Funding Call to Promote the Principles of Participatory Democracy at Local Level in Moldova

Deadline: 15 May 2020

Association of Local Democracy Agencies (ALDA) has launched a Local Grants program to promote the principles of participatory democracy at local level.

The project aims to strengthen the capacity of the local authorities in Moldova, to carry out transparent and participatory governance in their communities, with specific reference to the process of elaborating the policies related to the future decentralization reform.

Objectives

The objectives are:

Strengthening the capacities of the Moldovan local authorities to carry out a transparent and participatory governance in their communities;
The process of elaborating the policies related to the future decentralization reform;
Developing the capacities of local authorities (LAs) and civil society organizations (CSOs) to plan and implement their activities in close cooperation with local communities and other stakeholders by involving them in planning and implementation;
Strengthening the capacity to face the challenges;
Promote a multi-level governance dialogue between national government and local authorities ;
Implementing participatory and multi-stakeholder local governance initiatives;
Strengthen the willingness of local authorities to involve local communities in the decision – making process at local level.

Component of local Grants

Local grants are designed to provide short-term financial support for civil society organizations working at the local level, to promote co-operation with local public administrations in order to implement projects related to promoting the principles of participatory democracy at local level.
Eligible projects for funding under the grant program should solve problems locally. These projects should involve cooperation with other civil society organizations and / or local public administrations, as well as schools and / or the business sector. They could also promote public participation at the local level in decision-making processes.

Purpose of Grants

The grant program promotes the principles of participatory democracy at local level in the Republic of Moldova. The proposed projects should lead to increased public awareness and greater public involvement in solving problems at local level, as well as improving cooperation between CSOs and LPAs. Projects should be implemented in local urban or rural communities and should mobilize members of society and other key stakeholders in the community to participate in project implementation. ALDA and the donor encourage projects that are implemented in accordance with the principles of transparency and equal opportunities. Projects should consider gender equality, gender equality ethnicity, ethical and moral issues and corruption prevention.

Funding Information

Total grant amount: 120,000 Euro.
The amount for a Grant: between 3,000 Euro and 6,000 Euro.
Projects must last for a maximum of 6 months, starting in June 2020.

Target

CSOs in Moldova in cooperation with LPAs.

Eligible Activities

CSO initiatives/activities targeting the principles of participatory democracy, which are eligible for support under the local grant scheme include, but are not limited to:

Cooperation projects between CSOs and LPAs;
Capacity building events;
Information dissemination or promotion campaigns;
Education and awareness-raising activities;
Concrete local actions to improve the infrastructure such as:
Social infrastructure;
Alleys, sidewalks and pedestrian areas;
Planning and rehabilitation of green spaces;
Arrangement of public spaces (urban furniture, etc.);
Children’s playgrounds and playgrounds;
Education, youth and sports (sports fields in neighborhoods, etc.);

Eligibility and Conditions

Eligibility of Participants
- Applications are accepted from registered CSOs that operate locally. The applicant CSO must demonstrate the partnership with the local or higher level APL through a partnership agreement. Consortium-based applications are also eligible.
- In the case of a consortium, the leading CSO will be responsible for managing the won project; for the presentation of intermediate and final reports, as well as the coordination of the activities of all participants in the project. The role of the project partners and the weight of the budget allocated to them must be described in the project form.
- CSOs that involve other stakeholders or community actors in their funding application (for example, trade unions, schools, mayors, scientific institutions, youth and women’s organizations, etc.) will have an advantage. The grant scheme is designed to encourage partnerships between different ethnic groups within the community. Applications should indicate the added value that cooperation or this partnership will bring as a result of the project.
Administrative Conditions: When preparing conceptual documents, the following administrative requirements should be taken into account:
- Grants will be awarded only to CSOs operating locally;
- Projects should last no longer than 6 months between June 2020 and November 2020
- Grants will not be awarded for operational expenses; for investments, or the purchase of land, buildings or vehicles;
- The only eligible costs are those related to the effective implementation of the projects; only the cost of salaries of the members of the CSOs involved in the implementation of the project, otherwise they would not be able to carry out the activities project. Costs included in salary and consulting budget lines should include no more than 25 percent of the total budget;
- The financial support cannot be directed to personnel or officials from public administrations or from local or national governmental authorities. Any payments made as consultancy fees for individuals in these groups, with the exception of payments made to cover expenses related to participating in the project to travel -related events (for example, meals, accommodation, daytime), will result in cancellation of the grant;
- CSOs cannot submit more than one project proposal as a project leader and can be as maximum partner still in a project;
- If a CSO involves additional funds to implement the project, it must demonstrate that the donor commitment has been secured. Contributions in kind may include materials and equipment, labor, communications, etc.;
- The local grants granted by ALDA can be used as co-financing for projects already in progress supported by other donors, provided that ALDA is notified in the reception phase of the project proposal. This should be explicitly mentioned in the application form.
- Any project proposal must be co-financed in the amount of 25% of the total amount of the project. Co-financing must be monetary, that is to say confirmed with documents accounting. Project proposals that will not have the co-financing component will be rejected at the eligibility verification stage. In-kind co-financing is also accepted, but it cannot replace cash co-financing.