EU Call for Proposals: Enhancing Civil Society Organisations in India

Deadline: 10-May-21

The European Commission is seeking applications for its “Enhancing Civil Society Organisations’ Capacities in Response to socio-economic impact of COVID-19 in India” programme to support Indian CSOs’ contributions towards the provision of social protection for the poor and vulnerable, particularly those that have been most negatively impacted by the COVID pandemic.

Objectives & Priority Issues

• The specific objective of this call for proposals is to strengthen the capacity of CSOs in their engagement to mitigate and build resilience of the most vulnerable segments of society, emerging as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, through access to public entitlements, social protection, promotion of skills/employment and advocating public policies.
• The priorities of this call for proposals are:
  • Promotion of sustainable and inclusive social and economic recovery including by ensuring linkages to national economic/livelihood schemes:
  • Building community resilience to minimise socio-economic shock

Funding Information

• The overall indicative amount made available under this call for proposals is EUR2,000,000.
• Size of grants:
  • Any grant requested under this call for proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum amounts:
    • Minimum amount: EUR 500,000.00
    • Maximum amount: EUR1,000,000.00
  • 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: 50% of the total eligible costs of the action
    • Maximum percentage: 90% of the total eligible costs of the action

Eligibility Criteria

• Lead applicant:
  • be a legal person
  • be non-profit-making
  • be a specific type of organisation such as:  civil society organisations  and/or their associations and/or national platforms
  • be established in India or a Member State of the European Union (EU) or in a Member State of the European Economic Area (EEA)
  • 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
  • All Indian entities must have a valid FCRA registration at the latest by the time of contracting.
  • Where the lead applicant is an Indian organisation, it will not be possible to have a co-applicant (Indian or European), except if the costs of the actions implemented by this entity are covered by co-funding from Indian origin (according to the new FCRA amendment of September 2020, no transfer of foreign funds is allowed).
  • Where the lead applicant is an EU/EEA organisation (not registered in India), it must act with minimum of one Indian co-applicant, subject to the following conditions:
    • Indian co-applicant should be registered under FCRA,
    • For foreign entities, should demonstrate to have approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), to implement direct activity in India as required by the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA)
    • Foreign entities without the above approval should not issue direct vendor or employee contracts for activities to be implemented in India.
    • The following documents shall be submitted in PROSPECT along with the full application; failing to do so may lead to the rejection of the application:
    • For Indian lead applicant:
      • FCRA registration certificate(s)of the lead applicant.
      • For registrations subject to renewal in 2021, renewal application along with the status of renewal
      • Self-declaration where the Indian lead applicants declare to be aware and comply with the provision of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act 2010 and its amendment of September 2020.
      • Self-declaration that in line with the FCRA, no EU granted Funds will be transferred to any of the co-applicant(s), associate, affiliate or any other entity.
    • For  EU/EEA lead applicant:
      • FCRA registration certificate of Indian co-applicant(s).
      • For registrations subject to renewal in 2021, proof of renewal application along with the status of renewal.
      • Self-declaration by the EU/EEA lead applicant ensuring that it complies with the legal requirements to transfer funds to Indian co-applicants.
      • Self declaration that the EU granted Funds will be only transferred to FCRA registered India co-applicants and there will be no further direct or indirect transfer to any person or entity.
      • Self declaration by the EU/EEA lead applicant acknowledging the FEMA/RBI requirements and that all necessary steps will be undertaken to fulfil the obligations therein.
  • International organisations are NOT eligible, nor can act as co-applicant(s) under this call for proposals.
• Co-applicant(s):
  • Where the lead applicant is an EU/EEA organisation, it must act with minimum one Indian co-applicant.
  • 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.
  • All co-applicants must demonstrate expected benefits and added value of the proposed partnership responding to local demand and locally identified needs.
  • If awarded the grant contract, the co-applicant(s) (if any) will become beneficiary(ies) in the action (together with the coordinator).
• Affiliated entity(ies):
  • The lead applicant and its co-applicant(s) may act with affiliated entity(ies)registered under FCRA.
  • 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);
    • 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://webgate.ec.europa.eu/europeaid/online-services/index.cfm?ADSSChck=1616584001024&do=publi.detPUB&searchtype=QS&orderby=upd&orderbyad=Desc&nbPubliList=15&page=1&aoref=171582