European Civic Micro-Grants

Context  

The European Civic Forum is a framework partner within EU’s Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) Programme. As such, we have the possibility to re-grant, i.e., distribute grants / provide small-scale financial support to our member organisations – civic groups, local initiatives, and movements in the European Union. With this, our aim is to provide a flexible response and to strengthen capacity of member organisations in responding to societal and political challenges, but also build and sustain constituencies and engage in European network building and policies. 

 

Eligible Organisations 

  • Full Members of the European Civic Forum with up-to-date payment of the membership fee. 
  • Established in a Member State of the European Union (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs). 
  • Be a legal entity, private non-profit organisation (private body). 
  • Respect EU values as laid down in Art.2 of the Treaty on European Union and the EU Charter of fundamental rights. 
  • Member organisations that are themselves EU-wide networks or EU-wide umbrella organisations are not eligible for this application

 

Eligible Activities 

  • All projects’ activities must take place before 31st December 2024. Deadline for final report is 17th January 2025. (Projects may be extended beyond this deadline in justified cases and after prior approval by ECF.) 
  • Analytical activities, training and capacity building, events, mutual learning and training, cooperation, awareness-raising, litigation, communication (including translation/interpretation) and dissemination activities. 
  • Activities should pay attention to a gender perspective, both at design and implementation phase, ensure an inclusive and intersectional approach with regards to for instance racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, (dis)ability, age, gender, sex or sexual orientation. 
  • Activities must comply with ethical principles and EU values based on Article 2 of the Treaty on the European Union and Article 21 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights on non-discrimination. 
  • Other applicable EU, international and national law must be also observed (including the General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679). 
  • Project activities should contribute to the equal empowerment of women and men in all their diversity, to reduce levels of discrimination suffered by particular groups (as well as those at risk of multiple discrimination) and to improve equality outcomes for individuals. 
  • Comply with principles of proportionality, sound financial management, equal treatment, and non-discrimination. 
  • Conflicts of interest must be duly prevented. 

 

Priorities 

  • We especially encourage applicants to propose activities that fall into areas of civil society work that are particularly underfunded, such as: 
  • Influencing EU’s 2024 post-electoral processes towards strengthening of democracy and civic participation, through campaigning, advocacy and bridge building between civil society organisations, political parties, trade unions and EU institutions 
  • Strategic litigation. 
  • Rapid alert and crisis response activities. 
  • Psychological support and safety. 
  • Peer-learning and training. 
  • Strategy and foresight (including new fundraising techniques). 
  • We support the European dimension of the activities of national and local organisations, their capacity and alliance building, and engagement with European policy processes (such as the Rule of Law annual assessment). 
  • We support organisations that reach out to community groups or (informal) social movements to capture and articulate their demands and/or build their capacities and expertise on specific issues and needs related to European policies. 
  • We support organisations that are facing acute or unpredictable external circumstances and need to organise action in response, such as: litigation or legal expertise, advocacy and campaigning. 

 

Eligible Costs 

The grant may be used to finance the proposed activities and the improvement of the granted organisations’ operational capacities, in line with the award criteria below. All planed costs must be necessary, proportional and justified by the content of the application. 

  • Staff costs (employees or equivalent, natural persons under direct contract, seconded persons) 
  • Subcontracting costs (calculated based on the costs actually incurred, and using the beneficiary’s usual purchasing practices, provided these ensure subcontracts with best value for money – or, if appropriate, the lowest price – and that there is no conflict of interests. Subcontracting may cover only a limited part of the action.) 
  • Purchase costs (travel, subsistence, accommodation calculated as unit costs in accordance with the method set out in the Grant Agreement Project 101140497 — CARE. 
  • Equipment  
  • Other goods, works and services 

Each selected project will be bound to submit a final activity report, together with a financial statement. All costs shall be justified and will be reviewed by an independent auditor at the end of the year, together with ECF accounts. 

 

Objectives and Expected Results 

  • Strengthened capacity of member organisations to respond to societal and political challenges, build and sustain constituencies and engage in European network building and policies. 
  • Increased role of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in policy- and decision-making processes bridging local, regional and national governments and the EU. 
  • Better developed advocacy and campaigning capacities, and watchdog role of CSOs. 
  • Strengthened cooperation and alliance building within civil society and other actors (social movements, trade unions, academia, etc.). 
  • Fostered awareness and solidarity in defence of civic space and democracy across Europe. 
  • Increased supportive operational environment for CSOs and rights defenders. 

 

Budget 

  • Total amount to be granted: 50 000 € 
  • Grant amount per project: 
  • Minimum 5 000 € 
  • Maximum 10 000 € 

 

Payments 

  • All payments and reporting will be made in EUR. 
  • No co-funding requested (funding rate can be 100%). 
  • Prefinancing of 80% (to be transferred 30 days after the regranting award decision). 
  • Balance payment at the end of the project, upon receiving the final report (narrative and financial). Deadline for final report is 17th of January 2025. 
  • All expenses should be justified with the appropriate receipts. 

 

Award Criteria 

Relevance 

  • Extent to which the proposal matches the priorities of the regranting strategy, namely clearly defined and attainable objectives. 
  • Extent to which the proposal matches the European Civic Forum’s strategic objectives for 2021-2025, and potential for alignment with its planned activities. 
  • Consistency and / or urgency of the action. 

Quality 

  • General clarity and consistency of the project. 
  • Logical links between the identified problems, needs and solutions proposed (logical frame concept). 

Impact 

  • Strategic reasoning of medium- and long-term impacts. 
  • Ambition and expected medium- and long-term results on target groups or general public. 
  • Potential for a positive multiplier effect. 

European Dimension 

  • A clear European / trans-national dimension must be demonstrated, namely engagement with European policy processes, such as the Rule of Law annual assessment, and others. 

Bridging and Capacity Building 

  • Projects that include activities to enhance efficacy in activism and civic participation through trainings, workshops, activism academies, summer schools, etc. 
  • Projects that include bridging activities between institutionalized Civil Society Organizations and informal movements, and between CSOs and trade unions. 

Thematic Priorities 2024 

  • Activities intended to influence EU’s institutional post-electoral processes and policies towards strengthening democracy and through campaigning, advocacy and bridge building between civil society organisations, informal groups and movements, political parties and EU institutions. 
  • Advocacy influence political agendas to protect democracy, human rights, freedom of expression and strengthened civic participation spaces. 
  • Awareness raising towards reinforced individual and collective political participation and informed voting. 
  • Actions challenging the rise of antidemocratic forces and policies. 

Sustainability 

  • Feasibility of the project’s activities within the proposed time frame. 
  • Strategic reasoning of medium- and long-term outcomes, for instance, through the produced materials, civil society capacity improvement, trust and alliance building). 
  • Financial feasibility, i.e. sufficient/appropriate budget for proper implementation. 
  • Cost-effectiveness (best value for money). 
  • Financial sustainability after the end of funding, namely its fundraising strategy. 

Gender, Diversity, and Inclusion Mainstreaming 

  • Proposed activities contribute to the empowerment of all genders, in all their diversity, and to reduce levels of discrimination suffered by particular groups, especially those at risk of multiple discrimination. 
  • Projects with an inclusive and intersectional approach with regards to racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, (dis)ability, neurodivergence, age, gender identity or sexual orientation. 
  • Proposals that include trainings and consultancies on the subjects above mentioned, namely inclusive organizational policy planning and implementation. 

 

Evaluation procedure 

The jury, composed of 4-5 ECF members, will be in charge of reviewing the applications, with ECF Secretary General and Network Development Coordinator. The jury will fill in a table of scores for each award criteria. The jury will propose the list of selected projects for the approval of the ECF Steering Committee. 

Timeline for Application and Selection 

  • Publication of the application call on ECF’s website, and internal mailing list: 11th March. 
  • Online info-session (Q&A for potential applicants): 21 March, 11h00-13h00 CET. Register here to attend. 
  • Deadline for applications: 13th May 
  • Publication of award selection results on ECF’s website, and by email to applicants: 27 May. 

 

How to Apply 

The applicants should fill in the application form (here). 

Fill in the application form!