New funding opportunities – EEA, Government Funding

First call – Central European Initiative (CEI) Cooperation Fund

Deadline date: 10 September 2024, 11:59 p.m. (midnight) CEST

Budget overview: The overall indicative budget of this Call for Proposals is 442,000 EUR (four hundred forty-two thousand Euro). It is made available by the CEI Cooperation Fund which is financed by annual contributions of all CEI Member States.

Grant amount: The call is subject to co-financing. Requests above the ceiling amount will be automatically rejected.

  • Segment 2.1. CEI Thematic Agenda: applicants can request a CEI contribution of up to 15,000 EUR (fifteen thousand Euro).
  • Segment 2.2. Focused Section: applicants can request a CEI contribution of up to 25,000 EUR (twenty- five thousand Euro).

Objective:

The fund aims at capacity building through knowledge transfer and sharing, in particular from EU CEI Member States to non-EU CEI Member States, and at exchanging experiences and good practices among all CEI Member States by favouring mobility and networking.

Scope and activities that can be funded:

The applications under this Call for Proposals shall be submitted for contributing to two segments: 1) CEI thematic agenda or to 2) Focused section (Ukraine). Eurodiaconia members might be interested in the focused segment of Ukraine, which is a key political agenda of the CEI and in thematic agenda 2.2 and 2.3 (see below).

 

Focused section on Ukraine:

The activities proposed within this segment shall focus on forward-looking initiatives and projects for assistance to and cooperation with Ukraine, and for mitigating the current situation in the country, neighbouring countries and the entire CEI region, in line with the CEI Plan of Action 2024-2026 and the objectives of the Thematic Agenda. It is expected that the activities would contribute to short- and medium-term engagement of institutions and civil society of the CEI countries for addressing the current situation in the region and paving the way for recovery and future restoration, taking into consideration the CEI mission towards European Integration and Sustainable Development.

The activities under the focused section can be organised over a longer-term period (max 18 months,) and can be composed of multiple but interlinked, actions and sub-actions, including project preparation and project final events for presentation of the outputs to the public. Some examples of eligible activities are: on‐the‐job training, workshops, staff secondment, study visits, peer review missions, assistance in the preparation of strategic documents (development plans, reforms, strategic studies, etc.), technology transfer, technical and capacity building assistance. Activities can be held in person, from remote or in a hybrid modality. Other types of activities as long as these meet the primary objectives, can also be taken into consideration.

Thematic agenda

The applicant should be able to explain how and why the proposed Cooperation Activity is contributing to meeting the CEI objectives.

Thematic agenda 2.2 Empowering youth, women and other vulnerable groups. The CEI will promote activities aimed at fostering people empowerment, especially of the youth, women and other vulnerable groups with activities aimed to remove all kinds of discriminatory provisions, growing inequalities and to enhance their participation in public life. Regional efforts should be reinforced in the field of people empowerment, especially of youth and women as a contribution to an inclusive and sustainable development.

Thematic agenda 2.3 Fostering better health and well-being- The CEI will focus on:

  • promoting public physical and mental health, prevention, and equity, to build trust across countries and better respond to future crisis and challenges;
  • ensuring exchange of knowledge and best practices, to empower policymakers and citizens in shaping policies to grant universal access to health care and services, also with the support of innovation and digital tools;
  • fostering healthier lifestyles and healthier environments through the promotion of improved health policies and more effective solutions for disease prevention, encouraging health campaigns and training, including activities favouring healthy and active ageing and sports.

Donor contribution and co-financing:

The CEI contribution cannot exceed 50% of the total cost of the application. The proposed activities must be co-financed by additional resources other than the CEI’s, that can be provided in cash or in-kind, either exclusively or by a combination of cash and in-kind resources. Co-financing may take the form of applicant’s own resources (e.g. personnel, administrative costs), income generated by the activity (e.g. registration fees), financial contributions from third parties/donors. If using financial contributions from third parties, applicants will have to outline the role of the other donors (if any) in the proposed activity.

Eligible applicants:

  • All public and private entities based and registered in CEI Member States (public/public equivalent bodies, NGOs/CSOs, private entities) can apply. International Organisations can also apply.
  • Individuals cannot apply.
  • Applicants shall prove to have sufficient capacity in organisation of international activities and project management.
  • Applicants to Segment 2.2. will not be allowed to outsource the implementation of main project activities.

CEI Member States: Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Belarus, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine.

How to apply:

Applications must be exclusively submitted electronically using the CEI Electronic Submission System accessible at https://application.cei.int. Access to the CEI Electronic Submission System is subject to registration as a CEI user. Applications must be submitted by a representative/contact person of the applicant organisation.

For more information, the CEI Plan of Action 2024-2026 can be found here. Please access the call document here.

 

Second Call – The EEA Grants Programme on Business Development, Innovation and SMEs Call for Bilateral Initiatives (Slovakia)

Deadline date: 30 September 2024 (extended)

Budget: EUR 70 000. The minimum grant amount per project is EUR 1,000, and the maximum grant amount per project is EUR 10,000. The applicant requires no co-financing under this Call.

Objectives:

The new call for bilateral initiatives in Slovakia aims to develop and strengthen business partnerships between entities from Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway and Slovakia to increase value creation and sustainable growth in Slovakia. It intends to set up a flexible and easy tool to develop and strengthen business partnerships between entities from Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway (Donor states) and Slovakia. The programme focus areas are:

  • Green Industry Innovation and
  • Welfare Technology and Ambient Assisted Living technologies

Who are eligible: Any public or private entities, commercial or non-commercial, and NGOs established as legal persons in Slovakia. Each Slovak applicant shall have at least one partner from the Donor states and vice versa.

Who can be a partner: Eligible partners are any public or private entities, commercial or non-commercial, and NGOs established as legal persons in Slovakia or the Donor states.

How to apply: Grant Applications should be in English and submitted via the electronic system Egrant.

Duration of the project: The implementation of the initiative should not last more than 6 months and should be finished by 31 December 2024.

Please access the call page here.

Third Call: EEA Bilateral Relations Fund: Open call for proposals for bilateral initiatives in priority thematic areas (Greece)

Deadline date: 31 October 2024

Objective: The Bilateral Relations Fund is a flexible financing resource for initiatives that strengthen relations between the Donor Countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway) and Greece as the Beneficiary State to enhance their cooperation strategy, networking, and exchange of knowledge between their entities. The Fund should further strengthen political, professional, social, and economic ties and lay the foundations between the Donors and Greece.

Focus areas: The initiatives should contribute to the objectives of (a) reduction of economic and social disparities in the European Economic Area, and (b) strengthening of the bilateral relations between the Donor States and the Beneficiary States, through financial contributions primarily in the priority sectors.

  • innovation, research, education, and competitiveness;
  • social inclusion, youth employment, and poverty reduction;
  • environment, energy, climate change, and low carbon economy;
  • culture, civil society, good governance, fundamental rights and freedoms; and
  • justice and home affairs.

Who can apply:

Partnerships between entities from the beneficiary countries and their counterparts in Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway are a fundamental part of the Grants. Organisations or entities from Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway cannot apply directly for funding but can participate as a partner.

How to apply:

  1. Each candidate promoter can submit more than one proposal. However, in the case that one proposal of the candidate promoter is selected for funding, this might be a criterion for the evaluation of the next proposals.
  2. The candidate Initiative Promoters shall submit their proposals exclusively electronically through the national EEA Management Information System 2014-2021 (hereinafter EEA MIS). It is required for them to have a personal user account (user name and password) for access to be obtained to the EEA MIS by:
  • The Initiative Promoter’s executives in order to complete the Project’s (Initiative’s) Technical Bulletin
  • The Initiative Promoter’s legal representative for the proposal’s submission, who may authorize the system’s user for that purpose.

If the Initiative Promoter does not possesses a Promoter’s account in the MIS, an application should be submitted, in accordance with the instructions, to the electronic address https://logon.ops.gr/ops_sec/register, prior to the proposal’s submission. The registration requires usually 1-3 working days.

Please access the call page here. The amended call document of the EEA Bilateral Funds is available here.

Fourth Call – International Organization for Migration inviting Implementing Partners (IPs) Call for Expressions of Interest (Hungary)

Deadline date: 19 July 2024 (prequalification process)

Budget and duration: The budget for the project proposal should be within the range of 10,000,000 – 50,000,000 HUF (Hungarian forints).  IOM encourages organizations to apply for an amount that corresponds to their organizational capacity, level of experience, and scope of the project. Each grant will be valid for a period of 6 (six) to 9 (nine) months.

Background and objectives: As the Ukraine conflict continues, IOM Hungary recognizes the need for continued support and adaptability to evolving circumstances. IOM Hungary remains committed to these goals with a focus on protection, education, healthcare, mental health, and socio-economic inclusion.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Hungary is seeking Implementing Partners (IPs) to support its mission of promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. The IPs that will work closely with IOM Hungary to deliver initiatives assisting beneficiaries and host communities with the financial support of IOM.

Activities:

Applicants are expected to propose projects that align with the strategic objectives of IOM Hungary and are relevant to the sectors in which IOM is engaged in. Proposed projects should be able to demonstrate interconnected complexity across sectors of intervention, reflecting the multifaceted nature of the challenges faced. Proposals should focus on comprehensive, sustained efforts that build synergies with existing initiatives, including those of IOM Hungary, and should not be one-off activities.

The long-term impact of the submitted project proposals should aim to enhance the well-being, socio-economic inclusion, and resilience of displaced populations, thereby contributing to sustainable solutions for displacement. In terms of focus, the relevant key sectors of intervention for Eurodiaconia members include: multipurpose cash, shelter and settlements, support services for response actors, water, sanitation and hygiene, protection, health and mental health and psychosocial support, humanitarian movement assistance and emergency transport, and socioeconomic inclusion.

How to submit expressions of interest:

  1. The Application must be submitted either by hand or through mail in sealed envelope to IOM with office address at International Organization for Migration (or Nemzetközi Migrációs Szervezet); 2 Radnóti Miklós utca, Budapest, 1137 Hungary no later than 19 July 2024.
  2. The Application must be submitted in one original hard copy, enclosed in a sealed envelope, along with a USB drive containing scanned copies of the submitted documents, enclosed in a separate sealed envelope.
  3. The Application must be submitted in the English language and in the format prescribed by IOM within the CEI. The composition of the application document is listed in the call page.

Overarching Outcomes

  • Enhanced humanitarian assistance and access to basic needs, and protection of the most vulnerable
  • Socioeconomic inclusion and services needed for resilience and self-sufficiency of displaced populations

Who are eligible:

The Applicant can be any governmental agency, government-owned or controlled corporation, intergovernmental organization (IGO), international organization (IO), non-government organization (NGO), non-profit agency (NPA; including nonprofit KFT, nonprofit RT), international civil society organization (ICSO), or civil society organization (CSO) registered in Hungary according to local regulations. Other important criteria for eligibility can be found in the call document.

Please access the call page here.

Fifth Call – Official development assistance (ODA) for Armenia on education, universal health coverage, good governance and civil society, human rights with and, economic sector and services

Deadline date: 31 July 2024

Budget overview: Minimal amount of the project is 10 000 BGN

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria in the Republic of Armenia announces a procedure for the acceptance and selection of proposals for projects to be implemented with a grant through the ODA of the Republic of Bulgaria, with an initial implementation period in 2025.

 

Priority areas relevant for Eurodiaconia members include:

  • Provision of inclusive and quality education, incl. improving school infrastructure;
  • Support for ensuring universal health coverage and access to quality health services incl. by providing specialized medical equipment and supporting screening programs in regions far from the capital;
  • Good governance and civil society by upholding the rule of law, reforming the public sector and building capacity at the local level;
  • Protection and guarantee of human rights with special attention to women, children, people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups;
  • Support for the economic sector and services;
  • Support for the production sector, including by promoting measures for sustainable employment, support for businesses in the implementation of EU production standards, as well as measures to overcome negative socio-economic consequences.

Grant size:

  • Minimal amount of the project is 10 000 BGN
  • Recommended maximum amount of the project is:
      • for projects with main purpose to deliver goods and /or services – up to 50 000 BGN;
      • for projects with main purpose to carry out repairs and /or construction activities – up to 100 000 BGN;
      • for projects with main purpose to carry out so called “soft components of ODA: /conferences, seminars, study visits, colloquiums and so on/ – up to 30 000 BGN and term — up to 9 months.

Duration 

  • Project proposals must include an indicative start date for project implementation after 15 January 2025 and no later than 30 November 2025.
  • Projects must be completed no later than 31 December 2027.

Eligible Activities 

  • Development of new/updating existing training modules
  • Capacity building activities /organizing and conducting trainings in areas of interest of the administration/institutions of the partner country
  • Conducting trainings on specific topics in Bulgarian institutions to exchange good practices and increase the qualification of employees from the administration of the partner country
  • Organization and holding of seminars, forums, conferences
  • Research and strategy development
  • Activities to raise awareness of citizens’ rights
  • Activities to promote multicultural dialogue and to limit racism, xenophobia, hate speech, discrimination and intolerance in society
  • Activities to improve dialogue between non-governmental organizations and local, regional and national authorities
  • Activities related to improving the quality of social infrastructure (educational/health) ex.: Delivery of equipment and materials for state or municipal property – schools, hospitals, kindergartens, homes for elderly, etc.; Construction and repair works to improve the condition of state or municipal property – schools, hospitals, kindergartens, homes for elderly, etc.
  • Compulsory Activities to be provided in the Project:
    • provision of an audit report issued by an independent financial auditor
    • activities to ensure publicity and visibility of the financial assistance provided, in accordance with the Publicity and Visibility Guidelines of the Bulgarian Development Aid, worth 3 to 5% from the total value of the grant for the project, but not exceeding 5 000 BGN.

Who are eligible: International and local non-governmental organizations and international humanitarian organisations are among the eligible entities with priority on the track record of the organisation. Ineligible list can be found in the call document.

For more information, please access the call page.

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