Grant Programme for CSOs addressing Democracy & Human Rights issue in Rwanda

Deadline: 4-May-21

The European Commission (EC) is inviting eligible entities for its ‘Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) as Actors of Change and Human Rights Promotion‘ programme.

The thematic programme for civil society and local authorities under the Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI) is specifically guided by: The European Commission (EC) 2012 Communication (COM): the Roots of Democracy and sustainable development: Europe’s engagement with civil society in external relations.

The EU is founded on the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law. Human Rights and democracy are important areas of EU co-operation, and activities in this sector are supported through a number of instruments. The EIDHR is designed to help civil society to become an effective force for political reform and defence of human rights.

Objectives & Priority Issues

• Lot 1: CSO
  • The global objective of this lot is to enhance civil society organisations’ (CSOs) contributions to governance and development processes.
  • The specific objective of this lot is to strengthen the capacity of Rwandan civil society organisations to protect and promote the sexual and reproductive rights of teenage girls and other vulnerable adolescents with a view to preventing teenage pregnancies and to provide support to the fight against Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV).
  • Priority area 1:
    • Actions aimed at supporting civil society to protect and promote the sexual and reproductive rights of adolescent girls and other vulnerable adolescents with a view to preventing teenage pregnancies as well as actions aimed at preventing and combating sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).
• Lot 2: EIDHR
  • The global objective of this lot is to support CSOs and human rights defenders in third countries working on protecting and promoting labour rights and to prevent torture, other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, provide rehabilitative and legal services to victims of torture, advocate for effective safeguards to prevent torture, and to monitor reports of enforced disappearances and other similar human rights violations.
  • Priority areas:
    • Actions aimed at protecting and promoting labour rights and decent work.
    • Actions aimed at supporting CSOs and human rights defenders in third countries

Funding Information

• The overall indicative amount made available under this call for proposals is EUR 980000 (Budget year 2020).
  • LOT 1 CSO: EUR 400000
  • LOT 2 EIDHR: EUR 580000
• Size of grants:
  • Any grant requested under this call for proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum amounts:
    • LOT 1: CSO
      • Maximum amount: EUR 200 000
      • Minimum amount: EUR 200 000.
      • Any grant requested under this call for proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum percentages of total eligible costs of the action:
        • Minimum percentage: 50% of the total eligible costs of the action
        • Maximum percentage:
          • Rwandan CSOs: 90% of the total eligible costs of the action
          • Non-Rwandan CSOs: 75% of the total eligible costs of the action
  • LOT 2: EIDHR
    • Maximum amount: EUR 580 000
    • Minimum amount: EUR 580 000
    • Any grant requested under this call for proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum percentages of total eligible costs of the action:
      • Minimum percentage: 50% of the total eligible costs of the action
      • Maximum percentage:
        • Rwandan CSOs: 95% of the total eligible costs of the action
        • Non-Rwandan CSOs: 75% of the total eligible costs of the action

Eligibility Criteria

• Lead applicant
  • For Lot 1 CSO:
    • be non-profit-making
    • be established in Rwanda where the action is taking place or be established in a Member State of the European Union or, of the European Economic Area  or in a developing country, or in member countries of the OECD
    • 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
    • be registered for at least four years at the time of the submission of an application
    • be a civil society organisation
    • A non-Rwandan lead applicant must act with at least one co-applicant established in Rwanda “The lead applicant may act individually or with co-applicant(s)”.
    • Where non-Rwandan CSOs apply as the lead applicant, the proposals should outline how Rwandan CSOs will take the lead in priority activities and how the action will build the capacity of Rwandan CSOs.
  • For Lot 2 EIDHR:
    • be non-profit-making
    • be a legal person or an entity without legal personality or a natural person
    • be established in any territory as no nationality restriction applies to applicants and, if any, to co-applicants, and affiliated entities
    • 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
    • be registered for at least two years at the time of the submission of an application
    • be a civil society organisation or an Association of CSOs
    • A non-Rwandan lead applicant must act with at least one co-applicant established in Rwanda “The lead applicant may act individually or with co-applicant(s)”.
    • Where non-Rwandan CSOs apply as the lead applicant, the proposals should outline how Rwandan CSOs will take the lead in priority activities and how the action will build the capacity of Rwandan CSOs.
    • International public-sector organisations set up by international agreements, specialised agencies set up by such organisations and other organisations assimilated to such international organisations (i.e. the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Federation of National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies) are eligible in Lot 2 under this call for proposals. United Nations agencies are eligible in Lot 2 under this call for proposals.
• 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.
  • Co-applicants must sign the mandate.
  • If awarded the grant contract, the co-applicant(s) (if any) will become beneficiary(ies) in the action (together with the coordinator)
• 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.

For more information, visit https://bit.ly/397f09T