Deadline: 30 April 2017
The European Union (EU) is currently accepting proposals from eligible organizations for its “Joint Call for Proposals for India: 2016-2017 – Civil Society Organisations (CSO),Local Authorities (LA),European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights – Country Based Support Scheme (EIDHR-CBSS) and Partnership Instrument (PI)”.
Lots & Priorities
The programme is divided into four lots:
- Lot 1: CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS (CSO)
- CSO initiatives in support of strategic EU – India priorities, notably in the areas of water, clean energy, and climate change mitigation and adaptation, with a rights based approach.
- Building capacity of CSOs in (domestic) resource mobilisation, advocacy skills, constructive engagement in policy dialogue with a focus on governance aspects of the respective sector(s), improved technical knowledge, information sharing and analytical work.
- Strategic approaches to drive innovation through harnessing technological and collaborative partnerships.
- Lot 2: LOCAL AUTHORITIES (LA )
- Enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanisation and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management;
- Reduce the adverse environmental impact of urbanisation, including air quality and municipal and other waste management;
- Provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for the poor and marginalised, women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities;
- Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning
- Lot 3: European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights – Country Based Support Scheme (EIDHR-CBSS)
- Address any of the specific targets or means of implementation identified under SDG 16, through direct interventions/actions benefiting vulnerable groups of people;
- Ensure that a rights based governance framework is applied in SDGs’ realisation, through quality civil society participation, through transparent and accountable decision-making at all levels, and through advocating institutional safeguards in the form of legislations and enforceable policies;
- Promote an enabling environment for CSOs to engage with the SDG processes, including through national and international accountability mechanisms;
- Strengthen relevant national human rights institutions, towards the realisation of SDG indicator
- LOT 4: PARTNERSHIP INSTRUMENT (PI)
- Promote civil society consultations and exchanges between European and Indian civil society organisations on the policy areas of interest;
- Aim at developing mechanisms to enhance coordination and operational cooperation between separate entities and organisations from EU member states and India;
- Contribute to achieving the target and/or actions aimed at enhancing civil society participation in the SDG process or enhancing government response and accountability on SDG 5, 10 and/or 16;
- Create synergies with existing EU and EU Member States funded activities.
Size of Grants
Any grant requested under this call for proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum amounts:
- Lot 1 (CSO):
- Minimum amount: EUR 750,000
- Maximum amount: EUR 1,000,000
- Lot 2 (Local Authorities):
- Minimum amount: EUR 500,000
- Maximum amount: EUR 750,000
- Lot 3 (EIDHR-CBSS):
- Minimum amount: EUR 250,000
- Maximum amount: EUR 375,000
- Lot 4 (PI):
- Minimum amount: EUR 200,000
- Maximum amount: EUR 350,000
Eligibility Criteria
- In order to be eligible for a grant, the lead applicant must:
- be a legal person (in case of Lot 3 can be a natural person or an entity without legal personality )
- be non-profit-making
- be specific types of organisations such as: non-governmental organisations/ civil society organisations (applicable to all lots), and only applicable to Lot 2: local authorities, associations of local authorities (registered as non-profit legal entities) and institutions/ civil society organisations working with urban local authorities.
- For proposals submitted under Lot 1 and Lot 2: be established in a Member State of the European Union or in India.
- For proposals submitted under Lot 3 (EIDHR): No nationality restriction applies to applicants, co-applicants and, if any, affiliated entities.
- For proposals submitted under Lot 4 (PI): be established in a member state of the European Union, India and other eligible countries.
- Eligible applicants with a nationality other than that of India must act together with at least one Indian organisation acting as a co-applicant, 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 and
- all Indian civil society organisations, institutions, association of local authorities –whether main applicant or co-applicant(s)- must comply fully with Indian legislation/s for non-profit organisations, including registration and reporting requirements under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act 2010.
- In case the main applicant is an Indian organisation with one or several co-applicant(s) based outside India, the applicant needs to ensure that it can transfer funds outside India to organisations abroad.
- Potential applicants may not participate in calls for proposals or be awarded grants if they are in any of the situations
- The lead applicant must declare that the lead applicant himself, the co-applicant(s) and affiliated entity(ies) are not in any of these situations.
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 Europeaid and download the guidelines.