21 July 2008: First Call for Proposals
FOUNDATION FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT REFORM
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
THE BULGARIAN ENVIRONMENTAL PARTNERSHIP FOUNDATION
ANNOUNCES A CALL FOR PROPOSALS
WITHIN THE NGO FUND – BULGARIA 2008-2010 UNDER THE EEA FINANCIAL MECHANISM
1. SCOPE AND OBJECTIVE
The NGO Fund in Bulgaria is part of the implementation of the EEA Financial Mechanism. The goal of the NGO Fund in Bulgaria is to strengthen civil society in the country by supporting projects under the priority areas described below. The main objective of the EEA Financial Mechanism is to support economic and social development of Bulgaria as a member of the European Economic Area in line with the national priorities and the agreements with the EU.
2. TYPE OF ASSISTANCE AND SIZE OF GRANTS
The assistance under the NGO Fund is provided in the form of grants for eligible projects. The total amount to be distributed under the NGO Fund until 2010 is EUR 1 858 000. The total amount available for this call is EUR 1 021 900. A second call for proposals is to be announced in the second quarter of 2009with EUR 836 100 indicative budget available.
3. DURATION OF PROJECTS
The maximum duration of projects submitted under this call is 18 months.
4. PRIORITY AREAS
Grants shall be available for projects falling within the priority areas listed below, as one application should relate to only one priority area. Applications must refer to at least one focus area within the respective priority area.
An applicant may submit only one application per call.
1st Priority area: Protection of the environment and promotion of sustainable development
Total indicative budget available for this priority area under this call is EUR 408 760.
Summarized focus[1] areas:
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Protection of biodiversity, conservation, management and protection of habitats;
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Promotion of practices for sustainable energy and transport (excluding economic activities);
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Promotion of biological agriculture, stock breeding and fishing practices (excluding economic activities);
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Enhancing the capacity of environmental NGOs and ensuring their participation in and monitoring of partnership structure dealing with EU funds;
2nd Priority area: Provision and development of social services, such as in health and childcare
Total indicative budget available for this priority area under this call is EUR 357 665.
Summarized focus areas:
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Improvement of services for social inclusion of vulnerable groups;
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Promotion of social determinants of healthy and active living;
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Dissemination of good practices for provision of equal access to social services of high quality;
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Capacity development of voluntary NGOs and those, who are licensed by the State Agency for Child Protection for delivery of social services to children
3rd Priority area: Development of civil society and protection of human rights
Total indicative budget available for this priority area under this call is EUR 255 475.
Summarized focus areas:
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Strengthening citizen participation and monitoring the application of good governance principles;
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Encouraging the respect for and observance of human rights and freedoms including their protection;
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Development and dissemination of complex measures for social inclusion of victims of human rights violation and prevention of women and children trafficking;
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Support to volunteering development activities in the field of human rights protection and preventionof women and children trafficking;
5. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS
Eligible applicants are NGOs registered in Bulgaria. In respect of the EEA Financial Mechanisms, the EEA EFTA states use the term NGO to include:
a) voluntary, self-governing organisations not subject to direction by public authorities, independent of political control and established under the legal system of the beneficiary state (e.g. foundations, associations, charities, societies, trusts, etc.);
b) social partners (employers organisations and trade unions); and
c) certain independent organisations enjoying a specific legal status (e.g. the national Red Cross societies).
The definition does not include political parties or churches. The NGOs should be organisations functioning on a not-for-profit basis.
This definition includes:
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All non-governmental organisations registered under the national Law on Non-Profit Legal Entities;
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The Community centers (Chitalishta), registered under the Law on Chitalishta;
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The Bulgarian Red Cross
Projects that involve partners from the EEA EFTA states (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) are encouraged.
6. CO-FINANCING CEILINGS
The applicants must provide minimum 10% and maximum 50% co-financing (financial and in-kind) as of the total project eligible costs. In-kind contribution must not exceed 50% of the co-financing and 20% of the total eligible costs.
7. PROCEDURE FOR SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS – FORMAL REQUIREMENTS:
1. Applicants must fill in an Application Form and Budget Form in accordance with the requirements of the Guidelines for Applicants as of 21 July 2008. The full package of application documents is available on http://ngofund.flgr.bg.
2. Supporting documents which are relevant to the priority areas and type of projects shall be attached to the application. The list of necessary supporting documents can be viewed at and downloaded from the above mentioned website.
3. The application must be submitted in Bulgarian in 3 hard copies (1 original and 2 copies), as well as in an electronic format (CD), which must be identical to the hard copy.
4. The envelope containing the application must be marked “NGO Fund – call for proposals 2008”.
8. DEADLINE AND ADDRESS FOR SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS
Applications shall be submitted in a sealed, intact envelope/box as letter/parcel by registered or express mail, by courier, in person or by post to the relevant address indicated below:
For projects under priority area 1:
Bulgarian Environmental Partnership Foundation
13 “Felix Kanits” Str.
1612 Sofia, Bulgaria
For projects under priority areas 2 and 3:
Foundation for Local Government Reform
1 Mladost, “Yerusalim” str., bl. 51, entr. B
Business building, fl.2, office 2
1784 Sofia, Bulgaria
Applications sent by any other means (e.g. by fax or by e-mail) will be rejected.
All applications must be received at the respective offices by October 15, 2008 (17.00 local time).
9. REFERENCE DOCUMENTATION FOR THE PRESENT CALL FOR PROPOSALS
The main reference documentation for the present call for proposals is as follows:
· Guidelines for Applicants (NGO Fund - Bulgaria) as of July 21, 2008
General Guides for the EEA Grants:
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Good Governance and Anticorruption Policy and Guide
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Gender Equality Policy and Guide
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Sustainable Development Policy and Guide
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Publicity Guidelines
The above documentation can be found at: http://ngofund.flgr.bg and www.eeagrants.org
Additional documentation on the EEA Financial Mechanism is also available on the web site of the EEA Financial Mechanism Office: www.eeagrants.org.
10. APPLICABLE CURRENCY
Budgets must be submitted in euro.
11. CONTACT INFORMATION
For further information and clarifications you can contact FLGR and BEPF.
Questions may be sent through Frequently Asked Questions section on http://ngofund.flgr.bg, by e-mail or by fax to the contacts below. Consultations on the phone are not allowed. A reply will be sent within 5 calendar days. An archive of FAQ and answers can be found at http://ngofund.flgr.bg.
FOUNDATION FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT REFORM
Irena Boneva – Programme Manager of the NGO Fund in respect of priority areas 2 and 3
Desislava Tencheva – Coordinator of the NGO Fund in respect of priority areas 2 and 3
Fax: +359 (2) 976 89 30
BULGARIAN ENVIRONMENTAL PARTNERSHIP FOUNDATION
Lubomira Kolcheva – Programme Manager of the NGO fund in respect of priority area 1
Rositza Marinova - Coordinator of the NGO Fund in respect of priority area 1
Fax: +359 (2) 951 54 79
[1] Detailed focus areas are listed in the Guidelines for Applicants
Първа покана за набиране на проектопредложения – 21 юли 2008 г.
21 July 2008: First Call for proposals