Public Call for CSOs to Submit Project Proposals for Youth Components (BiH)

Deadline: 4-Apr-23

Municipality Center Sarajevo in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) announces a public call for civil society organizations (CSOs) to submit project proposals for youth components as part of the project regional program of local democracy in the Western Balkans 2 (Reload2).

The Regional Program for Local Democracy in the Western Balkans 2 (ReLOaD2) is a continuation of the initiatives supported by the EU – Project for Strengthening Local Democracy (LOD, 2009-2016) and the subsequently expanded Regional Program for Local Democracy in the Western Balkans (ReLOaD, 2017-2020). Like the previous projects, this project is financed by the European Union (EU), and implemented by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in six countries of the region, namely: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), the Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo and Serbia. The total value of the ReLOaD2 project in Bosnia and Herzegovina is 3.69 million euros.

Goals

• The overall goal of the project is to strengthen participatory democracy and EU integration in the Western Balkans, by empowering civil society and encouraging young people to actively participate in the decision-making process, as well as improving the stimulating legal and financial environment for civil society.
• The specific goal of the project is to strengthen partnerships between local authorities and civil society in the Western Balkans, by expanding the successful model of transparent project financing of CSOs (LOD methodology) from the budget of local self-government units, aimed at greater civic participation and youth participation in decision-making processes and improvement of service provision in local communities.

Objectives and Priorities

• The general goal of this call is to further strengthen partnership relations between civil society organizations and the Municipality of Center Sarajevo by building awareness of the usefulness of mutual cooperation in order to jointly contribute to the improvement of the position of young people in the Municipality of Center Sarajevo.
• This is an opportunity to invite all civil society organizations that have experience in implementing youth projects, which operate in the area of the Municipality of Center Sarajevo, to submit project proposals that are related to the development goals stated in the document Strategy for Youth of the Municipality of Center Sarajevo 2022-2026. Thematic areas and priorities listed in the development goals were additionally confirmed through consultations with young people in meetings held as part of the Youth Dialogue in the area of the Municipality of Center Sarajevo through the activities carried out by the ReLOaD project.
• Dialogue for young people of Municipality Center Sarajevo is a platform that was used for communication and consultation with young people in the period July 2022 – February 2023. In total, two thematic meetings were organized in which 104 young people (42M, 62F), activists, volunteers, representatives of youth organizations and civil society organizations from the area of the Municipality of Center Sarajevo participated.
• Contents within the projects of civil society organizations that will be funded by invitation can be used by the ReLOaD team to organize meetings of the Dialogue Platform for Youth in the Municipality of Center Sarajevo.
• Within the consultative process, seven thematic areas were prioritized:
  • Support for youth entrepreneurship development projects
    • Promotion and affirmation of entrepreneurship among young people
    • Education of young people in the field of marketing, entrepreneurship and self-employment (freelance)
  • Support for projects and training for youth development of skills
    • Affirmations of information technologies and the development of digital skills in young people
    • Organization of monthly motivational speeches for young people (CenterTalks)
    • Education of young people in the field of orienteering in the area of the Municipality of Center
    • Training for the development of soft skills in young people
    • Prevention of cyber violence
  • Support for projects promoting volunteerism and activism among young people
    • Promotion of youth volunteerism and activism through practical examples
    • Intergenerational solidarity through youth activism and volunteerism
    • Involvement of young people in volunteer activities with a special focus on the environment
  • Support for culture, art and sports projects
    • Encouraging the artistic and musical creativity of young people (contemporary artistic and musical expressions, music promotion, organizing courses for young people in DJing, etc.)
    • Encouraging sports activities for young people with a special focus on people with developmental disabilities
    • Promotion of new sports skills and knowledge
    • Promotion of intangible cultural heritage and artistic creativity of young people in the area of the Municipality of Center Sarajevo

Funding Information

• The value of project proposals to be awarded under this call must be between the following minimum and maximum amounts:
  • minimum amount: 10,000.00 KM
  • maximum amount: 50,000.00 KM
• Duration: The duration of projects can be from four to ten months, in the period from May 2023 to February 2024.

Ineligible Activities

The following activities will not be funded as part of project proposals under this public call:

• Sponsorships for individuals to participate in workshops, seminars, conferences, congresses, studies and trainings;
• Occasional conferences (unless they are necessary for the successful implementation of the project);
• Purchase of equipment and/or reconstruction or rehabilitation works (unless necessary for the successful implementation of the project
• Financing of projects that are already underway or have been completed;
• Projects for the benefit of individuals, i.e. projects that have no significance for the wider social community;
• Projects supporting political parties;
• Allocation of humanitarian aid (humanitarian packages, direct financial or material aid, etc.);
• Acquisition of used equipment;
• Awarding monetary rewards to participants/users in the project during or after the project;
• Awarding grants to third parties;
• Projects that include certain health services that are already covered by the health care system
• Projects that have already been supported within previously conducted public calls

Location: Projects must be implemented exclusively in the area of the Municipality of Center Sarajevo and for young people living in the area of the Municipality of Center Sarajevo.

Criteria

Additional notes for interested applicants:

• Thematic areas refer to a special user category consisting of young people aged 15 to 30.
• The place of implementation of the projects is exclusively in the area of the Municipality of Center Sarajevo and for young people from the area of the Municipality of Center Sarajevo.
• The proposed activities within the project proposal should have continuity, that is, they should be organized at least once a month. Additional points will be awarded to project proposals that offer more content for young people, that are organized more than once or that offer content from several thematic areas.
• The ways and methods of animating and massively involving young people in project activities should be explained in detail and the number of project beneficiaries (target group) stated as precisely as possible.
• Project proposals within this public call should ensure the inclusion of young people in all proposed project activities and ensure the volunteer engagement of young people in the local community.

For more information, visit United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).