The European Union (EU) has announced a call for proposals to promote the empowerment of Civil Society Organisations to broaden their role in public debate and implement initiatives that strengthen participatory democracy and lead to equitable, sustainable and inclusive development.

Lot 1 - Civil society participation
Lot 2 - Sustainable development, bioeconomics and the circular economy
Lot 3 - Rights of indigenous peoples

Objectives

Specific objectives
Lot 1:
Strengthen the participation and role of civil society in the implementation of international trade and/or environmental and/or climate agreements to which Brazil and the EU are signatories.
Lot 2:
Promoting the development of sustainable socio-economic activities in a context of post-pandemic recovery in the Legal Amazon.
Lot 3:
Support indigenous peoples in the Legal Amazon.
Priorities

Lot 1:
Mechanisms for civil society representation and participation in the implementation of international agreement commitments.
Transparency and visibility in the implementation of international agreement commitments, including the production and systematisation of data and information.
Initiatives that support the effectiveness of socio-environmental and human rights clauses in relation to trade/economic axes.
Lot 2:
The use of sustainable technologies and the stimulation of a bio-economic or circular economy in sectors affected by the pandemic paralyses economic activity.
Partnerships with businesses and private companies, as well as the authorities, envisage sites for the construction of circular and SUSTAINABLE economic activities capable of generating employment and income.
Initiatives by business associations to strengthen the social and environmental responsibility (Responsible Business Conduct) of companies with a focus on post-pandemic recovery.
Lot 3:
Initiatives that support the territorial integrity, protection and security of indigenous lands.
Implementing political and administrative partnerships with the governments of the Legal Amazon to realise indigenous rights.
The development activities are the sustainable heat economy to strengthen indigenous peoples and other actions aimed at tackling the pandemic of the (post-) period.

The total indicative amount made available under this call is 5,400,000 dollars.
Bag size
Lot 1:
minimum value: 400,000 EUR
maximum value: EUR 5 00,000
Lot 2:
minimum value: EUR 500,000
maximum quantity: EUR 650,000
Lot 3:
minimum value: 5 00.000 EUR
maximum value: 650.000 eur
Duration

The initial duration of an action may not be less than 36 months or exceed a maximum of 48 months.

Location

The shares must be in Brazil, with the following specificities:
Lot 1: actions must be carried out in Brazil. Only proposals on a state, regional or national scale will be supported.
However, the point of activities can, if duly justified when describing the action, take place in other countries when they are directly related to the action and for the benefit of groups in situations of vulnerability, for example , participation in a seminar or an international conference, a visit to European institutions, an opening or closing of a campaign, a specific exhibition or other similar events.
Lot 2 and 3: the actions must be carried out in the Brazilian Amazon

Eligibility criteria

Main candidate(s)

LOT 1:
To be eligible for a scholarship, the main candidates must:
have legal personality
making non-profit
are nationals of Brazil or a Member State of the European Union or a Member State of the European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway). For British applicants: please note that the eligibility criteria must be met throughout the duration of the grant. If the UK withdraws from the EU during the period of the grant without reaching an agreement with the European Union, specifically ensure that UK applicants remain eligible, stop receiving EU funding (while still, if possible participating) or will be asked to leave the project in accordance with article 12.e) of the grant agreement.
be a CSO or platform, or representative coalition of CSOs formed in accordance with the legislation in force in the country concerned
have at least 3 years' experience in the subject to be covered by the proposal
be directly responsible, together with their co-applicant(s) and affiliated entity (ies), for the preparation and management of the action and not act as intermediaries
compete with co-candidates
international organisations are not eligible, but can participate as members
Lots 2 and 3:
have legal personality
making non-profit
be a CSO or platform, or representative coalition of CSOs formed in accordance with the legislation in force in the country concerned
be established in Brazil
have at least 3 years' experience in the subject to be covered by the proposal
be directly responsible, together with the applicant(s) and affiliated organisation(s), for the preparation and management of the action, not acting as an intermediary
compete with co-candidates; AND
International organisations are not eligible, but can participate as members.

Co-candidates

Co-applicants must participate in the design and implementation of the action and the costs they incur are eligible in the same way as the costs borne by the main applicant.
Co-applicants must fulfil the same eligibility criteria as those applicable to the main applicant.
The main candidates must run together with co-applicants based in Brazil.

Affiliated Entities

• The main candidate and his/her co-candidate(s) can run with an affiliated organisation (ies).
• Only the following entities can be considered as affiliated entities of the main applicant and/or co-applicant(s):
  • Only entities that have a structural link with the applicants (i.e. the main applicant or a co-applicant), especially a legal or financial link.
  • This structural link essentially includes two notions:
    • Control, as defined in Directive 2013/34/EU on the annual financial statements, consolidated financial statements and related reports of certain types of undertakings:
      • Thus, the organisations affiliated to a candidate can be:
        • Entities controlled directly or indirectly by the applicant (affiliated companies). They can also be entities controlled by an entity controlled by the applicant (sub-consulting companies), the same applying to subsequent levels of control;
        • Entities that control the applicant directly or indirectly (parent companies). Likewise, they can be entities that control an entity that controls the applicant;
        • Entities under the same direct or indirect control as the applicant (subsidiary companies).
  • Membership status, i.e. the applicant is legally defined as, for example, a network, a federation, an association in which the proposed affiliated entities participate equally or the applicant participates in the same entity (e.g. a network, a federation, an association,...) as the proposed affiliated entities.

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