European Commission Call for Proposals: Engaging with Civil Society in Belarus

Deadline: 7 March 2019

The European Commission is currently seeking applications for its grant program entitled “Engaging with Civil Society in Belarus” to promote capacity development of local civil society in Belarus in promoting transparent and participatory governance, democratic reforms and human rights, and in ensuring inclusive socio-economic development.

Type of Lots

• Lot 1: Promotion of citizen participation in general and building of the capacity of women, youth or other underrepresented groups in particular to take part in decision making processes.
  • Promoting social justice in line with Sustainable Development Goals
  • Empowering civil society in general and underrepresented or particularly affected target groups in particular to take part in decision making processes
• Lot 2: Promotion of realization of Fundamental Rights in Belarus and building of capacity of Human Rights Defenders
  • Promotion of those provisions of the National Human Rights Action Plan that are in line with the EU Human Rights Guidelines and Universal Periodic Review recommendations
  • Support to pro-democracy actors with a view to enhancing participatory and representative democracy, transparency and accountability.
  • Support to human rights defenders (HRDs) in situations where they are most at risk. The elements of the support can be, for example, the following: assistance to HRD groups and organisations facing restrictions and obstacles to operate; strategies, actions and follow-up relevant to human rights defenders facing continuous risks and threats, such as shrinking working environment.

Size of Grants

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

• Lot 1:
  • Minimum amount: EUR 300,000
  • Maximum amount: EUR 950,000
• Lot 2:
  • Minimum amount: EUR 300,000
  • Maximum amount: EUR 950,000

Eligibility Criteria

• Lead applicant
  • In order to be eligible for a grant, the lead applicant must:
    • Lot 1:
      • be a legal person or an entity without legal personality and
      • be non-profit-making and
      • be Civil Society Organisation or an Association of CSOs and
      • be established in1 Belarus or in a Member State of the European Union or in a country of the European Economic Area or in “ENI East” beneficiary country 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 of the Annex II: General conditions of the grant agreement.
  • Lot 2:
    • be a legal person or an entity without legal personality and
    • be non-profit-making and
    • be a specific type of organisation such as:
    • civil society organisation, including non-governmental non-profit organisation, or independent political foundation, community based organisation, and private sector non-profit agency, institution or organisation, or network thereof at local, national, regional or international level, or
    • public sector non-profit agency, institution or organisation or network at local, national, regional, or international level, or
    • national, regional or international parliamentary body when this is necessary to achieve the objectives of this programme and the proposed action cannot be financed under another EU-funded programme, 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.
  • NOTE: no nationality restrictions apply to applicants, co-applicants and, if any, affiliated entities in Lot 2.
• Potential applicants may not participate in calls for proposals or be awarded grants if they are in any of the situations
• 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.
• 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

In order to apply for the grants, applicants have to register themselves in PADOR, an on-line database via given website.

For more information, please visit https://bit.ly/2U6oyI0 and download the guidelines.