Deadline: 6 June 2019
Europe Foundation (EPF) has announced a call for proposals aimed at strengthening the organizational capacity of grassroots Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and increasing their effective and sustained engagement in the decision-making processes at a local level, so as to identify and address the communities’ salient problems.
The goal of the call is to make recently established grassroots CSOs proactive participants in solution to communities’ salient problems through the improved capacity, effective interaction with communities, and partnership with more experienced CSOs.
Objectives
The primary objectives of the call are as follows:
- Support enhancement of capacity of newly established grassroots CSOs in terms of organizational development, project management, public relations and partnering with the experienced colleagues.
- Support, along with organizational development, CSOs’ civic monitoring and advocacy efforts that are focused on identifying and resolving issues of local concern in cooperation with community members, experienced CSOs, and the media.
Grant Information
The maximum grant award for each proposal is GEL 15,000 with project activities lasting at least six months or longer.
Eligibility Criteria
- Newly created grassroots CSOs that are legally registered in Georgia and have a proven record of operations of at least one year are eligible to apply for this opportunity.
- Interested applicant can submit one proposal within this call.
Selection Process and Criteria
To ensure an objective and non-discriminatory selection process, proposals will be reviewed by a board of independent experts. The final decision on grant awards will be made by Europe Foundation. EPF reserves the right not to support any project proposal, if it deems the quality of submitted proposals unsatisfactory. During the review process, additional information may be requested. The applicant will be asked to present requested information within three calendar days of the request. Grants will be awarded to projects demonstrating the following:
- Persuasive, evidence-based justification (such as available research and/or surveys) of the importance and saliency of an issue selected for the proposed civic monitoring and advocacy effort(s).
- Results-oriented, feasible, and needs-based action plan ensuring wide participation of citizens in monitoring and advocacy processes, including a clear description of the methods to be applied in monitoring, advocacy, and citizen mobilization.
- Efficient and well-thought-out strategy of interaction between CSOs, media outlets, and public authorities in the process of civic monitoring and advocacy, directed toward achieving positive outcomes for the communities.
- Sound action plan for equipping CSOs and grassroots community groups with knowledge and skills needed to implement professional civic monitoring and advocacy campaigns, which in turn will contribute to developing local civic resource.
- Establishing a proven partnership with other, more established CSOs in the region or in Georgia, so as to exchange information and address specific institutional capacity issues.
- Partnership with at least one media outlet or a clearly articulated media component to be implemented by the potential grantee.
- Well-thought-out project monitoring and evaluation plan with reliable quantitative and/or qualitative baseline data and indicators for measuring and evaluating the project’s impact.
- Sound and feasible action plan for improving CSO governance, management and promoting organizational growth, which includes creation of organization’s board, multi-year strategic plan of development, plans for fundraising, modern accounting, human resources, and public relations.
- Scope and relevance of the project’s impact.
- Sustainability of a project (please note that sustainability can refer to activities, structures, knowledge, and outcomes that result from project implementation).
- Cost-effectiveness of the project.
The following general criteria will also be used to assess the projects:
- Degree of compliance with the objectives and conditions of the call.
- Effectiveness of project methodology.
- Sound analysis of internal and external risks and efficient methods of risks mitigation.
- Demonstrated commitment from major stakeholders, including concrete information about formal or informal partners.
- Organization’s capacity to implement a project as demonstrated by relevant qualifications of the involved personnel and/or experts.
- Gender-based analysis to ensure equal access of men and women to project activities and products to influence decision-making processes.
- Analysis of minority considerations that relate to direct or indirect effect of the project activities and expected results on different minority groups.
- Opportunities of co-funding from other sources.
Priority will be given to partnership projects, which entails collaboration between qualified CSOs and media that is aimed at exchange of experience and information.
How to Apply
Interested applicants should submit a full application via email at the address given on the website.
For more information, please visit http://www.epfound.ge/small-grant-competition-for-empowering-developing-civil-society-organizations/