The EU Delegation to Nepal announced its call for proposals for the Civil Society Organizations (CSO) & European Instrument for Democracy & Human Rights (EIDHR) Country Based Support Scheme (CBSS). Civil Society Organizations and NGOs can apply for funding up to 820,000 Euro. The deadline for applications is the 15th of May. The funding is awarded in two lots with different focus areas and priorities and different eligibility criteria, and in the first stage, the EU delegation collects concept notes. Only shortlisted applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal. In this article, we give you tips for the application process.
Who can apply for this grant?
The EU Delegation to Nepal has determined two Lots for this funding opportunity. Lot 1 concentrates on CSOs, while Lot 2 addresses the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR). In Lot 1, applicants should be Civil Society Organizations (CSO) registered in Nepal or a member country of the EU. The organization should have a working history of at least three years. For Lot 2, CSOs, other national bodies, international inter-governmental organizations and national parliamentary bodies fall under the eligibility criteria. Organizations can be registered in any country and need three years of working history.
Applications should be developed in partnerships with at least two and a maximum of four partners. The rules for the partners are not as strict as for the lead applicants. Before you start working on your proposal, check the eligibility criteria in the guidelines very carefully, as they are very specific.
What can be funded with this grant?
The two lots of this grant have a different focus.
Lot 1 concentrates on the following objectives:
- To enhance efforts to promote a conducive environment for CSOs but in particular, those representing women, youth and marginalized groups in Nepal
- To promote meaningful and structured participation of CSOs, but in particular women, youth and marginalized groups in governance at all levels, and in development activities
- To increase the capacity of CSOs, but in particular, that of women, youth and marginalized groups to be more active and effective members of society.
Within the framework of these objectives, the main priority themes are gender equality, youth and climate change.
Lot 2 concentrates on the following objectives:
- to strengthen the role of civil society in promoting human rights and democratic reform
- to support the initiatives of CSOs for combating discriminations, promoting access to opportunities for economic development and better social security as well as fostering the democratic practices and political participation of all including women, persons with disability and other disadvantaged communities/groups
- to enhance the respect and observance of fundamental freedoms and strengthening pluralism in political life.
Again, within the framework of these objectives, the call prioritizes specific priority themes. These are for Lot 2 supporting victims of rights violations, fighting discrimination in all forms, and promotion of freedom of expression and independent media.
Both lots have cross-cutting themes that need to be addressed throughout the entire project. These are gender equality, protection of the rights of disabled people and the use of a Rights-Based Approach towards project planning and implementation.
For Lot 1, the minimum amount you can apply for is 620,000 Euros; the maximum amount is 820,000 Euros. For Lot 2, the minimum amount is 340,000; the maximum is 460,000. The planned duration of the projects has to be at least 24 months and can maximally be 48 months.
How to apply for the Civil Society Organizations (CSO) & European Instrument for Democracy & Human Rights (EIDHR) Country Based Support Scheme (CBSS) in Nepal
The EU Delegation to Nepal has designed a two-phase application process. In the first step, applicants have to submit a concept note. Only shortlisted candidates will be invited to submit a full proposal. To be able to submit a concept note, applicants must register their organization with the PADOR online system of the EU. Here, you have to include all requested and necessary information about your organization.
The concept note itself has to be submitted through the online based system PROSPECT, and applicants have to use the form provided by the EU commission. In the form, applicants have to give information about the project, the justification, beneficiaries, and the budget. Furthermore, administrative information about all the partners and the main applicant has to be given and you have to develop a logframe.
What to look out for?
Applications for the EU Delegation to Nepal are very complex. They provide much information and very detailed guidelines that can help to navigate the process though. Be sure to read everything and be clear if you are eligible. Preparing the application for this opportunity is time-consuming, and you should only do it if you are sure that you have good chances. you also have to strictly follow the guidelines, as your proposal will be dismissed if you do not.
To submit, you have to register in two different online-based systems (PADOR and PROSPECT). Do not do this last minute, as there might be issues that cannot be solved within a couple of hours. Register very early to be able to check back throughout the process.
For more information, please check the detailed call with all corresponding documents.
Best of luck for your application.