Quarantine measures limit the communicational opportunities and opportunity to exchange experience reinforcing the trust crisis. Many CSOs have been forced to put planned activities on hold or switch to the remote mode.
The challenges caused by pandemic require the innovation tools to engage the public to join the dialogue within the community and the authorities.
Such innovations include civic tech (civic technologies) – digital tools, which make the communication between the state and citizens easier and engage the latter to join the process of resolving current issues at the local or national level.
As part of the 3D Project: Development Despite Disruption, which is implemented by East Europe Foundation with the financial support of the European Union, EEF announces a call for proposals for grant program. The grant program focuses on supporting civic initiatives aimed at implementing and promoting civic tech tools to improve government-public interaction in solving local problems.
The objectives of the grant program are:
- Introduction of the use of civic tech tools at the local/regional level;
- Raising public awareness and involvement in the use of civic tech tools to solve local problems;
- Development and dissemination of best practices in the use of civic tech tools.
The expected result of the grant program is partner CSOs conduct advocacy and information campaigns and cooperate with local authorities using civic tech tools.
Activities under the grant program may include the following (but are not limited to):
o creation and development of information channels, conducting information campaigns to raise public awareness about civic tech;
o development and advocacy of public regulations at the local level or local policies for the implementation of civic tech tools;
o establishing or strengthening partnerships between interested CSOs and local authorities to address local problems and pandemic challenges through civic tech tools;
o popularization of civic tech tools among vulnerable groups to involve them more widely in solving community problems;
o improvement of the technical component of civic tech tools, but this cannot be the major focus of the project;
o other activities aimed at increasing the overall capacity of the CSO sector, local authorities, and the media to use civic tech tools at the community level.
The grant program is part of activities aimed at strengthening NGO`s resilience in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The selected partner organizations will receive a unique opportunity for organizational development. They will be offered tools for capacity assessment and a plan for developing organizational capacity, improving management skills (including leadership coaching), online courses, and more.
By applying for the grant program, organizations will be able not only to implement their own innovative project on civic tech. They will have the opportunity to develop and strengthen their organizational potential, to participate in innovative training and information activities of the 3D Project aimed at empowering the public sector.
You can read more about the activities for partner organizations within the 3D Project: Development Despite Disruption here.
We invite officially registered civil society organizations from all regions of Ukraine located in the territory controlled by the Government of Ukraine to take part in the grant program.
Among the partner organizations, we will be happy to welcome: organizations that specialize in civic tech tools; youth organizations; business development organizations; veteran organizations that assist in the psychological and social adaptation of the veterans; regional, rural, newly established CSOs and those representing vulnerable groups and improve their access to public services.
All submitted applications will be considered and evaluated by an independent panel of experts based on selection criteria.
Selection criteria:
- compliance of the planned activity with the conditions of the program;
- achievability and viability of the project, clear identification of risks;
- innovativeness of the application, use of non-standard approaches;
- application of an integrated gender approach in project development;
- the potential of members of the organization and involved specialists;
- previous experience of the organization in the implementation of similar projects;
- the presence of a previous history of interaction with the authorities;
- availability of partnerships with mass media, analytical centers, external experts;
- budgetary soundness.
The maximum grant amount is up to 550,000 UAH for one organization.
A number of grants – it is planned to support 10 projects.
The expected duration of the projects is 6 months.
Grant project activities are expected to start in February 2021.
How to apply?
Organizations must complete and submit:
- Application form. Recommendations for filling out the form can be found at this link.
- Logical matrix
- Budget
EEF reserves the right not to provide funding if the quality of project applications does not meet the conditions of the Call for proposals.
Please note that:
- grants may not be provided to commercial organizations, political parties, religious organizations, and individuals within the framework of this competition;
- the application must be submitted in Ukrainian;
- applicants will be notified of the results of their application by e-mail;
- the decision of the tender commission is final and not subject to appeal;
- submitted applications are not returned for correction.
Besides, the EEF will not provide funding for:
- construction or repair of buildings and office premises;
- organization of sports and recreational events;
- payment of existing financial or other debts of the organization;
- covering organizational costs not related to the project activity;
- medical and rehabilitation services;
- scientific or technical research;
- participation in academic programs and training abroad;
- activities of a political or religious nature.
The deadline for applications is December, 28, 2020.
The results of the competition will be announced no later than January, 22, 2021.
All applications must be sent by e-mail to [email protected]. Please indicate in the subject of the letter “Grant competition application”.
Your questions regarding the Call should please send to [email protected] till December, 22, 2020.
East Europe Foundation
