Call 2: “Protect and promote human rights, democracy and equality through empowering vulnerable groups”

The Bodossaki Foundation is offering a funding opportunity under the EU's Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) program. This call, titled “Protect and promote human rights, democracy and equality through empowering vulnerable groups,” is part of the PLATO project aimed at civil society organizations active in these areas. The call is specifically targeted toward intermediaries who will provide financial support to third parties, thereby enabling smaller organizations and NGOs to benefit indirectly.

The opportunity opened on March 12, 2025, with a submission deadline of June 12, 2025, at 17:00 Brussels time. The total funding available is €1,128,100, with at least 30% earmarked for small organizations implementing small grant projects.

The evaluation process consists of two phases. The first phase is an administrative and eligibility check where applications are assessed for compliance. Only those meeting the criteria will proceed to the second phase, which involves a technical evaluation by independent evaluators. Each application must achieve a minimum average score of 60 points to advance. If there is a significant discrepancy in scores, a third independent evaluator will be brought in.

The selection committee will review applications based on their scores and comments, with the ability to adjust rankings for alignment with the program's objectives. The decisions made by the committee are final.

This funding opportunity primarily supports projects that are ready for implementation and align with EU values and the goals of the CERV program. It emphasizes empowering vulnerable groups through financial support and aims for transparency and fairness in the evaluation process, ensuring that both administrative compliance and technical quality are considered.

The Bodossaki Foundation is offering a funding opportunity, Call 2: “Protect and promote human rights, democracy and equality through empowering vulnerable groups,” under the PLATO project, which stands for Protecting democracy, human rights and the rule of law through an open civic space. This call is part of the CERV-2024-CITIZENS-VALUES topic, specifically targeting civil society organisations active in protecting and promoting Union values, acting as intermediaries to provide financial support to third parties.

The call opened on 12 March 2025, and the deadline for submissions is 12 June 2025 at 17:00 (Brussels time). The submission model is single-stage.

The total funding available is 1,128,100.00 €. The grant agreement number for this project is 101186120.

The evaluation process consists of two phases:

Phase 1: Administrative and Eligibility Check. Applications are assessed for compliance with administrative and eligibility criteria. Only those meeting these requirements proceed to the next phase.

Phase 2: Technical Evaluation. Eligible applications are evaluated by two impartial evaluators appointed by the Consortium members. At least one evaluator will be independent (external) to the Bodossaki Foundation and the NGO Support Centre, selected through an open call. All evaluators must sign a declaration of no conflict of interest. Each evaluator independently scores the application based on predefined Evaluation Criteria. The final evaluation score is the average of the two individual scores. An application must achieve a minimum average score of 60 points to move forward. If the score difference between the two evaluators exceeds 30% of the higher score, a third independent evaluator will be appointed by the Bodossaki Foundation and the NGO Support Centre, and the final score will be the average of the two closest scores.

In the final selection process, at least 10% of the shortlisted applications will undergo a legal eligibility check for the lead applicants and partners. The Selection Committee will review the ranked applications based on their scores and evaluator comments. While rankings will generally be maintained, the Committee may adjust them in justified cases to ensure alignment with the programme’s objectives. The Selection Committee will allocate at least 30% of the call budget to support small organisations implementing small grant projects. The Committee will also determine the amount of financial support for each third party, based on the submitted project budget, with adjustments made only if the evaluators deem proposed activities necessary. The Selection Committee’s decision is final and cannot be changed.

In summary, this funding opportunity aims to support civil society organizations that are actively involved in protecting and promoting human rights, democracy, and equality, particularly by empowering vulnerable groups. The PLATO project, under the CERV program, provides financial support to these organizations, enabling them to act as intermediaries and further distribute funds to smaller, grassroots initiatives. The application process involves a thorough evaluation, ensuring transparency and fairness, with a focus on both administrative compliance and technical merit. The selection process prioritizes alignment with the program's objectives and includes specific provisions to support small organizations and projects.

Eligible Applicant Types: The call is specifically targeted towards civil society organisations (CSOs) active in protecting and promoting Union values. The call is also aimed at intermediaries, which implies that these intermediaries will be giving financial support to third parties, suggesting that smaller organizations and NGOs are indirectly eligible as beneficiaries through these intermediaries. The mention of allocating at least 30% of the call budget to support small organisations implementing small grant projects further confirms the eligibility of small organizations.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is grant funding, specifically cascade funding, where the Bodossaki Foundation acts as an intermediary to distribute funds to other organizations. This is further supported by the mention of "call to intermediaries (giving financial support to third parties)".

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required. However, the evaluation process mentions evaluators appointed by "Consortium members," which suggests that the Bodossaki Foundation and the NGO Support Centre form a consortium. The call itself is open to individual organizations acting as intermediaries, so a consortium is not a strict requirement for applicants, but the intermediaries will then provide funding to third parties.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The call is related to "Union values," which implies that the geographic eligibility is primarily within the European Union. The topic is under the CERV program (Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme), which typically focuses on activities within the EU.

Target Sector: The program targets the protection and promotion of human rights, democracy, and equality, with a focus on empowering vulnerable groups. This falls under the broader sectors of social justice, civil rights, and democratic values.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the focus on "Union values" and the CERV program implies a focus on the European Union member states.

Project Stage: The call is aimed at supporting projects that are already at the implementation stage, as the intermediaries will be providing financial support to third parties to carry out specific projects. The mention of "small grant projects" suggests that the projects are likely at the development or validation stage, ready for implementation.

Funding Amount: The total funding available is €1,128,100.00. The funding amount for individual projects will vary, as the Selection Committee will determine the amount of financial support for each third party based on the submitted project budget. However, the call specifies that at least 30% of the budget will be allocated to small organizations implementing small grant projects, indicating that individual grants could range from smaller amounts up to a significant portion of the total budget, depending on the project scope and needs.

Application Type: The application type is an open call, as indicated by "OPEN CALLS - BODOSSAKI FOUNDATION" and "Open For Submission." The deadline model is single-stage.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of grants, distributed through the intermediaries selected in this call.

Application Stages: The application process comprises two main phases: an administrative and eligibility check (Phase 1) and a technical evaluation (Phase 2). Following these phases, there is a final selection process that includes a legal eligibility check and review by the Selection Committee. Therefore, there are at least 3 stages.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned. However, the fact that at least 10% of shortlisted applications will undergo a legal eligibility check suggests that the initial selection process is competitive. The success rate is likely to be below 10% given the limited budget and the broad scope of the call.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This opportunity is an open call by the Bodossaki Foundation, under the EU's CERV program, aimed at civil society organizations that act as intermediaries. These intermediaries will receive grant funding to support third-party projects focused on protecting and promoting human rights, democracy, and equality, particularly by empowering vulnerable groups. The total funding available is €1,128,100.00, and the application deadline is June 12, 2025. The selection process involves an administrative check, a technical evaluation by independent evaluators, and a final review by a Selection Committee. At least 30% of the budget is earmarked for small organizations implementing small grant projects. The call is a single-stage application process. The funding is intended to support projects that are ready for implementation, and the intermediaries will distribute the funds to smaller organizations to carry out these projects. The focus is on projects aligned with EU values and the CERV program's objectives.