Pristina Embassy: Call for Proposals for Matra 2023 | News Article

Call for Proposals

MATRA and Human Rights Fund – 2023

The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Pristina is enthusiastically inviting non-governmental organizations to submit project proposals for the MATRA & Human Rights Fund. before ten^th January 2023

Abbreviation for Matra maatschappelijke TransformieIt means “social reform” aiming at the realization of a society in which basic freedom is guaranteed. The MATRA Fund is part of our support to current and potential EU candidate states and is intended to complement the efforts of the European Commission and assist countries Strengthen democracy and the rule of lawthus increasing stability.

Human rights are the foundation of democracy and ensure that all people are respected and protected. The Netherlands strives to protect and promote human rights around the world. Human Rights Fund therefore supports organizations with similar goals.

The Dutch government attaches particular importance to these funds. This is because it aims to strengthen and promote common European values, values ​​that unite European countries and bridge cultural diversity. Strong pluralist democracy under the rule of law, stable democratic processes and good governance are part of these values ​​and part of the European agenda. The Embassy in Pristina looks forward to jointly endorsing these principles and receiving your organizational ideas for achieving this.

The Embassy of Pristina operates on the following missions:

We strive for a secure, prosperous, inclusive and democratic Kosovo’s Euro-Atlantic integration. This offers citizens an equal opportunity to form the best guarantee of a mutually beneficial relationship between the Netherlands and the European Union.

What types of projects are eligible?

MATRA and HR Funds support demand-driven initiatives. Project proposals must be aligned with our policy priorities and mission statement. To be eligible for support, projects must facilitate transformational processes in the following areas:

• Promote and strengthen the work of the judiciary by focusing on judicial reform and combating high levels of corruption and organized crime.
• Strengthen transparency and accountability of public and judicial institutions.
• Promote reconciliation between communities through civic engagement.
• Promote European integration reforms focused on stabilization and the Association Agreement and the European Reform Agenda.
• Supporting resilient local communities to prevent radicalization/violent extremism and promote early warning/early action at the local level;
• Empower the LGBTI+ community, women and journalists.
• Support internal dialogue efforts between communities and promote language rights.

What are the minimum requirements?

• Applications will only be considered if the format provided by the Embassy is used (Appendix A for proposals and Appendix B for budget overviews. Please note that Appendix B contains an example project budget. Note, remove the example data and adjust the table as needed for your project);
• Please provide a short video (up to 1 minute in MP4 format). In this video, explain why you should support a project and how you can make sure the results lead to sustainable impact.
• The application should be related to the specific MATRA purpose highlighted above.
• Projects need to reinvigorate local ownership of the issues that form the business case/reason for the project.
• Applicants must contribute (financially or in kind) to the project. This should be clearly specified in the activity and budget overview.
• Applicants should preferably have an annual turnover of at least €100,000 for at least three consecutive years. If your organization does not meet this criteria, we encourage partnerships with organizations that do.
• The maximum project duration is 24 months.
• If other donors are involved, this should be clearly stated in the application and budget. It should be clarified which donor contributions will be used for different activities.
• Beneficiaries are required to submit a statement emphasizing their commitment to this project.
• 100.000 EUR per project is the maximum support. Make sure your budget meets the following minimum requirements: Use the enclosed budget template.

• No more than 30% of our contributions go towards payroll. For staff involved in projects (permanent and contract employees), provide information on the percentage of time/hours directly involved in project activities and provide hourly/wage rates for their involvement.
• You can allocate up to 10% of your donation to administrative expenses (rent, utilities, office supplies, communications, bank charges). Only administrative costs that are directly related to the project are eligible for financial assistance (eg (or example?) the percentage of rental costs for office space directly used for project activities).
• Up to 10% of the donation can be used for school excursions and tours. If it is a study tour, please indicate why this is required and specify why you have chosen your destination/country.

Priority will be given to suggestions that:

• Use innovative methods to address issues (engaging the private sector, using broad coalitions that share common concerns, using digital tools, developing a clear media strategy).
• Gender sensitive.
• Be aware of the risks and be realistic.
• Be inclusive and ensure equal access to project results for all groups in society. In this sense, we encourage organizations to initiate activities in areas of high need.
• Aim for sustainable improvement.
• We are cost sensitive, solicit in-kind donations whenever possible, use partnerships with the business community, work with volunteers and others.

The following are excluded.

• humanitarian aid;
• commercial activities;
• business registration organization;
• Projects with a predominantly academic focus, i.e. feasibility studies, research, etc.
• Projects involving only or most of the delivery of goods or materials.
• infrastructure or construction projects;
• scholarships or educational programs;

Co-financing with other donors is possible in the following cases:

• Applicants provide statements from other donors about their motivations for funding project activities.
• A clear and transparent description of the division of activities and how various donors contribute to these activities will be provided.

Application procedure

• Deadline for project proposal submission is January 10, 2023. The Embassy will only consider applications submitted in accordance with the format provided (use Appendix A for proposals and Appendix B for budget summaries).
• Send us a short video of up to 1 minute explaining why you (or preferably your project beneficiaries) need to support this project.
• Proposals must meet minimum requirements.
• The application and video must be submitted to the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Kosovo. at PRI-PROJECTS@minbuza.nl
• Applications and videos must be submitted by the project organizers themselves, but may be assisted by third parties such as Dutch NGOs.
• Applications must be submitted in English. The video must also be in English or one of the official languages ​​Albanian or Serbian, but must be replaced with an English translation (subtitles or narration).
• Applicants must sign all documents submitted for their application.

Approval/Contract/Payment/Report

If the project is approved, the applicant will receive two copies of the contract outlining the terms of the grant. One copy must be signed and returned to the Dutch Embassy. Upon receipt, the first installment of the grant will be credited.

The maximum term is 2 years (24 months). Applicants are required to submit interim and final financial statements and financial statements on the results achieved. Final financial statements and financial reports must be submitted within one month of the completion of the project. The account should include activities performed to date, activities still planned (if any), problems encountered, achievements, and lessons learned. After approval of these documents, the Embassy will pay the remaining installments. The Embassy reserves the right to inspect project descriptions and activities at any time.