Strengthening Human Rights and Democracy in Tajikistan

The European Union Delegation to Tajikistan is offering action grants EuropeAid under the Thematic Programme on Human Rights and Democracy with a total budget of €1,419,500 to strengthen human rights, fundamental freedoms and rule of law in Tajikistan. Individual grants range from €300,000 to €400,000 with EU co-financing between 90% and 95% of eligible costs and actions must run 24–36 months and take place in Tajikistan. Eligible lead applicants are non-profit legal entities established effectively in an EU Member State, in Tajikistan or other eligible countries, with at least one co-applicant required and additional requirements for co-applicants if the lead is not established in Tajikistan. This is a two-stage restricted call with concept notes submitted via PROSPECT by 2 June 2026 at 14:00 Brussels time, PADOR and Participant Register (PIC) registration are mandatory, and priority areas include freedom of expression and access to information, gender equality and women's rights, and justice sector reform.

What it funds

Action grants to support civil society initiatives that promote human rights, fundamental freedoms and rule of law in Tajikistan, with priority areas including freedom of expression and access to information, countering disinformation and digital harms, gender equality and protection of women’s rights (including GBV response and women’s economic empowerment), and justice sector reform.

Who can apply and how much

Lead applicants must be non-profit legal persons (eg local or EU NGOs) established in the EU, Tajikistan or other eligible countries; at least one co-applicant is mandatory and if the lead is not established in Tajikistan the lead must partner with at least two Tajikistan-based co-applicants. Actions must be implemented in Tajikistan.

Typical grant size and co-financing:Grants range from €300,000 to €400,000; EU contribution covers 90% to 95% of eligible costs. The overall call budget is €1,419,500 ¹.

1. 1Priorities: media freedom and counter-disinformation; gender equality and GBV prevention/response; justice sector reform.
2. 2Eligible applicants: non-profit legal persons (NGOs), consortia encouraged; affiliated entities allowed under conditions.
3. 3Action duration: between 24 and 36 months; financial support to third parties allowed (standard limits apply).

Applications are submitted in two phases:concept note (pre-selection) via PROSPECT, then invited full application (PADOR registration required). An information session is scheduled for 5 May 2026. See the call page and applicant guidelines for templates, eligibility rules, procurement and reporting requirements Call Documents ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Full guidelines for applicants, budget templates, logframe and annexes are in the official call documents available on the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Basic administrative data

Opportunity Title:Strengthening Human Rights and Democracy in Tajikistan. Reference: EuropeAid. Programme: Thematic Programme on Human Rights and Democracy. Geographical Zone: Tajikistan. Type of action: Action Grants. Budget available: €1,419,500 (€699,500 from 2025 budget and €720,000 from 2026 budget). Published: 16 April 2026. Deadline for concept notes: 2 June 2026 at 14:00 Brussels time. This is a restricted call for proposals using a two-stage submission (concept note then invited full application). Online submission is mandatory via PROSPECT, and PADOR/Participant Register registration is required for organisations.

Objectives, priorities and eligible actions

Global objective:Increase protection and promotion of human rights, democracy and fundamental freedoms in Tajikistan. Specific objective: Promote human rights, fundamental freedoms and rule of law by supporting civil society organisations (CSOs), with emphasis on media freedom, gender equality, and justice system improvement.

Priorities and examples of eligible activities:(i) Supporting freedom of expression, access to information and fight against disinformation, including digital technology-related activities; protection of journalists; training and skills development for media professionals; promoting enabling environment for media. (ii) Enhancing gender equality and protecting women’s rights, with emphasis on women’s economic empowerment, elimination of gender-based violence (GBV), survivor-centred services (hotlines, shelters, legal and psychosocial support), advocacy and legal reform, capacity building for justice actors. (iii) Supporting justice sector reform initiatives, including juvenile justice, penitentiary reform, access to justice, capacity building, documentation and strategic litigation. Actions must use a Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA) and mainstream gender (EU Gender Action Plan III).

Financial conditions, grant size and co-financing

Available funding and grant size:Total indicative amount: €1,419,500. Grants available: minimum €300,000 and maximum €400,000 per grant. EU contribution must be between 90% and 95% of total eligible costs; applicants must provide co-financing to cover the balance from sources other than the EU general budget or EDF.

Form of grant:reimbursement of eligible costs. Grants may include a contingency reserve up to 5% of estimated direct eligible costs subject to prior written approval. Indirect costs may be claimed as a flat rate up to 7% of estimated total eligible direct costs (excluding volunteer costs and project office costs). Volunteers’ work may be declared as in-kind unit costs if authorised and must be presented separately; volunteers’ work cannot be financed by the EU contribution and is excluded from indirect cost base.

Eligibility of applicants, partners and actions

Lead applicant eligibility:must be a legal, non-profit-making organisation (for example a non-governmental organisation), established effectively in an EU Member State, Tajikistan, or other country eligible under the NDICI-GE regulation. Lead applicant must be directly responsible for preparation and management of the action and not act as intermediary. The lead applicant must register in PADOR and in the Participant Register (PIC) and submit applications via PROSPECT.

Co-applicants:At least one co-applicant is mandatory. If the lead applicant is not established in Tajikistan, the lead must have at least two co-applicants established in Tajikistan. Co-applicants participate in design and implementation and must sign a mandate. Affiliated entities: entities with a structural link (control or membership) to applicants may participate; they do not sign the contract but their costs may be eligible if properly documented and an affiliated entity statement is provided.

Associates, contractors and recipients of financial support:associates may participate without receiving funding (except travel/per diems). Contractors deliver services under procurement rules. Financial support to third parties/sub-grants is allowed under strict conditions: maximum per third party normally €60,000 unless justified and authorised; selection criteria, eligibility, types of activities, amounts and maximum per third party must be defined ex ante in the full application and contract.

Action eligibility and duration

Actions must take place in Tajikistan (trainings/study tours may take place elsewhere) and must last between 24 and 36 months. Actions must address the global and specific objectives and at least one priority listed in Section 1.2. Ineligible types of action include individual sponsorship-only projects, individual scholarships-only, actions that may violate human rights, discriminatory actions, social service delivery-only actions, partisan political support, proselytism or propaganda. Actions must integrate HRBA and gender mainstreaming and use results-based Logical Frameworks with GERF indicators where possible.

Evaluation, selection and award procedure

This call uses a restricted two-stage procedure:submission of a concept note (Annex A.1). Concept notes passing administrative checks are scored out of 50 against relevance and design criteria; only concept notes scoring at least 30 may be pre-selected. The contracting authority will pre-select concept notes up to an aggregate 300% of available budget. Pre-selected lead applicants will be invited to submit full applications (Annex A.2). Full applications are evaluated on selection criteria (operational and financial capacity) and award criteria including relevance, design, implementation approach, sustainability and cost-effectiveness; full applications are scored out of 100. Minimum thresholds apply to Section 1 (financial and operational capacity): if the score is less than 12 points or any subsection equals 1, the application is rejected. A reserve list will be compiled.

Evaluation steps:Step 1 administrative checks and concept note evaluation; Step 2 evaluation of full application; Step 3 verification of eligibility and supporting documents for provisionally selected applicants. After verification, the contracting authority makes final award decisions and issues contracts based on the standard grant contract (Annex G) or a contribution agreement where applicable. The contracting authority reserves the right not to award all funds or to cancel the procedure.

How to apply: process and mandatory systems

Mandatory registrations:all organisations (lead, co-applicants and affiliated entities other than natural persons) must register in PADOR and in the European Commission Participant Register (PIC). Online submission is mandatory via PROSPECT. If registration in PADOR is impossible for technical/security reasons, applicants must complete and submit the offline PADOR form with the full application. Applicants must follow PROSPECT user manuals and may attend an information session on 5 May 2026 (Delegation of the EU to Tajikistan and online); registration for the session by 29 April 2026 via the provided email is required. IT support for PROSPECT is available with defined hours and contact channels.

Application templates and annexes provided

Applicants must use the provided templates:Annex A.1 Concept note; Annex A.2 Full application form; Annex B Budget Excel (worksheets for cost-based, hybrid and FNLC-only budgets); Annex C Logical framework; Annex D Identification forms; Annex F PADOR offline form; Annex G Standard grant contract and related annexes (General Conditions, procurement rules, payment request, model narrative and financial reports, model expenditure verification ToR, model third-party assessment ToR, model financial guarantee, transfer of ownership template); Annex H Declaration of honour; Annex L SEA-H self-evaluation questionnaire. The Guidelines for Applicants contain full instructions. Use of GERF indicators is encouraged for logframe design.

Key compliance, ethics and safeguarding requirements

Applicants must comply with EU values and relevant national and international law. Zero tolerance for sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (SEA-H) applies: successful applicants (except natural persons, pillar-assessed entities and governments/public bodies) must complete a self-evaluation questionnaire (Annex L). Anti-corruption, anti-bribery and prohibition on unusual commercial expenses are enforced. Applicants must avoid conflicts of interest and declare any potential issues. Environmental legislation and core labour standards should be respected. Any protection requests related to visibility for security or political sensitivity must be justified in the full application for negotiation in the Special Conditions.

Checks, audits, financial verification and third-party assessments

For grants above thresholds, the contracting authority requires external verification:contractual expenditure verification (AUP) is required for action grants above specified thresholds and for the final report in grants above €100,000; model Terms of Reference and AUP templates are provided (Annex G Annex VII). For FNLC (financing not linked to costs), a third-party assessment validating reported results is required for large grants and for the final report where indicated. The contracting authority and EU bodies have rights to audit, inspect, and access documentation during and after project implementation; retention periods for records are specified (5 years after balance payment, or 3 years for grants <= €60,000) and longer if audits are ongoing.

Key compliance and administrative limits

1. 1One application per lead applicant under this call; a lead applicant cannot be co-applicant or affiliated entity in another application under this call.
2. 2A lead applicant may be awarded only one grant under this call.
3. 3Co-applicant/affiliated entity cannot feature as co-applicant or affiliated entity in more than one application.
4. 4Maximum grant per applicant: €400,000; minimum: €300,000.
5. 5EU contribution rate: minimum 90% and maximum 95% of total eligible costs.

Scoring and indicative timetable

Concept notes are scored out of 50 with sub-criteria for relevance and design. Only concept notes scoring >= 30 are pre-selected. Full applications are scored out of 100 against selection and award criteria. Indicative timetable: information session 5 May 2026; deadline for clarifications 12 May 2026; clarifications published 22 May 2026; concept note deadline 2 June 2026; invited full application submission around September 2026; notification of contracting authority decision November 2026; contract signature December 2026. These dates, except the call deadlines, are indicative and may be updated.

Risk management and sustainability expectations

Applicants must include robust risk and assumption analysis in the logframe, contingency planning and mitigation measures, assessment of sustainability (financial, institutional, policy, environmental), and a clear monitoring, reporting and evaluation plan. Where requested, an external evaluation is recommended/required for actions above €500,000.

Administrative and technical support for applicants

Applicants should use PROSPECT and PADOR user manuals and e-learning videos. IT support contact for PROSPECT is provided and works Monday to Friday with specified hours; email fallback is ec-external-relations-application-support@ec.europa.eu. Technical questions on call content should be directed to delegation-tajikistan-tender-186255@eeas.europa.eu by the deadlines stated for clarifications.

Templates and structure applicants must submit

Mandatory forms and templates to be used:Annex A.1 Concept note form (strict format and page limits for concept note: description max 2 pages, relevance max 3 pages); Annex A.2 Full application (description max 18 pages, methodology 5 pages, action plan 4 pages, sustainability 3 pages); Annex B Budget (worksheets 1a cost-based, €1Bhybrid, 1c FNLC-only, justification worksheet 2, worksheet 3 expected sources of funding); Annex C Logical Framework matrix and activities matrix; Annex D Identification forms; Annex H Declaration of honour; Annex L SEA-H self-evaluation (for applicable entities); Annex G Standard Grant Contract and Annex II General Conditions and Annex IV procurement rules; Annex V payment request; Annex VII terms of reference for AUP and for third-party assessments; Annex VIII model financial guarantee; Annex IX transfer of ownership template. Applicants must follow the checklists included in the forms and the instructions in the Guidelines for Applicants.

Categorisation questions and structured extraction

1. 1Eligible Applicant Types: non-profit legal entities including non-governmental organisations, CSOs, local and international NGOs, public law bodies (with specific identification forms), public authorities where eligible, affiliated entities (networks, federations) meeting the structural link definition, and natural persons only where explicitly allowed. Lead applicants must be non-profit legal persons; co-applicants must satisfy the same eligibility. Pillar-assessed organisations and international organisations have specific derogations noted. Individuals may participate as contractors or experts but not as lead applicants unless the call allows natural persons (this call requires organisations).
2. 2Funding Type: primary mechanism is a grant (Action Grants). Grants are provided as reimbursement of eligible costs; there is also scope for financing not linked to costs (FNLC) or hybrid (both cost-based and FNLC) where indicated in Annex III. Financial support to third parties (sub-grants) is allowed under strict conditions.
3. 3Consortium Requirement: consortium is required in practice — minimum one co-applicant is mandatory. Priority is given to consortia of local CSOs and the call prefers consortiums. If the lead applicant is not established in Tajikistan, it must partner with at least two co-applicants established in Tajikistan. Therefore the scheme requires multi-actor participation: consortium (lead + co-applicant(s)).
4. 4Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): actions must take place in Tajikistan. Lead applicants may be established in EU Member States, Tajikistan or other countries eligible under NDICI-GE regulation. Geographic eligibility for applicants: EU, Tajikistan, and other countries listed under the NDICI legal framework; final actions are implemented in Tajikistan only.
5. 5Target Sector: Human rights and democracy thematic area. Sub-sectors: media and freedom of expression, counter-disinformation, digital rights, gender equality and women's rights (including GBV prevention and survivor services), justice sector reform, prisoner rights and reintegration, legal aid and judicial capacity building. Crosscutting sectors: governance, rule of law, digital/ICT (media/digital hygiene), gender mainstreaming, safeguarding and protection.
6. 6Mentioned Countries: Tajikistan is explicitly mentioned as the geographical zone and target country. EU Member States are mentioned as places where applicants may be established. No other specific partner countries are named.
7. 7Project Stage: expected project maturity: implementation-ready civil society interventions at the development/validation to demonstration stage. Applicants should propose implementable actions with concrete outputs, monitoring systems and realistic timelines (24–36 months). Projects should have defined activities, outputs, outcomes and impact and include monitoring and evaluation arrangements.
8. 8Funding Amount: grants must be between €300,000 and €400,000 per selected action. Total call budget €1,419,500. EU contribution rate expected 90% to 95% of eligible costs. Where FNLC is used, amounts per FNLC indicator are set in Annex III and specified in the budget template.
9. 9Application Type: open but restricted to a two-stage restricted call: first a concept note (Annex A.1) is submitted in an open call format with a fixed deadline; shortlisted applicants are then invited to submit full applications (Annex A.2). Submission method is mandatory online via PROSPECT. There is an information session; clarifications follow strict deadlines.
10. 10Nature of Support: monetary grant funding (reimbursement of eligible costs and/or financing not linked to costs). In addition, non-monetary requirements include technical capacity-building expectations, monitoring, reporting, visibility obligations and potential third-party assessments; but primary support is financial.
11. 11Application Stages: two official application stages: (1) concept note submission and evaluation; (2) invited full application submission and evaluation, followed by eligibility checks and final award. Implementation includes reporting and possible audits. Therefore applicants pass 2 main application stages (concept note then full application), followed by administrative verifications and contract signature.
12. 12Success Rates: not stated explicitly in the call. The call describes that concept notes are pre-selected if scoring >= 30 and only concept notes covering up to 300% of available budget are invited to full application. Expected selection ratio depends on the number and quality of submissions; a competitive, selective process with reserve list is used. No numerical success rate provided in documentation.
13. 13Co-funding Requirement: yes. EU contribution covers 90% to 95% of total eligible costs; remaining balance must be financed by other sources including applicant contribution, other donors or in-kind contributions that are allowed. The balance must not come from the EU general budget or EDF. Volunteers’ work may be counted as in-kind co-financing subject to rules (max 50% of all sources of financing).
14. 14Templates: application forms and templates include: Annex A.1 Concept note (strict page limits and required tables), Annex A.2 Full application (structured sections: general information; full description up to 18 pages; methodology; action plan; sustainability; logical framework in Annex C; budget in Annex B with worksheets 1a/€1B/1c; justification worksheet 2; expected sources worksheet 3), Annex C Logframe template and activities matrix (with detailed guidance on indicators, baselines, targets, data sources, assumptions), Annex B budget templates (cost-based, cost-based + FNLC, FNLC only) with detailed rules for eligible costs, indirect costs, contingency and volunteers, Annex VI model narrative and financial reports (interim and final templates), Annex VII AUP terms of reference and templates, Annex VII third-party assessment ToR, Annex VIII model financial guarantee, Annex IX asset transfer template, Annex H declaration of honour, Annex L SEA-H self-evaluation. The concept note and full application checklists are compulsory; applicants must provide supporting documents including statutes, latest accounts, audit reports where required, and PADOR forms where online registration is not possible.

Essential practical requirements and applicant checklist:register in Participant Register (PIC) and PADOR; prepare the concept note using Annex A.1 format in English; ensure the concept note includes the summary table (objectives, final beneficiaries, expected outputs, main activities, target groups), the 2-page description and 3-page relevance section; estimate indicative EU contribution at concept note stage (detailed budget only in full application); apply online in PROSPECT before 2 June 2026 14:00 Brussels time; attend the information session if possible; prepare supporting legal and financial documents for full application stage; ensure SEA-H self-evaluation is ready if recommended.

Where to find the call documents:All call documents are published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and in PROSPECT. Key documents include: Guidelines for grant applicants, Annexes A.1 and A.2, Annex B budget spreadsheet, Annex C logical framework, Annex G standard grant contract and annexes, Annex H declaration of honour and Annex L SEA-H self-evaluation questionnaire. See the call page on the Funding & Tenders Portal for downloads and updates F&T Opportunity Guidelines for applicants (download). ¹

Footnote marker:For the full set of legal templates, procedural guidance, financial templates and third-party assessment/AUP models consult the Annex G package and Annexes II–IX in the Guidelines for Grant Applicants. The contracting authority requires conformity with these templates and standard grant contract conditions; any deviation must be justified and agreed in advance.

Footnotes

1. 1Full Guidelines for applicants and annexes are available on the call page and in PROSPECT. See the Guidelines for grant applicants and Annexes at the official call documents section: webgate.ec.europa.eu

Funding Opportunity Overview

This call for proposals seeks to strengthen human rights, fundamental freedoms, and rule of law in Tajikistan through support to civil society organisations. The European Union Delegation to Tajikistan is offering grants under the Thematic Programme on Human Rights and Democracy to fund actions that promote democratic governance and protect vulnerable populations.

Reference Number:EuropeAid

Total Budget Available:€1,419,500 (€699,500 financed under 2025 budget and €720,000 financed under 2026 budget)

Deadline for Concept Notes:2 June 2026 at 14:00 Brussels time ¹

Eligibility Criteria

Lead Applicant Requirements

The lead applicant must be a legal person and non-profit-making organisation, specifically a non-governmental organisation. The organisation must be effectively established in a Member State of the European Union, in Tajikistan, or in other countries as stipulated in the NDICI-Global Europe Regulation. The lead applicant must be directly responsible for preparation and management of the action with co-applicants and affiliated entities, not acting as an intermediary.

Co-applicants and Affiliated Entities

Minimum one co-applicant is mandatory. If the lead applicant is not established in Tajikistan, it must act with at least two co-applicants established in Tajikistan. Co-applicants must satisfy the same eligibility criteria as the lead applicant and must sign a mandate. Affiliated entities may participate if they have a structural link with applicants, such as legal or capital links, control relationships, or membership in networks or federations.

Eligible Actions

Actions must take place in Tajikistan, with a minimum duration of 24 months and maximum of 36 months. Actions must address the global objective of increasing protection and promotion of human rights, democracy and fundamental freedoms in Tajikistan, and the specific objective of promoting human rights, fundamental freedoms and rule of law by supporting civil society organisations' actions.

Priority Areas

• Supporting freedom of expression, access to information, and fighting disinformation, particularly in the era of digital technologies
• Enhancing gender equality and protecting women's rights, with emphasis on women's economic empowerment and elimination of gender-based violence
• Supporting justice sector reform initiatives

Priority will be given to proposals drafted and implemented by consortiums of local civil society organisations and those demonstrating good intervention logic with rigorous results monitoring systems. Actions must be designed using Human Rights-Based Approach methodology and must integrate gender mainstreaming as a crosscutting priority.

Ineligible Actions

• Actions concerned only or mainly with individual sponsorships for participation in workshops, seminars, conferences and congresses
• Actions concerned only or mainly with individual scholarships for studies or training courses
• Actions and measures that may result in violation of human rights or causing significant adverse effects on the environment or climate
• Actions which discriminate against individuals or groups on grounds of gender, age, sexual orientation, religious or political beliefs, ethnic origin, or disabilities
• Actions aimed at only directly delivering social services to target groups
• Actions supporting specific political parties or candidates
• Actions including proselytism or propaganda

Funding Amounts and Rates

Grant Size:Minimum €300,000 and maximum €400,000 per grant

Co-financing Requirements:Minimum 90 percent and maximum 95 percent of total eligible costs must be financed by the European Union. The balance must be financed from sources other than the general budget of the Union or the European Development Fund.

Eligible Costs:Grants take the form of reimbursement of eligible costs. Eligible direct costs include human resources, travel, equipment and supplies, project office costs, and other costs and services. Indirect costs are eligible for flat-rate funding up to 7 percent of estimated total eligible direct costs. A contingency reserve not exceeding 5 percent of estimated direct eligible costs may be included but requires prior written authorisation.

Application Process

Two-Stage Procedure

This is a restricted call for proposals. In the first instance, only concept notes must be submitted for evaluation. Lead applicants whose concept notes are pre-selected will be invited to submit full applications. After evaluation of full applications, an eligibility check will be performed for provisionally selected applications.

Stage 1: Concept Note Submission

Concept notes must be submitted online via PROSPECT. The deadline for submission is 2 June 2026 at 14:00 Brussels time. Lead applicants must provide an estimate of the requested EU contribution and indicative percentage of that contribution in relation to eligible costs. Concept notes will be evaluated on relevance and design of the proposed action, with a maximum score of 50 points. Only concept notes scoring at least 30 points will be considered for pre-selection.

Stage 2: Full Application Submission

Pre-selected lead applicants will be invited to submit full applications. The deadline for full applications will be indicated in the invitation letter. Full applications will be evaluated on financial and operational capacity, relevance of the action, design of the action, implementation approach, sustainability, and budget and cost-effectiveness, with a maximum score of 100 points. If the total score for financial and operational capacity is less than 12 points, or if any subsection scores 1, the application will be rejected.

Registration Requirements

Lead applicants, co-applicants and affiliated entities, other than natural persons, must register in PADOR (online database for organisations). PADOR registration is mandatory for this call. Lead applicants must register at the concept note stage. Co-applicants and affiliated entities must register at the full application stage. Organisations must also register in the European Commission's Participant Register to obtain a Participant Identification Code.

Information Session

An information session will be held on 5 May 2026 at 11:00 Brussels time at 74 Adhamov Street, Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Participants can attend in person or online. Registration is required by 29 April 2026 by sending an email to delegation-tajikistan-tender-186255@eeas.europa.eu with names, nationalities, email addresses and organisation details (maximum two participants per organisation).

Key Submission Requirements

Concept Note Content

• Summary of the action including objectives, final beneficiaries, expected outputs, main activities and target groups
• Description of the action covering background, objectives, stakeholder groups, intervention logic, activities, crosscutting issues and timeframe (maximum 2 pages)
• Relevance of the action addressing consistency with call objectives, needs and constraints of target country, target groups and final beneficiaries, and added-value elements (maximum 3 pages)
• Lead applicant information

Full Application Content

• Detailed description of the action (maximum 18 pages)
• Implementation approach and methodology (maximum 5 pages)
• Indicative action plan for implementation (maximum 4 pages)
• Sustainability of the action (maximum 3 pages)
• Logical Framework Matrix with results chain, indicators, baselines, targets and sources of data
• Budget with detailed justification
• Experience of lead applicant, co-applicants and affiliated entities in similar and other actions
• Declarations and mandates from co-applicants and affiliated entities

Supporting Documents for Full Application

• Statutes or articles of association of lead applicant, co-applicants and affiliated entities
• Declaration on honour certifying non-exclusion status (for grants exceeding €15,000)
• Audit report or self-declaration certifying validity of accounts for up to last 3 financial years (for action grants exceeding €750,000)
• Copy of lead applicant's latest accounts (profit and loss account and balance sheet)
• PADOR registration form if online registration is not possible

Evaluation Criteria and Timeline

Concept Note Evaluation Grid

Full Application Evaluation Grid

Indicative Timetable

Important Conditions and Obligations

Ethics and Values

Applicants must not be affected by any conflict of interest. Applicants awarded grants must comply with environmental legislation including multilateral environmental agreements and core labour standards as defined in International Labour Organisation conventions. Applicants must commit to and ensure respect for basic EU values including respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law and human rights, including rights of minorities. The European Commission applies a policy of zero tolerance for sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment. Successful applicants other than natural persons, pillar-assessed entities and governments must assess their internal policy against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment through a self-evaluation questionnaire (for grants exceeding €60,000).

Visibility Requirements

Applicants must take all necessary steps to ensure visibility of the European Union as funder or co-funder through correct and prominent display of the EU emblem and relevant funding statement in accordance with Commission guidelines. Derogation from visibility obligations is permitted in exceptional situations due to security issues, local political sensitivities or beneficiary interests, to be determined on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the EU.

Financial Support to Third Parties

Applicants may propose financial support to third parties to help achieve action objectives. The maximum amount per third party is €60,000, except where achieving objectives would otherwise be impossible or overly difficult. Lead applicants must define objectives, specific objectives and outputs to be achieved, types of eligible activities, types of eligible entities or categories of persons, selection criteria, criteria for determining exact amounts, and maximum amounts to be given.

Reporting and Monitoring

Beneficiaries must submit regular technical and financial reports to the Commission through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal. Reports must include technical progress, deliverables, milestones and financial statements. Periodic reports are typically due every 12 or 18 months throughout project duration, with a detailed final report at project end. For grants above certain thresholds, an external audit of reported costs may be required.

Contact Information and Resources

Questions may be sent by email no later than 21 days before the deadline for submission to delegation-tajikistan-tender-186255@eeas.europa.eu. Replies will be given no later than 11 days before the deadline. All questions and answers will be published on the website of DG International Partnerships and the Funding and Tenders Portal. Technical questions related to PADOR or PROSPECT should be addressed to ec-external-relations-application-support@ec.europa.eu via the online support form in PROSPECT. IT support is available Monday to Friday from 08:30 to 18:30 Brussels time (except during European Commission public holidays).

Full guidelines for applicants are available at 74 Adhamov Street, Dushanbe and online at [[webgate.ec.europa.eu and [[link.europa.eu.

Strategic Context

This call aligns with the EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy for 2020-2024 (extended until 2027) and the NDICI-Global Europe Regulation, which supports human rights and democracy, civil society, stability and peace. The call contributes to realisation of United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDGs 5, 10 and 16. It takes into account the EU Action Plan for Gender Equality 2021-2025 (extended until 2027), making gender equality a priority of all external policies and actions. The call aligns with Tajikistan's Constitution, National Development Strategy until 2030 and National Strategy on Human Rights Protection until 2038.

Footnotes

1. 1Applicants should convert this deadline to local time using an online time converter tool that accounts for timezones and daylight saving time changes.