Deadline: 14 June 2018

The European Union (EU) is seeking proposals for its European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) – Supporting Civil Society Organisations Actions to Promote Human Rights, Good Governance and Gender Equality in Swaziland.

The global objective of this call for proposals is to empower civil society organisations on the ground and support their efforts to advance and defend democracy and human rights as well as consolidate their role as actors for positive change.

Objectives

The specific objectives of this call for proposals are:

• Support to civil society actions aimed at promoting and protecting human rights defenders in the country.
• Protection and promotion of political, social, economic and cultural rights, especially for groups vulnerable to discrimination, such as women, children, immigrants, people living with albinism and persons living with disabilities.
• Initiatives to enhance universal access to justice and the rule of law particularly for the poor and vulnerable groups.
• Actions to promote responsiveness and accountability from legislative bodies and other arms of government.

Cross Cutting Issues

Cross-cutting issues for the implementation of this Action include: promotion of human rights, gender equality, democracy, good governance, conflict prevention, children’s rights and migrations, environmental sustainability and combating HIV/AIDS, non-discrimination, the rights of persons belonging to minorities, rights of persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups. Actions promoting the civic engagement of the youth are particularly encouraged.

Funding Information

Any grant requested under this call for proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum amounts:

• minimum amount: EUR 150,000.00
• maximum amount: EUR 300,000.00

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 specific type of organisation such as: non-governmental organisation, public sector operator, local authority, international (inter-governmental) organisation as defined by Article 43 of the Rules of application of the EU Financial Regulation and
    • be established in a Member State of the European Union or Swaziland or SADC member state ‘For British applicants: Please be aware that eligibility criteria must be complied with for the entire duration of the grant. If the United Kingdom withdraws from the EU during the grant period without concluding an agreement with the EU ensuring in particular that British applicants continue to be eligible, applicants will cease to receive EU funding (while continuing, where possible to participate) or be required to leave the project on the basis of Article 12.2 of the General Conditions1 to the grant agreement’. This obligation does not apply to international organisations 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
  • The lead applicant if a local NGO or CSO or NSA may act individually or with co-applicant(s).
  • If established in the European Union State or SADC member state, the lead applicant must act with local Swazi co-applicant (s)
• 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.
  • If awarded the grant contract, the co-applicant(s) (if any) will become beneficiary(ies) in the action (together with the Coordinator).
• Affiliated entities
  • 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 applicant may hence be:
        • Entities directly or indirectly controlled by an applicant (daughter companies or first-tier subsidiaries). They may also be entities controlled by an entity controlled by an 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.

How to Apply

In order to apply for the grants, applicants have to register themselves in PADOR, an on-line database via given website.