Capacity Building & Funding Opportunity - Request for Application

RESILIENT & INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY PROGRAM

REQUEST FOR APPLICATION (RFA)

Section I: Capacity building & funding opportunity description

BACKGROUND/INTRODUCTION

Advocacy Training and Resource Center (ATRC) is a Kosovar non-governmental and non-profit organization that works in increasing citizen and civil society participation in decision-making, as a prerequisite for a developed democratic society and regional stability. Since its establishment in 2001, ATRC has assisted numerous NGOs in Kosovo wide to professionalize their work, articulate their demands, and advocate to government structures about issues affecting Kosovo society through mentoring, training, grant-giving, advocacy, information exchange and technical assistance.

ATRC and its partner Community Building Mitrovica (CBM) are currently implementing the Resilient & Inclusive Community Program (Hereinafter referred as “Program”) funded by The Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF). The program aims to increase local community agency of Prevent Violent Extremism (PVE) and Reintegration and Rehabilitation (R&R) and build the sustainability of PVE and R&R in Kosovo by building the capacities of key actors and mechanisms. The project will work with a) national and local state institutions working on PVE and R&R issues; b) local CSOs, c) communities and local mechanisms, and d) returnees/former terrorist offenders and their families/caregivers.

Within this program, ATRC is seeking applications from local CSOs to take part in the capacity building component and then  grant scheme for CSOs. This component of the program will include:

1. An info session with all selected CSOs to explain the capacity building initiative;
2. The development of individual capacity building assessment and plan for each CSO by the Program staff and an external expert;
3. Individual CSO trainings to address key operational capacity gaps by Program staff and external experts;
4. Quarterly mentoring to work towards the capacity building plan’s goals by Program staff;
5. Joint PVE and R&R training with all selected CSOs by an external expert;
6. Grant award as well as support to design and implement activities under this award.

CSOs will be selected based on their potential to increase their engagement in PVE and R&R work and more specifically to contribute the Program’s four overall goals:

1. a) strengthening central and local level institutional operational and knowledge capacities;
2. b) strengthening operational and knowledge capacities of Local CSO-s to work on PVE and R&R;
3. c) reducing youth vulnerability towards violent extremism by increasing sense of purpose and social cohesion;
4. d) raising community awareness to reduce stigmatisation of returnees and marginalised groups.

In addition, the program will look to equip selected CSOs to provide local support to returnees/former terrorist offenders and their families/caretakers in the future.

Section II:  Award Information

This application phase includes only the CSO-s interest, and once they are selected they will receive all trainings by the end of December 2023 and then will be selected for  grant and its activity support in early 2024.  

Section III:  Eligibility Information

Grants will only be awarded to following types of organizations: Kosovo - based entities (government entities are excluded) non-profit and for profit non-governmental organizations.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

ATRC will issue grants to organizations that are legally registered and recognized under the laws of Kosovo.

To be eligible, an applicant must: 

• Show proof of a valid registration under the Kosovo Law on Freedom of Association in Non-Governmental Organizations;
• Show proof of a valid bank account at a bank in Kosovo;
• Demonstrate it is in good standing with Tax Administration of Kosovo; and

In addition, the grantees must demonstrate that they:

• Possess sound managerial, technical, and institutional capacities to achieve project results;
• Are willing to sign applicable assurance certifications.

SIZE OF GRANTS

Section IV:  Application Review Information

PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESSAfter the closing date, ATRC will conduct first technical screening for all applications. The technical screening will be based on the technical criteria set. In order for application to be technically completed the following criteria need to be met:

• Electronic version of the application is submitted at grants@advocacy-center.org up to the deadline;
• Valid organizational registration as a legal entity in Kosovo with the Department of Registration and Liaison of NGOs within the Kosovo Ministry of Public Administration (scanned);
• Applicant has bank account in one of the Kosovo Banks
• Valid tax verification from Tax Administration of Kosovo (TAK) that verifies that applicant is registered at TAK and does not have current debts or obligations (scanned).

Section V:  Application Submission Information

Applications in response to this call must be submitted electronically at: grants@advocacy-center.org

The deadline for receipt of the application is June 15th, 2023, 16:00h

Applications received after this time will not be considered. 

All applications must be submitted in the required format with all required attachments:

• Annex 1 Application  (Info on organization)
• Copy of Registration Certificate
• Tax verification from Tax Administration of Kosovo  

ATRC reserves the right to determine whether or not an application is substantially submitted.

Applicants will be informed of the status of their application, no later than June, 20th 2023

Please note: the capacity building initiative is expected to begin no later than June 23^rd, 2023.