to ecologically sustainable levels.
    • Capacities: support civil society actions on environmental, climate and natural resource management issues, increasing their dynamism, capacity and influence; raise awareness and sensitize the general public to environmental issues, to promote behavioral changes in cities; reduce social asymmetries on environmental issues, with a special focus on rural areas, groups of women and young people; reinforce the role of CSOs in protecting biodiversity hotspots.
    • Participation: strengthen the participation of CSOs in the implementation and monitoring of non-sense development programs and plans for the sustainable management of natural resources and preservation of the environment; promote participatory management, preservation and sustainable use of natural resources; Take advantage of the benefits of digitalization in favor of green transformation.
• LOT 3: Women, Peace and Security – promoting the involvement of civil society in the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda
  • The scope of this Lot foresees the promotion and involvement of civil society in the implementation of the Agenda Women, Peace and Security (MPS), in accordance with resolution 1325 of the Security Council United Nations), and as the National Plan on Women, Peace and Security, through the following interlinked priorities:
    • Enabling environment and dialogue: contribute to a favorable environment for the implementation of WPS policies; consider the specific role of women in processes related to peace; defend the rights of women, prevent and combat all forms of violence against women and predators.
    • Capacities: support the actions of women’s organizations and CSOs in matters of gender equality and empowerment of women and girls; integrate a gender perspective into conflict prevention and management actions and strategies; promote the safety, well-being and dignity of women and raped victims and survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, especially in the context of conflicts, and support their access to justice.
    • Participation: support women’s participation in actions related to the prevention and resolution of conflicts in the decision-making structures of peace and security processes; influence the monitoring of the political and legal framework on the MPS agenda.
• LOT 4: Business and Human Rights – strengthening the role of civil society in the scope of the Business and Human Rights
  • The scope of this Lot envisages strengthening the role of civil society in its contribution to the Business and Human Rights agenda in Moçambique, in accordance with the following interlinked priorities:
    • Enabling environment and dialogue: contribute to the implementation of the United Nations Principles on Business and Human Rights, including the National Plan on Business and Human Rights ; advocate respect for human rights by companies; promote social dialogue, involving both business and professional associations, unions and employers’ organizations; promote tripartite dialogue on transparency and sustainable management practices of natural resources and critical raw materials/benefits for communities; promote dialogue between civil society and the private sector for better design, implementation and planning of activities in the area of corporate social responsibility.
    • Capacities: support the institutional development of representative associations/federations/unions of the private sector (entrepreneurs and workers); promote social and environmental corporate responsibility of companies, in favor of communities affected by their investments; promote sustainability, transparency and traceability in global value chains.
    • Participation: promote sustainable and responsible business and investment conduct that respects the environment, decent working conditions and respect for human rights; promote a decent work agenda.

Funding Information

• Lot 1 – Digitalization: 3,000,000 EUR
  • minimum amount: 1,250,000 EUR
  • maximum amount: 1,500,000 EUR
• Lot 2 – Green Transformation: 4,500,000 EUR
  • minimum amount: 1,250,000 EUR
  • maximum amount: 1,500,000 EUR
• Lot 3 – Women, Peace and Security: 3,000,000 EUR
  • minimum amount: 1,250,000 EUR
  • maximum amount: 1,500,000 EUR
• Lot 4 – Business and Human Rights: 4,000,000 EUR
  • minimum amount: 1,500,000 EUR
  • maximum amount: 2,000,000 EUR
• Duration: The initial duration foreseen for an action cannot be less than 36 months nor exceed 60 months.

Eligibility Criteria

• Main requester
  • To be eligible for the attribution of a subsidy, the main requirements must be:
    • Be a collective person and
    • No lucrative purposes and
    • Being a civil society organization (CSO)
    • Be established in Mozambique
    • Be directly responsible, together with your co-requirer(s) and entity(ies)
• Correagent(s)
  • They are encouraged by the partnerships between the various actors chosen for this invitation.
  • The applicants must participate in the conceivability and execution of the action and the costs in which they are included, if they choose the same way as the costs supported by the main applicant.
  • The applicants must satisfy the same eligibility criteria that apply to the primary applicant.
  • In addition to the categories reffered above, you can also choose:
    • civil society organizations and respective networks/ coalitions/ federations/ alliances/platforms established in the Member State of the European Union or the Economic Area Europe.
• Affiliated entities
  • The principal applicant(s) and his/her co-applicant(s) may concorrer with affiliated entity(ies).
  • Only the following entities can be considered entities affiliated with the principal applicant and/or coapplicant(s):
    • Only entities that possess a structural link with the requesters (either seja, principal requestor or co-requerente), especially a legal or financial link.

For more information, visit European Commission.