Open Call to Support CSOs Led Actions in Papua New Guinea

Deadline: 18-Apr-23

European Commission (EC) is inviting proposals for providing Support to CSOs Led Actions.

Objectives of the Programme and Priority Issues

The global objective of this call for proposals is to Support and Enable Civil Society Organizations’ Development Work in the Field.

This Call for Proposals has five (5) lots:

Lot 1- CSOs Role in Contributing to the Work of Human Rights Defenders, Respect for Rule of Law and Rights of People Who Are at Risk.
- The specific objective of Lot 1 is to support and empower civil society to collaborate with human rights defenders and law enforcement officers to address human rights violations by:
  - Supporting the work of Human Rights Defenders (HRDs).
    - Ensuring the respect for the Rule of Law and.
    - Protecting of the Rights of People who are at Risk.
  - The priorities of Lot 1 are:
    - Promoting the work of Human Rights Defenders (HRDs)
    - Strengthen the capacities of HRDs so that they can respond immediately and more effectively to human rights violation in the communities that they work with.
    - Increase advocacy and awareness on the work of HRD in prevention, protection and prosecution within the communities where they work.
    - Protection of HRDs and other frontline workers in their line of duties.
  - Respect for the Rule of Law
    - Increase the level of advocacy and awareness on laws prohibiting substance abuse, homebrews and alcohol related violence
    - Strengthen the capacities of conflict resolution and mediation services at the community level.
    - Promote inclusive policy consultation and community dialogues among stakeholders in order to address law and order issues in the community in gender responsive way.
  - Protection of the Rights of People who are at Risk
    - Strengthen protection mechanism and referral pathways for survivors of violence
    - Build the capacities of support services to respond effectively to those people who are at risk.
    - Advocacy and awareness on the rights of people who are most at risks. Special focus on women, girls and persons living in vulnerable situations such as elderly people, widows and widowers.
Lot 2- CSO’s Role in Economic Empowerment of Disadvantaged Population
- The specific objective of lot 2 is to economically empower and enable marginalised population especially women and youths with the knowledge, skills and capacity to be competitive in the business environment.
- The priorities of lot 2 are:
  - Women
    - Strengthen rural women’s networks and the capacities of women business entrepreneurs to own and manage their own businesses or to collaborate in any business investment and growth.
    - Broaden already established public spaces for women to show case theirs skills and talents and enable them to venture into business opportunities.
  - Youths
    - Give a voice to, help provide access to remedies and enable them to venture into economic empowerment activities.
Lot 3- Strengthening demand for integrity, transparency and accountability (ITA) through CSOs and media
- The specific objective of Lot 3 is to strengthen demand for integrity, transparency and accountability (ITA) systems and practices.
- The priorities of Lot 3 are:
- Enhancing the understanding of ITA issues and their impact at the national level by:
  - Supporting enhanced research, studies, publications and outreach activities regarding ITA, including via the organisation of public campaigns/dissemination events;
  - Utilising digital tools to enhance awareness of ITA challenges among the general population;
  - Supporting the development of online campaigns.
- Strengthening capacities of relevant actors on ITA by:
  - Training journalists to investigate ITA, and enhancing awareness about their legal protection;
  - Training activists, students, social media influencers, bloggers, and youth to unveil and address ITA issues.
Lot 4- Strengthening demand for integrity, transparency and accountability (ITA) in Bougainville
- The specific objective of Lot 4 is to strengthen demand for integrity, transparency and accountability (ITA) systems and practices in Bougainville.
- The priorities of Lot 4 are:
- Enhancing the understanding of ITA issues and their impact in Bougainville by:
  - Supporting outreach regarding ITA in the public sphere through the organisation of campaigns, events, roundtables;
  - Supporting the utilisation of digital tools to enhance awareness of ITA challenges.
- Strengthening the capacities of NGOs, women associations and other stakeholders to demand ITA in Bougainville by:
  - Providing trainings, advice and mentoring to CSOs, including youth’s and women’s organisations, and other relevant stakeholders, on ITA-related issues;
  - Strengthening CSOs’ joint action and networking about ITA issues;
  - Promoting dialogue with public institutions on ITA issues.
- Strengthening community-based monitoring in Bougainville by:
  - Identifying and supporting integrity champions in their local communities, in particular youth, and building/strengthening the integrity champions’ network in Bougainville;
  - Training integrity champions, including community leaders, in community-based monitoring.
Lot 5- South Bougainville Rural Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH) Programme
- The specific objective of Lot 5 is to increase the use and maintenance of equitable, safe, adequate and sustainable water supply, sanitation and hygiene practices in places of human agglomeration in rural areas of South Bougainville District of AROB.
- The priorities of Lot 5 are:
- Delivering WaSH services to under-served rural communities in the South Bougainville District through a participatory, bottom up community-empowering and mobilizing approach, including addressing Covid-19 by:
  - Improved provision of safe, adequate, equitable and sustainable WaSH facilities in places of human agglomeration (including menstrual hygiene facilities for adolescent girls in schools) in rural areas of South Bougainville District (SBD). Schools and health care facilities must be prioritised in the target communities;
  - Increased number of communities in SBD with improved WaSH awareness and practices, including ending open defecation;
  - Increased employment opportunities for young women and men in WaSH provision and maintenance through a community based and participatory approach;
  - Improved capacities of communities for WaSH related conflict prevention, resolution and management.

Funding Information

The overall indicative amount made available under this call for proposals is EUR 10.475million. The contracting authority reserves the right not to award all available funds. Suspensive Clause: For further years, the amounts of the Call are subject to the adoption of the relevant budget.

Indicative allocation of funds by lot:

Lot 1 – CSOs Role in Contributing to the Work of Human Rights Defenders, Respect for Rule of Law and Rights of People Who Are at Risk: EUR 3,275,000
- Minimum amount: EUR 655,000
- Maximum amount: EUR 818,750
Lot 2 – CSO’s Role in Economic Empowerment of Disadvantaged Population: EUR 2,000,000
- Minimum amount: EUR 500,000
- Maximum amount: EUR 1,000,000
Lot 3 – Strengthening demand for integrity and transparency through stronger CSOs and media: EUR 700,000
- Minimum amount: EUR 700,000
- Maximum amount: EUR 700,000
Lot 4 – Strengthening demand for transparency and accountability in Bougainville: EUR 700,000
- Minimum amount: EUR 700,000
- Maximum amount: EUR 700,000
Lot 5 – South Bougainville Rural Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Programme: EUR 3,800,000
- Minimum amount: EUR 3,800,000
- Maximum amount: EUR 3,8000,000

Eligibility Criteria

Lead applicant
- In order to be eligible for a grant, the lead applicant must:
- Be a legal person and
- Be non-profit-making and
- Be a non-governmental organisation as defined by Article 156 of the EU Financial Regulation and
- Be established in a Member State of the European Union or the following countries: the EU partner country where the action takes place; developing countries and territories, as included in the list of ODA recipients published by the OECD-DAC (‘list of ODA recipients’) and overseas countries and territories covered by the Council Decision 2013/755/EU; countries eligible for the European Development Fund; Member States, beneficiaries listed in Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 231/2014 and contracting parties to the Agreement on the European Economic Areas, 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
- In cases where the lead applicant is established in an eligible country other than Papua New Guinea, project proposals should be based on local initiatives and genuine involvement of CSOs from partner country should be ensured at all stages. In these cases, the lead applicant must demonstrate significant experience in working in Papua New Guinea and have active working relationships with PNG based CSOs.
Potential applicants may not participate in calls for proposals or be awarded grants if they are in any of the situations;
- Lead applicants, co-applicants, affiliated entities and, in case of legal entities, persons who have powers of representation, decision-making or control over the lead applicant, the co-applicants and the affiliated entities are informed that, should they be in one of the situations of early detection or exclusion, personal details (name, given name if natural person, address, legal form and name and given name of the persons with powers of representation, decision-making or control, if legal person) may be registered in the early detection and exclusion system, and communicated to the persons and entities concerned in relation to the award or the execution of a grant contract. In this respect, provisionally selected lead applicants, co-applicants and affiliated entities or those placed in the reserve list are obliged to declare that they are not in one of the exclusion situations through a signed declaration on honour. For grants of EUR 15 000 or less, no declaration on honour is required.
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).