The “Armenian Young Lawyers` Association” NGO (hereinafter referred to as “AYLA”) and the Freedom of Information Centre, in the framework of the EU-funded “Multi-Faceted Anti-Corruption Promotion” Project, call for Civil Society Organizations – Non-governmental organizations and non-state foundations (hereinafter referred to as “CSOs”) and Media Organizations with state registration and functioning in Yerevan and RA regions to apply for the first round of small grant competition, in the framework of which 5 projects shall be awarded grants – 3 grants worth up to 1 000 000 AMD each and 2 worth up to 1 500 000 AMD each, or 2 grants worth up to 1 000 000 AMD each and 3 worth up to 1 500 000 AMD each.
The purpose of the small grant competition is to implement public monitoring, watchdog and journalistic investigations on the anti-corruption aspects of the current RA Government Program, the Strategic Program of the RA legal and judicial reforms for the years of 2012-2016, the RA current Anti-Corruption Strategy and the implementation of their activities.
Objectives,
The project objectives are:
- Implementation of anti-corruption reforms.
- Implementation of monitoring and journalistic investigations on the anti-corruption aspects of the current RA Government Program, the Strategic Program of the RA legal and judicial reforms for the years of 2012-2016, the RA current Anti-Corruption Strategy and the implementation of their activities
- Strengthening of cooperation between the CSOs, media organizations and the society with the aim of identifying the corruption risks and raising the issues in the fields of education, healthcare, state revenue collection, police system (in terms of provision of services to the citizens), social and environmental spheres.
General requirements and criteria.
Beneficiaries.
The CSOs and Media organizations with state registration and functioning in Yerevan and RA Regions, which have taken part in the three-day anti-corruption trainings organized by the AYLA in the framework of the Project in 2014 and have received a participation certificate, may submit a grant project application.
Separate units of the CSO may not separately apply for the grant project.
Media organizations may only present a grant project application jointly with CSOs, where they cannot be the main applicants.
In case of a joint grant project application, the relationship of the cooperating parties, the distribution of responsibilities and competences shall be set, as well as commitment letters from all the contracting parties shall be attached.
In the selection of CSOs and Media organization the preference shall be given to the CSOs and Media Organizations which have a respective experience in anti-corruption, rights-protection, legal and environmental activities, implementation of monitoring, investigations and public watchdog in these fields and coverage of legal topics.
Regard shall be given to the projects by women-run CSOs, as well as projects which focus on issues particularly relevant to women (e.g. corruption issues in maternity hospitals, etc.).
In the cases when the application is submitted within the limits of 1 500 000 AMD, the preference shall be given to those applications which have been received from a group of 2 or more CSOs and Media organizations.
Grant Project Application.
The grant project application shall have a concrete objective(s). The results shall be realistic and measurable. The application shall clearly set what results and benefits the project implementation will bring, what possible impact the project will have on the anti-corruption reform agenda and the development of the Anti-Corruption CSO Coalition, how the anti-corruption aspects of the current RA Government Program, the Strategic Program of the RA legal and judicial reforms for the years of 2012-2016, the RA current Anti-Corruption Strategy and the implementation of their activities will be monitored, who will be the project beneficiaries.
The grant project applications shall be submitted in Armenian – consistent with the templates attached to this announcement.
The activities in the framework of the project may start only after the signing of Grant Agreements. The costs incurred prior to the date of grant shall not be subject to refund.
Terms.
Duration of each project is to be from 2 to 4 months.
Budget.
The grants awarded to the organizations shall amount to 1 000 000 AMD and 1 500 000 AMD.
Bearing in mind the limited size of the budget for each grant, requests to fund equipment and capital expenditure will not be encouraged. Minor capital expenditure of less than 100 000 AMD may be approved if relevant to the project proposal.
The aggregate changes in the budget expenditures by the grantee shall not exceed ten per cent (10%) of the total budget. The changes of the sum exceeding 10 % of the total budget or changes of the grant objectives shall be preliminarily approved by the Responsible person of the Organization.
Grant application procedure
All the interested CSOs shall submit the following documents attached to the grant application:
- Copy of the charter of the CSO(s) and Media Organization(s).
- Copy of the certificate of state registration of the CSO(s) and Media Organization(s), including the copies of all the inserts,
- Copy of the certificate of participation in anticorruption trainings organized by AYLA.
- Copy of tax code.
- Information about bank account (Successful applicants will be required to also present the extract from bank).
- If the Project Manager is not the CSO Manager, then – trust deed provided to the Project Manager by the CSO Manager.
- CVs of key staff,
- Commitment letters in case of joint projects.
The application shall be presented in a closed envelope in person or by postal delivery to the address of Nalbandyan 7/2, Yerevan or sending it to the e-mail of [email protected] with the subject titled “Small grant application”.
In case necessary, the applicants shall be required to also present the electronic versions of certain documents.
The deadline for the application submission of the first round is 18:00, 15 April 2015.
The applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered. The submitted application and the attached documents will not be returned to the applicant, irrespective of whether the application was accepted or not. Only one package of documents is required to be submitted. The applications which do not include all the required information or do not satisfy the project conditions will not be considered.
All the issues regarding the grants shall be resolved according to the Small Grants Policy of the AYLA.
Decisions on the small grant awards of the first round shall be made by 18:00, 29 April 2015. Information on successful applicants will be published on the Project website.
Grant agreements with the successful applicants of the first round shall be signed on 30 April 2015, and 1 May 2015 shall be considered as the start of the project.
Necessary documents.
Grants policy of the Armenian Young Lawyers Association NGO
“Multi-Faceted Anti-Corruption Promotion” Project Small Grants Application Form
