EU Call for Proposals for Supporting CSOs to Contribute to the Achievement of the SDGs- Collect More Spend Better

Deadline: 20 August 2019

The European Union (EU) is seeking proposals for its grant program entitled “Support to civil society organizations to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – Collect more spend better”.

The proposed action is embedded in the “Collect More Spend Better” strategy of the European Commission. It is linked to Human Development, component 8: Domestic Revenue Mobilisation of the Global Public Goods and Challenges (GPGC) Multiannual Indicative Programme 2018-2020.

The focus of the GPGC is on inclusive and sustainable growth for human development. Good governance, human rights, risk management, stability, and security should, therefore, be regarded as cross-cutting or underpinning elements within the GPGC program.

The EU is committed to the SDGs. The cost of implementing the SDGs requires important efforts and the mobilization of all means of implementation. Sound domestic revenue mobilization, efficient public expenditure, and sustainable debt management will contribute to the national effort to finance the SDGs. CSOs have a major role to play in this process at international and at country level, as part of their oversight role and as development actors.

Effective institutions and systems of public financial management (PFM) and for domestic revenue mobilization (DRM) play a critical role in implementing national policies on sustainable development and poverty reduction. Good PFM is the linchpin that ties together available resources, delivery of services, and achievement of government policy objectives.

It also plays a critical role in ensuring equality of access to public services and economic opportunities for all in an effective and timely manner. Oversight over PFM and governments’ actions by the respective external audit institution and by civil society lead to greater transparency and accountability. Effective oversight also contributes to improved efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of public goods and services.

Fair and effective taxation and adequate mobilization of public revenue from natural resource extraction and other sources provide the basis for the delivery of public services.

The new European Consensus on Development (the ‘Consensus’) gives a strong impetus to align EU policies and actions to the objectives of the 2030 Agenda. The Consensus enshrines robust EU commitments, in particular regarding the promotion of CSOs as actors of governance in their own right in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In order to fulfill these commitments, the EU has signed 25 Framework Partnership Agreements (FPAs) with networks of global and regional civil society umbrella organisations. FPAs create a long-term political partnership aiming at common agreed strategic objectives and encourage CSOs as key contributors to policy-making at regional and global levels.

Through a call for proposals, the proposed action will support selected CSO networks to strengthen the capacity of CSOs notably in third countries to contribute to the international and national debate on public finance and domestic revenue mobilization, thereby contributing to a reinforcing public accountability in developing countries.

The global objective of this call for proposals is to support civil society organisations as actors of governance in their own right by strengthening their capacity to participate effectively in policy formulation and in the monitoring of policy implementation processes in order to contribute to the achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs).

The specific objective of the action is that Civil Society organizations on an international and national level lead international initiatives aiming at good governance in public finance management and domestic revenue mobilisation.

Domestic Revenue Mobilisation includes among other, tax policy, transparency of taxation, tax levels and tax exemptions, fair taxation, tax administration, fight against tax evasion, tax avoidance and illicit financial flows, and revenues from natural resource extraction and other sources.

Public Finance Management includes effective public service delivery as well as transparent and competitive public procurement, efficient budget execution, sustainable public investment and debt management. A stronger role of civil society in accountability, government effectiveness, regulatory quality and compliance is expected to lead to better effectiveness and efficiency as well as accountability in the above matters.

Priorities

Proposals must address at least two priorities. The priorities of this call for proposals are:

• Oversight over public expenditure management;
• Fair taxation, tax exemptions and revenues from natural resource extraction;
• Fight against tax evasion and illicit financial flows;
• Oversight over and transparency of the budget and budget processes and possible synergies between the different overseeing bodies;
• Debt management;
• Gender budgeting;
• Use of new technologies in the priorities listed under the present paragraph.

Actions taking into account specific challenges of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) or fragile situations are encouraged.

Size of Grants

Any grant requested under this call for proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum amounts:

• minimum amount: EUR 1,000,000
• maximum amount: EUR 1,500,000

Eligibility Criteria

• Lead applicant
  • In order to be eligible for a grant, the lead applicant must:
    • be a legal person and
    • be non-profit-making and
    • be representative of a regional and/or global umbrella organisations of CSO signatories of a Framework Partnership Agreement with the European Commission 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.
  • For British applicants: Please be aware that eligibility criteria must be complied with for the entire duration of the grant. Unless sector-specific eligibility rules provide otherwise, if the United Kingdom withdraws from the EU during the grant period without concluding an agreement with the EU ensuring in particular that British applicants continue to be eligible, you will cease to receive EU funding (while continuing, where possible to participate) or will be required to leave the project on the basis of Article 12.2.e of the grant agreement.
• Potential applicants may not participate in calls for proposals or be awarded grants if they are in any of the situations.
• Co-applicant(s)
  • The lead applicant must act with at least one 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.
  • In order to be eligible for a grant, the co-applicant(s) must:
    • be a legal person and
    • be non-profit-making and
    • be a civil society organisation , and
  • be established in :
    • the EU partner country included in the OECD DAC list of ODA recipients where the action takes place;
  • If considered relevant for the effectiveness of the action, eligibility can be extended to:
    • EU Member State(s)
    • European Economic Area
    • Member States of the OECD when contracts are fully implemented in a Least Developed Country.
• Affiliated entity(ies)
  • 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.

How to Apply

• The application procedure consists of two phases:
  • Concept notes
  • Full applications
• In the first instance, only concept notes must be submitted for evaluation. Thereafter, lead applicants who have been pre-selected will be invited to submit a full application.

For more information, please visit this https://bit.ly/2QzZOHJ

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