Joint Thematic Call for Human Rights and Democracy and CSOs Thematic Programs in Mali

Deadline: 23-May-23

The European Union is inviting proposals to support, develop and consolidate human rights, the rule of law and civil society in Mali.

It sets out five main priorities and key actions to ensure that the EU plays a greater role in promoting and defending human rights and democracy in all of its external action:

• Protect and empower individuals;
• Building resilient, inclusive and democratic societies;
• Promote a global system for Human Rights and Democracy;
• Exploit the possibilities offered by new technologies and meet the challenges they pose;
• Take action by working together.

Objectives and Priorities

• Each constituting a lot of this joint thematic call, the specific objectives of this call for proposals are:
  • Lot n°1 “ Contributing to the promotion and protection of human rights ”
    • The priorities under this objective are:
      • the promotion and protection of the rights of people and groups traditionally discriminated against, vulnerable or victims of violence because of their ethnic or social background, their gender, disability (among others) including women and children, migrant populations and people who are victims of slavery by descent (non-exhaustive list);
      • prevention and treatment of gender-based violence (GBV).
  • Lot n°2 ” Strengthening the rule of law and fundamental freedoms ”
    • The priorities under this objective are:
      • strengthening access to justice and the penal chain and the fight against impunity;
      • improving civic space and respect for fundamental freedoms.
  • Lot n° 3 ” Strengthening the participation of civil society organizations in public action
    • The priorities under this objective are:
      • building the capacities of civil society organizations in the areas of hygiene, sanitation, environmental preservation or road safety;
      • Strengthening cooperation and partnership between civil society organizations and local authorities in the areas of hygiene, sanitation, environmental preservation or road safety
  •  Lot n°4 ” Contribution of civil society organizations to the control of public action”
    • The priorities under this objective are:
      • support for the emergence of a network of civil society organizations capable of independently and rigorously managing the various stages required to carry out public expenditure tracking surveys .
      • monitoring of public expenditure up to destination and evaluation of the quality of public services in the areas of civil status, education, health, water, sanitation, agriculture or the environment.
      • For the purposes of this call, the first two lots fall under the thematic program Human Rights and Democracy and the last two under the thematic program for Civil Society.

Cross Elements

• Under cross-cutting elements, proposals should, where applicable:
  • Include a sensitive approach to conflict and environmental issues;
  • Take into account the needs and challenges faced by target groups (especially community-based organizations) and rights-holders living outside capitals and in remote areas;
  • Encourage the establishment and capacity building of networks of local organizations and implementing actors, including at the regional level;
  • Strengthen synergies between donors, governments, local authorities, foundations, private actors and other stakeholders.

Funding Information

• The overall indicative amount made available under this call for proposals is EUR 7,053,500.
• The Contracting Authority reserves the right not to allocate all available funds.
• Lot n° 1 “Promotion and protection of human rights” : € 1,865,000.00
• Lot n°2 “Rule of law and fundamental freedoms” : € 1,865,000.00
• Lot n°3 “Participation in public action” : 2,823,500.00EUR
• Batch n°4 “Control of public action” : €500,000.00
• Any grant requested under this call for proposals must be between the following minimum and maximum amounts:
  • Lot n°1 “Promotion and protection of human rights”:
    • Minimum amount: EUR 300,000.00
    • Maximum amount: EUR 900,000.00
  • Lot n°2 “Rule of law and fundamental freedoms”:
    • Minimum amount: EUR 300,000.00
    • Maximum amount: EUR 900,000.00
  • Lot n°3 “Participation in public action”:
    • Minimum amount: 500,000.00EUR
    • Maximum amount: EUR 1,000,000.00
  • Batch n°4 “Control of public action”:
    • Minimum amount: 250,000.00EUR
    • Maximum amount: EUR 500,000.00

Duration

• The initial planned duration of an action cannot be:
  • Batch 1, 2 and 4: less than 24 months or more than 36 months
  • Lot 3: less than 36 months or more than 48 months.

Place of execution: The actions must be implemented in Mali.

• This call for proposals will fund projects that adhere to the Human Rights-Based Approach (RBA) methodology. It thus reinforces the EU’s commitment to a human rights-based approach, as described in the latest version of the toolkit “Applying the human rights-based approach to international partnerships: A toolkit toolkit to put rights holders at the center of the EU’s neighbourhood, development and international cooperation policy”  . In addition, the NDICI-Global Europe Regulation  states that in its implementation, the EU applies a human rights-based approach (HRBA) encompassing all human rights, whether civil, political, economic, social or cultural.Therefore, all proposals in all lots of this call for proposals will be designed using a human rights-based approach. Please note that this aspect will be assessed in both the first (framework partnership application evaluation grid, and the second phase of this call for proposals.
• The renewed approach of the human rights-based approach aims to make interventions of all kinds more inclusive and sustainable. The approach focuses on the individuals and communities that the EU works to lift out of poverty, marginalization and discrimination – the rights holders – in order to build their capacity to claim their rights. It also helps governments and institutional actors – the rights holders – to meet their human rights obligations and commitments, in line with the principles of aid effectiveness and national ownership.

Eligibility Criteria

• To be eligible for a grant, the lead applicant must:
  • be a legal person and
  • have no profit motive and
  • belong to one of the following categories of organizations: non-governmental organization  , national human rights institution and
  • be established in  a Member State of the European Union, countries of the European Economic Area, beneficiary countries of IPA II, developing countries and territories (appearing on the list of ODA beneficiaries drawn up by the OECD DAC) which are not members of the G20, the overseas countries and territories (OCTs) referred to in Council Decision 2013/755/EU of 25 November 2013 on the association of countries and territories overseas to the European Union, OECD member states. And
• be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action with the co-applicant(s) and the affiliated entity(ies) and not act as an intermediary;
• Please note that international organizations and pillar organizations are not eligible under this call for proposals.
• Co-applicant(s)
  • Co-applicants take part in drawing up and implementing the action, and the costs they incur are eligible in the same way as those borne by the lead applicant.
  • Co-applicants must meet the same eligibility criteria as apply to the lead applicant itself.
  • Co-applicants must sign the mandate.
  • Local authorities and their associations can be co-applicants to this call for proposals.
  • If the grant is awarded to them, any co-applicants become beneficiaries within the framework of the action (with the coordinator).
  • In addition, it should be noted that contracts cannot be awarded or signed with applicants on the EU restrictive measures lists.
• Affiliated Entities
  • The lead applicant and its co-applicant(s) may act with one or more affiliated entities.
  • Only the following entities can be considered affiliated to the lead applicant and/or co-applicant(s):
  • Only entities that have a structural link with the applicants (the lead applicant or a co-applicant), in particular a legal or capital link.
  • This structural link mainly encompasses two notions:
    • control, within the meaning of Directive 2013/34/EU on annual financial statements, consolidated financial statements and related reports of certain types of undertakings.
  • Entities affiliated with an applicant can therefore be:
    • entities controlled directly or indirectly by the applicant (subsidiaries or first-tier subsidiaries) or controlled by an entity itself controlled by the applicant (sub-subsidiaries or second-tier subsidiaries). This is valid for the other control levels;
    • entities directly or indirectly controlling the applicant (parent companies). Similarly, they may be entities controlling a company controlling the applicant;
    • entities at the same level of direct or indirect control as the applicant (sister companies);
    • membership, i.e. the applicant is legally defined as, for example, a network, federation or association of which the proposed affiliated entity is a member, or the applicant is a member of the same entity (for example, a network, a federation or an association,…) than the proposed affiliated entity.

For more information, visit EC.