The New Democracy Fund accepting Applications for the Flexible Response Mechanism to support Civil Society Actors

Deadline: Ongoing Opportunity

The New Democracy Fund is accepting applications for the Flexible Response Mechanism to support civil society actors from the Eastern Neighbourhood Countries (ENC) – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine – are increasing their capability to engage in democratic organisation and dialogue, taking advantage of positive political developments and/or protecting their work in case of shrinking civic space.

This will be achieved if CSOs, media or individual journalists, trade unions, human rights defenders and other activists under threat or in difficult life/work circumstances are provided with rapid, critical financial resources and capacity development support.

Thematic Areas

• The New Democracy Fund focuses on five thematic areas:
  • youth, media, culture, labour market, and just and green transition.
  • These areas are enforced by a cross-cutting emphasis on gender, inclusion and human rights.
• The FR will prioritise the resources to activities that support the achievement of the general purposes of the New Democracy Fund and are supportive of the ongoing activities of partners of Danish civil society actors and institutions in the ENC.

Funding Information

• The grant amount applied should not exceed DKK 400,000. Co-financing is allowed if needed. The FR reserves the right to reduce the amount granted to individual applications, taking the limited funds available as well as other relevant factors into account. The total yearly budget for FR is DKK 5,000,000.

Target group

• Through the FR, the NDF reaches out to civil society actors, organisations consisting of human rights defenders (including women human rights defenders and LGBT+ activists), artists, journalists and documentarists in emergencies, conflict, and serious political or legislative change in all the ENC. Some examples of situations where they provide support are in case of:
  • Emergencies, e.g., conflict.
  • A drastic change in political or legislative context (positive or negative), e.g., a peace agreement, new windows of opportunity, end of a repressive regime, deterioration of legislative framework and protection of rights, sudden political tension, or polarization.
  • Rapidly closing space and/or fundamental human rights under threat.
  • Early warning – either worrying trends, e.g., restrictions to freedoms of association, assembly, or expression.

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible applicants
  • Civil society actors in the ENC or temporarily in exile with a previous or existing partnership with a Danish organisation can apply for funding on a rolling basis from the Flexible Response Mechanism.
  • The support from FR shall be channelled through the Danish partner. Only in exceptional cases, support can be channelled directly to an organisation without a Danish partner. The application can also be submitted by the Danish partner. When applying without a Danish partner it is a requirement to submit a justification note together with the application.
  • All applicants can receive technical advice in English from NDF administration before and throughout the application process. During the implementation of the project, it is possible to receive relevant advice from the consortium partners with relevant technical and thematic expertise.
  • If an action aims at supporting individuals, this support must be channelled through a CSO. Individuals/human rights defenders are defined as anyone who individually or in association with others promotes and protects human rights. This includes all actors working on issues within a broad human rights issue spectrum.
  • Consortium member organisations can be a partner in a project supported by the FR.
  • Organisations that do not live up to the obligations in a current contract with the NDF cannot apply until the defaults are remedied.
  • Organisations that have previously not lived up to the requirements of the NDF will undergo a capacity assessment before entering into a new contract.
• Eligible actions
  • The Flexible Response Mechanism supports civil society actors in the ENC with rapid, critical financial resources to:
    • counter restrictions and human rights abuses, to overcome risks and emergencies and reclaim civic space;
    • use new windows of opportunity and new political openings;
    • provide emergency assistance funds to individuals of all genders and groups under threat.

For more information, visit New Democracy Fund.