ERIM: Voter education and community engagement grants for CSOs and media in the Republic of Moldova

BACKGROUND

 ERIM (Equal Rights and Independent Media) is an international NGO based in Lyon, France. We work to strengthen and empower civil society and independent media, to promote human rights and to increase critical thinking.

“ProElect - Promote accountability in Electoral processes in EaP through increased participation and capacity of civic actors” is a regional project run by the Transatlantic Foundation in partnership with ERIM and funded by the European Union. The project aims to ensure that civil society actors in the Eastern Neighbourhood are engaged, capable and knowledgeable in monitoring elections and promoting democratic accountability mechanisms.

The purpose of the call is to support public awareness, voter education and community engagement activities. The call will enhance the capacity of civic actors in the Republic of Moldova to promote free and fair elections.

You can find more information about ERIM’s mission and vision here and about the project here.

WHO CAN APPLY

The call is open to independent media actors and civil society organisations, active in the field of civic engagement, community level support and civic education that are working to ensure free and credible elections, promote political participation, and fight against hate speech and disinformation within the upcoming election cycles within the Republic of Moldova.

Preference will be given to organisations located outside Chisinau due to economic and social disparities between the capital and remote areas, and those working to support the most vulnerable people.

Priority will be given to applications from organisations that have not already received our support. Applications from political or religious organisations will not be considered.

WHAT YOU CAN APPLY FOR

 Voter education and community engagement grants. Organisations are invited to propose initiatives that may focus on one (or several) of the following areas:

• Educate citizens about the importance of electoral observation and how it contributes to strengthening democracy;
• Educate citizens, particularly young people and marginalised groups, about the importance of voting and how their voice can make a difference,
• Provide information on registration process and deadlines, voting methods, election dates, polling stations, rights and responsibilities;
• Provide nonpartisan information about candidates, their platforms, and their positions on key issues;
• Monitor campaign financing and the abuse of state resources in elections;
• Raise awareness of and counter clientelist traps.

These voter education and community engagement grants can support activities including (but not limited to): Public awareness campaigns at local level; Civic education; Workshops; Social media campaigns (including in collaboration with influencers); Traditional media campaigns; Door-to-door outreach; Community organising; Monitoring; Artistic and Cultural projects; Trainings; Development of apps or educational tools; Chatbots; etc.

Activities that particularly target young people, women, LGBTQIA+ communities, and other marginalised communities are strongly encouraged.

Capacity Development. Organisations are welcomed to include some elements of capacity development that will complement their other activities, so as to be in a stronger position to promote free and fair elections. In this perspective, additional budget (up to 7,000 EUR) may be requested for specific capacity development activities. Such activities may include:

• Training courses in areas such as governance, public relations, strategic planning, financial management and sustainability solutions, volunteer systems, advocacy and communication, Artificial Intelligence, IT and digital security, etc.;
• Consultancy and mentorship in developing or improving policies, strategies, structures, or processes;
• Subscription to specialised software or development of digital tools, both for internal processes and for activities related to election monitoring.

Pre-selected applicants with a capacity development component included in their proposal may be requested to submit a brief capacity assessment prior to contracting.

Please note that the action plan of the project could be flexible and potentially revised with you after selection, taking into account the rapid changes in the electoral environment.

BUDGET AND DURATION

Project grants for voter education and community engagement may go up to EUR 10,000. Additional budget (up to EUR 7,000) will be available for capacity development.

The minimum duration of a project is 4 months and the maximum duration is 8 months. Projects are expected to start in May 2025.

More details on Minimum Eligibility Criteria and Selection criteria can be found accessing this  LINK 

HOW TO APPLY

The application forms can be downloaded at the following LINK or can be requested by e-mail: proelect.eap@proton.me.

Applications should be submitted in word, in Romanian or English. They must be sent by email to proelect.eap@proton.me by March 24, 2025, 18:00 local time. Please state in the subject line “ProElect_voter education”.

ERIM will organize a Q&A session on March 12, 2025, at 15:00 (local time). To participate, please register via this LINK and submit your questions.

All questions regarding this call shall be addressed at proelect.eap@proton.me. Questions, comments, and requests for clarification will not be accepted after March 17, 2025. ERIM is not obliged to provide clarifications to questions received after this date. The answers will be given no later than 5 days before the deadline for the applications submission.