REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS (RFA)

for the JUSTICE & ANTI-CORRUPTION ACTIVITY (JARA) GRANTS PROGRAM

Issuance Date: December 21, 2023

Closing Date: March 29, 2024

I. SUMMARY

In the framework of USAID-funded Effective Justice (EJ) Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity contract Dexis is implementing “The Justice and Anti-Corruption Reform Activity (JARA)” Program. JARA is a three-year program funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by Dexis. JARA is a three-year development and assistance program that follows the TO1 – Model Court Initiative (MCI), complementing the activities undertaken within MCI’s bottom-up approach to “building” user-friendly model courts and TO2 – Support to the Pre-Vetting Secretariat (SPVS) which focuses on supporting the pre-vetting process of candidates to self-administration bodies of judges and prosecutors.

JARA is designed to support the Moldovan Government’s efforts to implement justice sector wide reform and promote its anti-corruption commitments, and is built upon the following core objectives:

• Support the Ministry of Justice in monitoring the implementation of the 2022-2025 Justice Strategy and its corresponding Action Plan.
• Capacity building of Moldovan judiciary representatives in specialized topics.
• Legislative and analytical expertise to the main anti-corruption institutions - the National Anti-Corruption Center (NAC) and the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office.
• Raising awareness and strengthening visibility of anti-corruption efforts among the general public through civil society.

II. PURPOSE

Recognizing that successful systemic and cultural changes in the areas of justice reform and anti-corruption require a well-informed public and a strong engagement on behalf of civil society, JARA is launching a grants program to support the Moldovan civil society in bolstering GOM’s efforts to implement justice and anti-corruption reforms via prevention, education, awareness raising and monitoring activities.

III. LOCATION OF ACTIVITIES

The grants can be implemented at the national, regional and/or local levels.

IV. INTERVENTION AREAS

Applications shall include, but not be limited to activities in the following intervention areas:

• Communication and outreach activities about the effectiveness of justice and anti-corruption reforms (e.g., vetting of judges and prosecutors, high-profile cases on corruption and associated crimes, activities of specialized anti-corruption and integrity agencies, criminal assets recovery).
• Assessment and communication of situations or cases related to electoral corruption, political party financing and conflicts of interest by and/or within central and local public authorities and their officials.
• Advocacy or support in promoting justice and anti-corruption reforms (strengthening of the anti-corruption framework, whistleblowing, integrity) within the Moldovan public institutions and civil society.
• Design and implementation of educational campaigns and initiatives to promote anti-corruption and integrity awareness, involving youth, university students, and representatives from other vulnerable groups.

V. APPLICANTS ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

The applicant/application must meet the following requirements:

• Be officially registered in the Republic of Moldova and working in compliance with all applicable civil and fiscal laws regulations.
• Must display sound management in the form of financial, administrative, and technical policies and procedures and present a system of internal controls that safeguard assets; protect against fraud, waste, and abuse; and support the achievement of program goals and objectives. Dexis will assess this capability prior to awarding a grant.
• Must be registered in the System for Awards Management (SAM), see www.sam.gov and annexes.
• Meet the project’s objectives and principles.
• Contain expected outcomes and results consistent with and linked to the project’s objectives, including an approach to gender integration before and during implementation.
• The applicant is not a debarred organization.

Detailed eligibility criteria are listed in the Request for Applications (see link below).

VI. COST SHARE REQUIREMENTS

Cost share is not permitted under this RFA.

VII. AWARD INFORMATION

Subject to the availability of funds, in the framework of the JARA Grants Program, Dexis expects to award up to 5 grants, up to $50,000 each for a maximum of 18 months from the date of award. The final amount will be dependent upon specific grant activities and final negotiation. Under specific circumstances and based on the proposed creative ideas and innovative approaches, grants may be awarded at a higher funding ceiling. Applicants may only submit one application under this RFA. The expected duration of Dexis’ support or the period of performance is April 2024 – November 2025.

Dexis reserves the right to fund any or none of the applications submitted. Further, Dexis reserves the right to make no awards as a result of this RFA.

VIII. CONTACT INFORMATION

Please contact the following to receive the Request for Application and the application packet:

JUSTICE & ANTI-CORRUPTION REFORM ACTIVITY (JARA)

Veaceslav Luca, Grants Specialist

Email: jaragrants@dexisonline.com

Applications must be submitted in English, in the required format via email to jaragrants@dexisonline.com no later than March 29, 2024, 23:59 Moldova Time. Applications not received by the deadline will not be considered.

Please submit all questions concerning this RFA to: jaragrants@dexisonline.com by March 28, 2024. Questions may be formulated in Romanian, Russian or English.

The Request for Applications, mandatory requirements, templates for proposal submission can be downloaded below:

Request for Applications (RFA) 

Request for Applications Amendment

Annex 1: Grant Application Form 

Annex 2: Budget Template 

Annex 3: Certifications, Assurances, Representations and Other Statements of the Recipient 

Annex 4: Grantee Self-Assessment for Fixed Amount Awards 

Guidance to register in SAM