Granturi și Finanțări

Call for proposals for Moldovan Civil Society Organizations and non-profit actors

“Community-based protection to ensure a protective environment for both refugee and host communities in Moldova”

I. Introduction

Since the 24th of February 2022, thousands of people living in Ukraine left the Country and crossed the Moldovan border. As of 12 Sep 2022, a total number of 90,745 refugees are recorded in the Republic of Moldova. Many of the needs of refugees and host communities have been covered thanks to the support of international and national organisations and the projects they have been implementing across the country. In order to foster integration and social cohesion between refugees and host communities and to ensure a protective environment for both of them, ACTED, funded by ECHO, aims to implement three projects in Moldova in one or more of the following raions: Ocnita, Anenii Noi, Hîncești, Ialoveni, Dondușeni and Edinet. These have been selected based on the high concentration of refugees and a detected need for community-based protection services. The type of activities is going to be decided in collaboration with both these population groups within the communities as well as local authorities, by engaging them to analyse and evaluate their needs.

During the month of September 2022, ACTED has been conducting a number of interviews and focus group discussions with some pre-selected communities in Moldova. The main results of these assessments will be shared with the winning organisations, in order to be used as guidance to address the identified needs of the engaged communities. This is part of ACTED’s community-based approach that involves communities in the decision-making process, in order for its actions to be relevant and adapted to the contexts where ACTED and its partners act.

II. Objectives of the call

The aim of this call for proposals is to engage with one to three organizations that would contribute to the implementation of three community-based activities aimed at fostering integration between the refugees’ community and host communities.

To do so, ACTED is launching a call for proposals for three separate grants, to be used to implement projects in any the following raions:

• Ocnița
• Anenii Noi
• Hîncești
• Ialoveni
• Dondușeni
• Edineț

Each grant requires a separate project proposal and each organization can apply for one, two or all three grants. Each project can include one or more activities.

Please note that projects proposed in the following locations will be prioritized:

• Vălcineț (Ocnita)
• Or. Otaci (Ocnita)
• Or. Anenii Noi
• Cărpineni (Hîncești)

Budget available:  Up to EUR 29.400. Amount per grant: Up to EUR 9.800.

Overall objective:  Strengthening the protective environment for both refugees and local communities living in the Republic of Moldova.

Specific objective:  To provide community-based activities for various age categories from November 2022 to February 2023, while ensuring that both refugees and local communities, as well as social minorities, are enabled to participate to these activities.

Eligible types of activities:

Each project proposal can focus on one or more of the following protection outcomes:

1. Social cohesion, aimed at reinforcing the integration and social cohesion between the refugees and host communities, and other subgroups of society, through community-based activities. This can include but it is not limited to the following examples: sports events, language classes, awareness-raising activities and trainings (cultural integration and tolerance, environmental sustainability, etc.), cultural mediation, creativity and art workshops, other cultural activities (culinary events, dance, theatre, excursions, etc.).
2. Child protection, aimed at promoting, protecting, and fulfilling children's rights and at fostering a protective environment for children (people under 18 years of age). This can include but it is not limited to these following examples: child-friendly spaces, library spaces, setting up playgrounds and implementing activities within them, activities targeting youths, adolescents, activities for the prevention of alcohol and drugs abuse, etc.
3. Prevention and response to gender-based violence, aimed at providing services to women and people at risk of suffering gender-based violence (Domestic violence, sexual violence, etc.). This can include but it is not limited to groups of discussion/roundtables on gender-based violence and other protection threats, women-friendly spaces, vocational training for women at risk, etc.
4. Activities targeting the specific needs of people with specific vulnerabilities, which includes but it is not limited to minorities, people with disabilities, people with socio-economic vulnerability, people with severe health issues, etc. The final list of activities in the projects to be implemented will be decided in coordination with ACTED's programme team and the selected candidate at the start of the implementation. Specific targeted groups for the activities will be defined and confirmed before signature of the sub-grant agreement.

Ineligible activities:

The following types of activities are ineligible: a) actions supporting political parties or candidates in elections; b) retroactive financing for projects already in implementation or completed; c) projects for the exclusive benefit of individuals or restricted groups of individuals; d) activities requiring individual payment for beneficiaries; e) environmentally harmful projects.

Additional information

Type of support received.  Although the successful applicants will be able to apply their methodology, they will be required to adhere to basic humanitarian and donor-specific guidelines in budgeting, documentation, protection mainstreaming and inclusion. ACTED will provide technical oversight and support to the candidates on this.

Types of costs.  Eligible types of costs may include but are not limited to: Staff costs and expert fees; Travel and subsistence costs; costs of consumables and equipment; accommodation; costs of service & supply contract; VAT costs. Ineligible costs include debts or potential future liabilities; debt service charges; provisions for losses, purchases of land or buildings; currency exchange losses.

Location.  Activities should be implemented in the Republic of Moldova in one of the above-mentioned areas. The geographical location per grant will be decided before the signature of the grant agreement(s).

Added-value elements. The integration of the following elements within the proposal will be considered as added-value elements, and will add relevance to the application:

1. Inclusion of most vulnerable groups (people with disabilities, elderly people, people with socio-economic vulnerability, unaccompanied children, etc.);
2. Inclusion of social/ethnic minorities;
3. Inclusion of youth;
4. To mainstream environmental considerations in the content and delivery of the activities;
5. To promote transparency, openness to collaboration and partnership;
6. To foresee sustainability of the activities after the end of project, if relevant.

Organisations that have an existing space for their activities will be preferred.

III. Financial allocations and Grant Conditions

The three grants can be accorded to one or to more organizations (up to three). Each organization has to make a separate application for each grant.

After the selection process, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed with each of the selected organisations.

IV. Eligibility criteria

The following organisations are eligible:

• Organisations that have been existing for more than 6 months
• Organisations that are legally registered in Moldova as non-profit organisations
• Organisations that hold a Moldovan bank account
• Organisations that are not being investigated for fraud, corruption, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, or other wrongdoing
• Organisations that have sufficient stewardship, including having adequate financial policies and procedures in place to manage the small grant

The preselected organisations will go through a due diligence process by ACTED, which will imply a complete check of their internal procedures and standards.

V. Evaluation criteria

The organisations will be selected based on a scoring system according to the following criteria:

• The objective of the project and its activities are explained exhaustively and with a clear operational strategy (7 points)
• The project description is relevant to one of the above-mentioned protection outcomes (Social cohesion, Child protection, Prevention and response to gender-based violence, Activities targeting the specific needs of people with specific vulnerabilities) (5 points)
• The project responds to the needs of the community in the targeted locations and has relevant justification of its scope (7 points)
• The project aims at including and engaging different groups and subgroups of society, including the most vulnerable individuals through relevant activities for them (5 points)
• The project reaches both refugees and local community members (5 points)
• Capacity of the project to reach a significant number of beneficiaries (3 points)
• Organisational history is succinctly explained in the application and relevant to the project (5 points)
• Feasibility during the Winter season: given that the implementation of these activities will take place during the fall and winter seasons, indoor activities will be prioritized. Outdoor activities can also be accepted if well justified (5 points)
• Financial feasibility: the budget covers all necessary expenses within the maximum amount of the grant (5 points)
• Chronogram: the organisation has the capacity to start as soon as possible and to cover the requested period of activity (3 points)
• The organization can dispose of a wide range of human resources relevant to protection-oriented activities and social work (5 points)
• A suitable space for the activity is identified (2 points)

VI. Application procedure

The candidates will need to prepare the following documents, which can be accessed by following this link and send them to ACTED.

The applications can be sent either by mail to the following address:

Alexander Pushkin St 45, Chișinău 2005, Moldova

Or by e-mail to the following address: protection.moldova@acted.org

Applications will be accepted in either English, Romanian or Russian.

The following documents must be included in the application:

1. Applicant information sheet (See Annex 1)
2. Project Narrative (See Annex 2)
3. Chronogram (See Annex 3)
4. Weekly plan (See Annex 4)
5. Budget (See Annex 5)
6. Human resources plan (See Annex 6)
7. Copy of two CVs of two staff members of the organization
8. Copy of the registration certificate in the Republic of Moldova as local non-profit organization
9. Proof of Moldovan Bank Account

Applications lacking any of the above-mentioned documents will not be considered.

For organisations applying for more than one grant: please send all the required documents in separate folders named in the following way: Name of the organization_Grant 1, Name of the organization_Grant 2, Name of the organization_Grant 3.

Please contact Ecaterina Lutisina: +373 684 12 542 or Irina Popovici: + 373 683 57 646, or write an email to protection.moldova@acted.org, should you have any questions regarding the application process.

Applications are due until the 24th of October 2022, 23h59 Moldovan time.

The final outcome will be communicated to all applicants.

Good luck!