EU seeking Applications to Advance the Role of Civil Society for Better Governance, Human Rights and Culture in Ukraine

fundsforngos

5 years ago

Deadline: 14-Aug-20

The European Union (EU) has announced a call for proposals with an aim to advance the role of civil society in Ukraine in governance, human rights and culture – understood in their broader sense.

Objectives

The global objective of this call for proposals is to promote the role and capacities of civil society, including cultural operators, in promoting better governance, human rights and cultural development in Ukraine.

The priorities of this call aim to increase the capacity of Ukrainian civil society to contribute to achieving the following specific objective(s):

To promote sustainable development and improved environmental management in Ukraine, in light of the European Green Deal.
To increase capacity and recognition of key stakeholders in the field of culture (civil society, local authorities, other public sector bodies) as drivers of local development.
To increase the impact and sustainability of independent media (including via investigative journalism) to foster transparency and accountability.
To promote the principles of public administration reform and sound public finance management towards a more effective governance.
To advance the principles of the rule of law and sustainable reforms in the justice and lawenforcement sectors.
To advance human rights and protect its defenders.
To strengthen think tank’s consultative and monitoring roles in the implementation of the EU – UA Association Agreement.

Size of Grants

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

Lot 1. Sustainable development and improved environmental management in Ukraine, in light of the European Green Deal
- minimum amount: EUR 400 000
- maximum amount: EUR 800 000
Lot 2. Recognition of key stakeholders in the field of culture (civil society, local authorities, other public sector bodies) as drivers of local development.
- minimum amount: EUR 400 000
- maximum amount: EUR 1 000 000
Lot 3. Sustainability of independent media (including via investigative journalism) to foster transparency and accountability.
- minimum amount: EUR 400 000
- maximum amount: EUR 600 000
Lot 4. Public administration reform and sound public finance management for a more effective governance.
- minimum amount: EUR 600 000
- maximum amount: EUR 1 000 000
Lot 5. To advance the principles of the rule of law and sustainable reforms in the justice and lawenforcement sectors.
- minimum amount: EUR 400 000
- maximum amount: EUR 700 000
Lot 6. Advance human rights and protect its defenders.
- minimum amount: EUR 150 000
- maximum amount: EUR 350 000
Lot 7. Strengthening think tank’s consultative and monitoring roles in the implementation of the EU – UA Association Agreement.
- minimum amount: EUR 1 000 000
- maximum amount: EUR 2 000 000

Eligibility Criteria

Lead applicant(s)

In order to be eligible for a grant under Lot 1 – Sustainable development and improved environmental management in Ukraine, in light of the European Green Deal the lead applicant must:
- be a legal person and
- be non-profit-making and
- be a civil society organisation and
- be established in Ukraine
- be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action with the coapplicant(s) and affiliated entity(ies), not acting as an intermediary
In order to be eligible for a grant under Lot 2 – Recognition of key stakeholders in the field of culture (civil society, local authorities, other public sector bodies) as drivers of local development the lead applicant must:
- be a legal person and
- be established in Ukraine and
- be non-profit-making and
- be a civil society organisation or
- public cultural institution or
- local authority
- and be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action with the coapplicant(s) and affiliated entity(ies), not acting as an intermediary
In order to be eligible for a grant under Lots 3. Sustainability of independent media (including via investigative journalism) to foster transparency and accountability, the lead applicant must:
- be a legal person and
- be non-profit-making and
- be a civil society organisation and
- be established in Ukraine or
- be registered in an EU/EEA Member State or Eastern Partnership country For UK applicants: Please be aware that following the entry into force of the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement on 1 February 2020 and in particular Articles 127(6), 137 and 138, the references to natural or legal persons residing or established in a Member State of the European Union are to be understood as including natural or legal persons residing or established in the United Kingdom. UK residents and entities are therefore eligible to participate under this call.’
- and be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action with the coapplicant(s) and affiliated entity(ies), not acting as an intermediary
In order to be eligible for a grant under Lot 4. Public administration reform and sound public finance management for a more effective governance, the lead applicant must:
- be a legal person and
- be non-profit-making and
- be a civil society organisation or their platforms, networks and consortia and
- be established in Ukraine or
- be registered in an EU/EEA Member State or Eastern Partnership country For UK applicants: Please be aware that following the entry into force of the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement on 1 February 2020 and in particular Articles 127(6), 137 and 138, the references to natural or legal persons residing or established in a Member State of the European Union are to be understood as including natural or legal persons residing or established in the United Kingdom. UK residents and entities are therefore eligible to participate under this call.’
- and be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action with the coapplicant(s) and affiliated entity(ies), not acting as an intermediary
In order to be eligible for a grant under Lot 5. To advance the principles of the rule of law and sustainable reforms in the justice and law-enforcement sectors, the lead applicant must:
- be a legal person and
- be established in Ukraine and
- be non-profit-making and
- be a civil society organisation or
- be an international organisation
- and be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action with the coapplicant(s) and affiliated entity(ies), not acting as an intermediary
In order to be eligible for a grant under Lot 6. Advance human rights and protect its defenders, the lead applicant must:
- be a legal person and
- be non-profit-making and
- be a civil society organisation
- and be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action with the coapplicant(s) and affiliated entity(ies), not acting as an intermediary
- No nationality restriction applies to lead applicants and, if any, to co-applicants and affiliated entities.
In order to be eligible for a grant under Lot 7. Strengthening think tank’s consultative and monitoring roles in the implementation of the EU – UA Association Agreement, the lead applicant must:
- be a legal person and
- be non-profit-making and
- be a civil society organisation or their platforms, networks and consortia and
- be established in Ukraine
- be registered in an EU/EEA Member State or Eastern Partnership country For UK applicants: Please be aware that following the entry into force of the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement27 on 1 February 2020 and in particular Articles 127(6), 137 and 138, the references to natural or legal persons residing or established in a Member State of the European Union are to be understood as including natural or legal persons residing or established in the United Kingdom. UK residents and entities are therefore eligible to participate under this call.’
- and be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action with the coapplicant(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.

In addition the following are however also eligible:

Lot 1. Sustainable development and improved environmental management in Ukraine, in light of the European Green Deal.
- local authorities

Applications must fulfil the requirements for type and minimum and maximum recommended number of co-applicants to be involved in the action, as described below, per Lot.

Lot 1
- The minimum number of co-applicants is two.
- Partnerships between civil society organisation and local authorities are strongly encouraged.
Lot 2 The minimum number of co-applicants is one.
- The partnerships between civil society organisations and local authorities are strongly encouraged.
- The maximum number of co-applicants is four.
Lots 4 and 7
- The minimum number of co-applicants is three.
- The maximum number of co-applicants is ten.
- Consortia of organisations are strongly encouraged to apply.
For Lot 5
- The minimum number of co-applicants is one.
For Lot 6
- The minimum number of co-applicants is one and the maximum is five.

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 coapplicant(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 EuropeAid and download the guidelines.