Deadline: 29-Oct-20
The International Renaissance Foundation (IRF), with EU financial support, has launched the EU4USociety project to strengthen the involvement, sustainability, capacity, relevance, and influence of Ukrainian civil society in addressing current domestic, regional, and global challenges.
This competition aims to support local civic initiatives in addressing the needs of their communities bordering the EU, in facilitating border crossing, infrastructure development, and cooperation with neighboring communities of EU member states.
The purpose of the competition: to strengthen the role, voice, and capacity of civil society in promoting innovation to facilitate border crossing by citizens, improve border infrastructure, establish cross-border cooperation of communities to address common problems of local development.
Priorities
Competitive projects may include monitoring, research, awareness-raising activities, stakeholder discussions, advocacy of necessary government decisions on issues affecting cross-border people-to-people contacts, and local development of border communities, namely:
- Analysis and description of specific problems, search for solutions and dissemination of best practices to facilitate the legal movement of persons across borders within the framework of intergovernmental agreements with EU member states, expanding border crossing modalities (including walking, cycling, rail), etc.;
- Effective and accountable use of public funds, international grants, and loans for the development of the infrastructure of border checkpoints and access roads;
- Representing the interests of border communities in dialogue with regional and national authorities, promoting best practices and initiatives to address related issues of integrated border management and local development, in particular in the context of quarantine restrictions;
- Strengthening the capacity of communities and their involvement in joint projects with neighboring communities of EU member states in order to establish stable partnerships, joint development of infrastructure, and other local development needs.
Funding Information
- The minimum grant amount is UAH 100,000.
- The maximum grant amount is UAH 400,000.
- The optimal size of the grant is UAH 200,000-250,000.
- The total budget of the competition is UAH 1,600,000.
- The maximum project implementation period is 12 months. The planned start date of project implementation is December 2020 / January 2021.
Contest participants: local public organizations, unions, associations, societies, and other associations registered in accordance with Ukrainian legislation as non-profit or charitable organizations in Volyn, Lviv, Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi, Odessa regions.
Project budget costs that are:
- necessary for the implementation of project activities;
- will actually occur during the project implementation period;
- comply with the principles of expediency and appropriateness of costs, including the principles of “highest quality at the lowest price” and cost-effectiveness;
- can be correctly documented, substantiated, and understood, as well as supported by relevant documentation of financial and accounting statements.
Project budget costs related to:
- preparation of a project proposal for participation in the competition;
- measures aimed at investment activities;
- holding cultural and artistic events;
- creation and registration of the organization;
- payment of debts;
- reimbursement of expenses related to exchange rate fluctuations;
- providing direct fiscal support to public authorities;
- political activity or religious propaganda;
- activities that lead to direct or indirect discrimination against any social group;
- projects aimed at making a profit from activities;
- construction or repair work;
- purchase of vehicles and / or luxury items and related services;
- providing financial assistance to third organizations (regranting).
If the project is already funded by other funds, the organization must provide a clear justification for the distribution of tasks and resources between the existing support and the submitted project proposal for this competition.
Criteria
Criteria for selection of competition winners:
- Substantial compliance of the project proposal with the priorities of the competition, awareness of the subject of the project proposal, convincing preliminary analysis of the problem;
- Logical construction of the project (clear and realistic action plan; the level of involvement of partners; realistic achievement of expected results with the help of the activities proposed in the project);
- Performance (expected practical results at the exit, the impact of the project on target audiences; the availability of objective indicators, monitoring, and evaluation of performance);
- Organizational and financial capacity of the organization and partner organizations (expertise, previous experience on the project; availability of staff and necessary material resources (premises, equipment, etc.) required for the project; experience of successful project implementation and reporting; availability of other stable sources financing of the organization);
- Adequacy of the budget, its compliance with the content of the project, and the conditions of the competition.
Requirements for project proposals:
- The objectives and expected results of the project must be in line with the priorities of the competition, focus on facilitating legal movement across borders and / or promoting local sustainable development of border communities;
- The content of the project proposal should contain a brief preliminary analysis of the problem, which indicates the applicant’s awareness of local realities, positions of authorities, and interest groups;
- The maximum project implementation period is 12 months. The planned start date of project implementation is December 2020 / January 2021.
Criteria for selection of competition winners:
- Substantial compliance of the project proposal with the priorities of the competition, awareness of the subject of the project proposal, convincing preliminary analysis of the problem;
- Logical construction of the project (clear and realistic action plan; the level of involvement of partners; realistic achievement of expected results with the help of the activities proposed in the project);
- Performance (expected practical results at the exit, the impact of the project on target audiences; the availability of objective indicators, monitoring, and evaluation of performance);
- Organizational and financial capacity of the organization and partner organizations (expertise, previous experience on the project; availability of staff and necessary material resources (premises, equipment, etc.) required for the project; experience of successful project implementation and reporting; availability of other stable sources financing of the organization);
- Adequacy of the budget, its compliance with the content of the project, and the conditions of the competition.
For more information, visit https://bit.ly/3l900vo