Deadline: 9 March 2015
The European Commission with European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) is seeking proposals from non-profit/civil society organizations for its Country-Based Support Scheme (CBSS) to promote respect for democracy, the rule of law and human rights in Bangladesh. Eligible organizations can first submit the concept notes. The overall amount available under this programme is EUR 1,620,000.
Country-specific calls for proposals under the EIDHR have been launched in Bangladesh since 2005, providing civil society organisations the opportunity to propose to the European Union actions for funding with the objective to promote democracy and human rights in the country. In total, nearly 30 projects have been implemented under the EIDHR local calls for a total amount of approximately 5 million Euro.
Programme Objectives
The global objective of this call is to support civil society and human rights defenders working on human rights (political, civil, economic, social and cultural), and democratisation to achieve one or more of the following results:
- pursue common agendas for human rights and democratic reform;
- build consensus on disputed or controversial areas of policy;
- enhance political representation and participation;
- enhance the inclusiveness and pluralism of society;
- increase safety structures for human rights defenders;
- increasing the space for civil society;
- support activities aimed at promoting the issues covered by EU Human Rights guidelines and in the EUs
- Strategic Framework and Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy;
- enhance the rule of law and good governance.
The specific objective of this call is to support issue-based partnerships, alliances and coalitions working on human rights (political, civil, economic, social and cultural) and democratisation in Bangladesh.
Location: Bangladesh
Size of grants
Grant requested must fall between EUR 250,000 to EUR 750,000.
Eligibility Criteria
- In order to be eligible for a grant, the applicant must be:
- civil society organisations, including non-governmental non-profit organisations and independent
- political foundations, community-based organisations and private-sector non-profit agencies, institutions and
- organisations and networks thereof at local, national, regional and international level; or
- public-sector non-profit-agencies, institutions and organisations and networks at local, national, regional and international level; or
- natural persons, entities without legal personality and, in exceptional and duly justified cases, other bodies or actors not identified in this paragraph, when this is necessary to achieve the objectives of the EIDHR and
- applicants should comply with relevant legislation to be able to implement the Action, and have a track-record in the implementation of human rights projects at a financial scale similar to the finances or part of finances requested under the proposal.
- The applicant must act with at least 2 additional co-applicants as specified hereafter who must satisfy the eligibility criteria as applicable to the applicant himself.
- The applicant and its co-applicant(s) may act with affiliated entity(ies). Only the following entities may be considered as affiliated entities to the applicant and/or to coapplicant(s):
- Entities directly or indirectly controlled by the beneficiary (daughter companies or first-tier subsidiaries). They may also be entities controlled by an entity controlled by the beneficiary
- (granddaughter companies or second-tier subsidiaries) and the same applies to further tiers of control;
- Entities directly or indirectly controlling the beneficiary (parent companies). Likewise, they may be entities controlling an entity controlling the beneficiary; Entities under the same direct or indirect control as the beneficiary (sister companies
- The beneficiary is legally defined as a e.g. network, federation, association in which the proposed affiliated entities also participate or the beneficiary participates in the same entity (e.g. network, federation, association) as the proposed affiliated entities.
- Types of actions and activities eligible under the programme- may include, but are not limited to:
- Public Awareness Raising: information campaigns, public sensitisation initiatives, local and national level forums, dialogues, conferences, seminars, workshops etc
- Advocacy: opinion surveys, advocacy activities, including vis-à-vis legislative bodies, about various forms of rights violations; development of analytical papers, drafting of policy or legislation recommendations for law and policy reform;
- Training and Capacity Building: support to local civil society organisations or networks, elected bodies and national human rights institutions in the promotion and protection of human rights; forming/strengthening community based groups and promote establishment/effective functioning of participatory associations/movements led by community groups e.g. Children; Dalits; Disabled; Ethnic groups; Minorities; Indigenous communities; Women; Youths, etc
- Documentation and Publication: development and publication of researches, studies, manuals, etc. on relevant human rights issues and best practices; support to the improvement of documentation and reporting of human rights violations;
- Networking: establishment and strengthening of sustainable forms of collaboration, synergies, partnerships and association/alliance with relevant stakeholders and duty bearers;
- Development or scaling-up of successful innovative approaches for the promotion and protection of human rights, with the active participation of the vulnerable groups in policy making dialogue on their fundamental human rights;
- Monitoring and Report: support to monitoring and reporting on effective implementation of international human rights instruments as well as laws and policies at the national and local level.
How to Apply?
- Applicants have to register themselves in PADOR, an on-line database on EuropeAid website.
- Thereafter Concept Note together with its relating Checklist and Declaration by the applicant must be submitted in one original and three (3) copies in A4 size, each bound.
- A CD-Rom with the Concept Note in electronic format must also be submitted, along with the paper version, in a sealed envelope.
For more information about this call for proposal, visit EuropeAid or download this pdf EIDHR.
