Sub-grant competition for non-governmental organisations

The NGO “Institute of Analytics and Advocacy” in collaboration with the NGO “Technology of Progress” announces the call for applications to participate in the sub-grants competition for non-governmental organizations under the project “Accountability and Capacity-building for Customs Oversight and Reform Development” (ACCORD) with financial support from the European Union.

Project goal: to enhance transparency, accountability, and effectiveness of Ukrainian customs authorities and modernize customs management in accordance with EU standards and requirements.

More information about the project is available at the following link.

Additionally, within the project, registration is ongoing for an online course aimed at enhancing capacity and increasing awareness in the field of monitoring the activities of the State Customs Service.

About the sub-grant competition

Thematic priorities for participation in the competition:

1. Monitoring of the operational activities and key indicators of the State Customs Service;
2. Analysis of legislation and institutional reforms on the path to aligning the Ukrainian customs with EU standards;
3. Implementation of public analytical tools for objective assessment of the effectiveness of customs authorities and the overall activities of the customs service;
4. Increasing awareness and competencies of the non-governmental sector in customs operations;
5. Strengthening dialogue and cooperation between the government, civil society, and business for the effective reform of customs and its operational activities.

These directions are prioritized but not exhaustive, so we recommend focusing on them and considering them when choosing the direction of your project activities when submitting an application.

Sub-grant size: within the competition, it is planned to provide 4 grants of up to EUR 56,500 each (the project’s annual budget should not exceed EUR 22,600).

Applicants are required to submit project budget proposals in EUR.

Sub-grants are provided for the purpose of: enhancing the capacity of NGOs to utilize open data, conduct monitoring, analysis, and compile relevant reports with further promotion and dissemination of key results, as well as tools created by the project.

Implementation Period of Sub-grants: June 1, 2024 – November 30, 2026.

Sub-grant contracts will be signed with each organization for 2.5 years (30 months), subject to monitoring of activities and compliance verification with the indicators specified in the sub-grant agreement.

Objectives:

• Development of the potential and involvement of the non-governmental sector in customs reform processes.
• Strengthening influence on the effectiveness and rationality of decisions in the customs reform process by involving analytical centers in assessing the current situation and potential changes.
• Increasing public attention to issues related to customs reform and the impact of this process on the country’s future development.

Geography: NGOs applying for sub-grants can be from any region, but preference for future monitoring and advocacy campaigns will be given to regions with the most active/busiest customs checkpoints.

Important! Commercial organizations, political parties, government institutions, and individuals will not be granted sub-grants under this competition.

Criteria for eligibility for consideration of grant proposals by participants in the competition:

• Officially registered non-governmental (civil, charitable) organization in Ukraine, which has obtained non-profit status in accordance with the established legislation (non-profit code 0032).
• Properly completed grant proposal in accordance with the application and budget forms (attached below), submitted within the deadline and in the manner specified in this announcement (compliance with qualification criteria).
• Local NGOs/CSOs must have a team of at least 3 members that meets the requirements set out in the sub-grant conditions.
• Experience in the relevant field and the presence of internal controls for managing sub-grant funds, including a financial manager and a bank account.

To select the most appropriate and effective sub-grant, the commission will evaluate all received proposals based on the principles of non-discrimination, transparency, and fairness. The received sub-grant proposals may be subject to additional approval by representatives of the European Union. The selection results will be published by the project team and notified to the winners personally.

During the evaluation of applications, the selection committee will assess the overall advantages and feasibility, as well as compliance with the criteria outlined below. All applications will be evaluated based on criteria related to compliance with the competition requirements, institutional capacity, project methodology and activities, sustainability of results, and financial efficiency.

Order of Submission

Project proposals along with attachments should be submitted electronically to the address mail@iaa.org.ua no later than April 28, 2024. The subject line of the email should indicate: “Application [name of your organization] for the ACCORD competition”.

The final deadline for submissions is April 28, 2024, 20:00 Kyiv time. The project proposal should be completed and submitted in Ukrainian.

If you have any questions regarding this announcement, please contact us at the email addresses mail@iaa.org.ua or panchenko@iaa.org.ua.

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