The European Commission has launched a call for proposals for Strategic Partnerships for Capacity Development of Civil Society Organisations in the Eastern Partnership.
The Joint Declaration adopted by the EU Member States and all 6 Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries at the 5th Eastern Partnership Summit in 2017 recognised the role of civil society in achieving the 20 Deliverables for 2020 and stated that a ‘broadened outreach and targeted support to grassroots civil society organisations and social partners, remains an integral part of this [the Eastern] Partnership’. Capacity development of CSOs is one of the three areas where the EU is focusing its efforts. In the Neighbourhood East, recent measurements are already capturing the effects on EU’s support in Eastern Partnership countries. Continuing this momentum, the EU is anticipating its future generation of capacity development programmes in the region by establishing a pool of framework partners that wish to contribute to increasing capacity of CSOs across the region.
The Call for Proposals aims to help establish such a pool of highly capable and trusted organisations, with which the European Commission will sign Financial Framework Partnership Agreements (FFPA-s) in order to enhance cooperation and coordination of actions and initiatives which strengthen the role of CSOs as governance actors in the EU’s Eastern Neighbourhood.
Global objective: strengthen the role of CSOs as governance actors in the EU’s Eastern Neighbourhood.
Specific objectives:
- To establish a pool of framework partners that share’s EU’s vision on capacity development across the Eastern Neighbourhood and establish a framework of enhanced cooperation based on mutual interests and common general objectives;
- To award specific grant agreements to a limited number of those framework partners, in order to increase capacities of CSOs and reinforce their role in the democratisation process in Eastern Partnership countries and the Russian Federation.
Within this call for proposals the EU is aiming to select a total of up to 12 strategic partners and conclude Financial Framework Partnership Agreements with organisations that through their vision and actions, including financial support to third parties:
- design and test new ways (financing tools) to fund CSOs and work towards improving CSOs’ financial sustainability;
- adjust capacity development programmes to the specificities of the local communities;
- support CSOs in their own outreach and engagement with citizens and communities;
- support the development of professional not-for-profit management and strengthen internal control and governance;
- advance regional and thematic policy dialogue between civil society and relevant stakeholders.
The call for proposals is divided into different lots per types of civil society actors. Framework Partnership and Specific Grant Applications must target one or two of the following lots:
Lot 1: Capacity building of CSOs in at least 3 countries of the Eastern Partnership and the Russian Federation
Lot 2 Capacity building of CSOs in Ukraine
The deadline for submitting proposals is the 5th of September 2019.
More information is available at this link.
