180706 - Guidelines for grant applicants (1)

Contracting Authority: European Commission
Country–based support scheme (CBSS) to promote

and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms
in Pakistan
Guidelines for grant applicants
Budget lines: BGUE-B2024-14.020211-C8-INTPA

Reference:
EuropeAid/180706/DD/ACT/PK
Deadline for submission1 of concept notes:
22/04/2024 at 12:00 (Brussels date and time)

22/04/2024 at 15:00 (Islamabad local time)
(in order to convert to local time click here2)
1
Online submission via PROSPECT is mandatory for this call for proposals (see Section 2.2.2). In PROSPECT all
dates and times are expressed in Brussels time. Applicants should note that the IT support is open Monday to
Friday from 08:30 to 18:30 Brussels time (except during European Commission public holidays in Belgium as
published in the Official Journal). Applicants should take note of the weekly maintenance hours mentioned in the
PROSPECT user manual.
2
An example of a time converter tool available online: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html
2021.1 180706 - Guidelines for grant applicants
NOTICE
This is a restricted call for proposals. In the first instance, only concept notes (Annex A.1 – Grant
application form - Concept note) must be submitted for evaluation. Thereafter, lead applicants who have
been pre-selected will be invited to submit a full application (Annex A.2 – Grant application form – Full
application). After the evaluation of the full applications, an eligibility check will be performed for those
which have been provisionally selected. Eligibility will be checked on the basis of the supporting
documents requested by the contracting authority and the signed ‘declaration by the lead applicant’ sent
together with the full application.
To apply to this call for proposals organisations must register in PADOR and submit their
application in PROSPECT (see section 2.2.2 of the guidelines). The aim of PROSPECT is to increase
the efficiency of the management of the call for proposals and to offer a better service to civil society
organisations through a new panel of functionalities such as the on-line submission and the possibility to
follow up online the status of their application.
Preparation: Online information session to be held tentatively on 26 March 2024 and user manuals on
that occasion. The session will also help applicants familiarise themselves with the system before the
online submission.
Should you be interested in this session, please send an email by 22 March 2024 to DELEGATION-
[email protected], indicating: name, surname, nationality and email
address of the persons who are going to participate as well as their organisation (max. two participants per
organisation). No costs incurred by the applicants for attending this information session are reimbursable.
All relevant details related to the online session will be provided by email to all those who have expressed
their interest.
All organisations may find more information regarding PROSPECT in the user's manual and the e-
learning videos. You may also contact our technical support team via the online support form in
PROSPECT3.
3
If PROSPECT is unavailable, the IT support can also be reached via email: INTPA-SUPPORT-
[email protected]
Page 2 of 33
Table of contents
1. COUNTRY–BASED SUPPORT SCHEME (CBSS) TO PROMOTE AND PROTECT HUMAN

RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS IN PAKISTAN 4
1.1. Background ........................................................................................................................................... 4

1.2. Objectives of the programme and priority issues ................................................................................. 5
1.3. Financial allocation provided by the contracting authority .................................................................. 8
2. RULES FOR THIS CALL FOR PROPOSALS 9
2.1. Eligibility criteria .................................................................................................................................. 9

2.1.1. Eligibility of applicants (i.e. lead applicant and co-applicant(s)) ................................................................. 9
2.1.2. Associates and contractors ......................................................................................................................... 11
2.1.3. Eligible actions: actions for which an application may be made ................................................................ 11
2.1.4. Eligibility of costs: costs that can be included ........................................................................................... 14
2.1.5. Ethics clauses and Code of Conduct .......................................................................................................... 16
2.2. How to apply and the procedures to follow ........................................................................................ 18
2.2.1. Concept note content .................................................................................................................................. 18
2.2.2. Where and how to send concept notes ....................................................................................................... 19
2.2.3. Deadline for submission of concept notes .................................................................................................. 19
2.2.4. Further information about concept notes .................................................................................................... 19
2.2.5. Full applications ......................................................................................................................................... 20
2.2.6. Where and how to send full applications ................................................................................................... 22
2.2.7. Deadline for submission of full applications .............................................................................................. 22
2.2.8. Further information about full applications ................................................................................................ 23
2.3. Evaluation and selection of applications ............................................................................................ 23
2.4. Submission of supporting documents ................................................................................................. 30
2.5. Notification of the Contracting Authority’s decision ......................................................................... 30
2.5.1. Content of the decision ............................................................................................................................... 30
2.5.2. Indicative timetable .................................................................................................................................... 31
2.6. Conditions for implementation after the contracting authority’s decision to award a grant ............... 31
3. LIST OF ANNEXES 33
Page 3 of 33
1. COUNTRY–BASED SUPPORT SCHEME (CBSS) TO PROMOTE AND PROTECT HUMAN
RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS IN PAKISTAN
1.1. BACKGROUND
Human rights and democracy are founding values of the EU. Protecting and promoting human rights and
democracy, is therefore a key priority of the EU’s external action. It is also a precondition for sustainable
development and for building more inclusive, open and resilient societies. An integral part of EU’s human
rights policy is a series of Guidelines on issues of importance to the EU. EU Guidelines have been adopted at
ministerial level and they represent a strong political signal that they are priorities for the EU and its Member
States.4
Civil Society Organisations (CSOs)5 are vital to the attainment of human rights, the rule of law,
accountability, democracy, peace and stability in our partner countries, and are key partners in devising and
implementing policies and programs that meet people's needs, including humanitarian needs, reduce
inequalities, realise rights and deliver inclusive services and fulfil the central commitment of the 2030
Agenda ‒ to leave no one behind.
The Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI-Global Europe

Instrument)6, adopted by the European Parliament and the Council in June 2021 for the period 2021-2027
(Regulation 2021/947 of 9 June 2021) and merging several former EU external financing instruments, is the
legal basis for the Human Rights and Democracy thematic programme.
The Thematic Programme on Human Rights and Democracy (HR&D) aims to promote and protect human
rights, fundamental freedoms democracy, and the rule of law. It focuses on: (i) advancing the fundamental
values of democracy; (ii) the rule of law; (iii) the universality, indivisibility and interdependence of human
rights; (iv) respect for human dignity; (v) the principles of non-discrimination, equality and solidarity; and
(vi) respect for the principles of the United Nations Charter and international human rights law.
The Thematic Programme on HR&D also builds on the EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy
for the period 2020-20247, adopted by the Council in November 2020. It identifies five overarching priorities
and key actions to ensure that the EU plays a greater role in promoting and defending human rights and
democracy throughout its external action: (1) protecting and empowering individuals; (2) building resilient,
inclusive and democratic societies; (3) promoting a global system for human rights and democracy; (4)
harnessing the opportunities and addressing challenges of new technologies; (5) delivering by working
together.
The EU’s human rights objectives further translate in its policies addressing businesses8 as well as in EU
international trade instruments: The GSP+ is an autonomous incentive arrangement which enables duty-free,
4
Available at: https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/eu-human-rights-guidelines_en.
5
Definition as per NDICI-GLOBAL Europe, Article 2 (7): Civil society organisations means a wide range of actors
with multiple roles and mandates which includes all non-State, not-for-profit independent and non-violent structures,
through which people organise the pursuit of shared objectives and ideals, whether political, cultural, religious,
environmental, social or economic. Operating from local, national, regional and international levels, they comprise
urban and rural, formal and informal organisations.
6
Available at: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2014_2019/plmrep/COMMITTEES/CJ19/AG/2021/03-
18/1226377EN.pdf
7
Available at: https://www.eeas.europa.eu/sites/default/files/eu_action_plan_on_human_rights_and_democracy_2020-
2024.pdf
8
See 2023 provisional agreement on the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive. More information at:
https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2023/12/14/corporate-sustainability-due-diligence-council-
and-parliament-strike-deal-to-protect-environment-and-human-rights/.
Page 4 of 33
quota-free access on 66% of tariff lines to enter into the EU market from the low and lower-middle income
countries that implement 27 international conventions related to labour and human rights, environmental, and
good governance9.
1.2. OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME AND PRIORITY ISSUES

The global objective of this call for proposals is to contribute to the full enjoyment of all human rights, be
they civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights, by all, and to work together with all key actors to
advance their realisation.
The specific objective(s) of this call for proposals are to protect and promote human rights in Pakistan, with
a particular focus on:
Lot 1: Business and Human Rights
This lot aims to prevent corporate harm, promote decent work and ensure accountability for business
related human rights abuses, or violations happening in the world of work.
Lot 2: Equality and inclusion of minorities
This lot aims to ensure equality, inclusion, respect, and engagement of persons belonging to
minorities in all spheres of public and private life, addressing especially discrimination on the
grounds of religion or belief as well as sexual orientation and gender identity.
The priorities of this call for proposals are:
Lot 1: Business and Human Rights
Under Lot 1, actions may foresee the following outputs:
o Monitoring and facilitating businesses’ understanding and compliance with human rights
obligations arising from Pakistan’s GSP+ status and the proposed Corporate Sustainable Due
Diligence EU Directive.
o Addressing abusive and fraudulent labour practices notably against young workers, domestic
workers, workers from ethnic/religious minorities, workers with disabilities and women workers,
whether in the formal or informal sectors.
o Promoting dialogue, reporting and experience-sharing between corporate actors, human rights
organisations, government about the implementation of human rights due diligence, labour rights
disputes, access to remedies and grievance mechanisms.
o Enhancing the oversight role of civil society and social partners in monitoring, preventing and
responding to human rights violations, including abuses of labour rights and facilitating access to
remedies, in line with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
(UNGPs) and the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights of Pakistan.
o Engaging with companies to ensure respect for human rights throughout supply chains.
9
For more information as well as Pakistan’s status under the GSP+, see: https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/development-
and-sustainability/generalised-scheme-preferences_en.
Page 5 of 33
Lot 2: Equality and inclusion of minorities
Under Lot 2, actions may foresee the following outputs:
o Preventing and combatting discrimination and violence, addressing either non-governmental or

governmental responsibilities; promoting tolerance, diversity and interfaith harmony.
o Advocating for anti-discrimination laws or to repeal discriminatory provisions still contained in
laws and policies.
o Supporting access to redress and remedies, including through legal representation, in case of
violations.
o Protecting and empowering local CSOs, human rights defenders and community leaders working
on equality and inclusion of minority groups, including through alliance building and
networking.
o Raising awareness on the rights of minority communities and their contributions to society.
o Promoting effective enforcement of legal norms safeguarding their human rights.
The proposed actions must address only one of the above specific objectives (Lots). Concept notes
must clearly indicate to which of the above specific objectives the proposal refers. Proposals submitted
under Lot 2 may primarily address one or the other grounds for discrimination mentioned in the above
specific objectives of the call for proposals.
Methodological cross-cutting elements
Marginalised groups
Efforts should be made by the applicants to reach out to marginalised communities and grass-root
organisations. For this purpose, proposed actions may foresee financial support to third parties (read Section
2.1.3).
The objective of the financial support to third parties (FSTP) is to support small local CSOs, including grass
root organisations, active in the fields identified under the 2 lots. Support can help those in organising
activities that directly contribute to the objective of the action, e.g. in realising the outputs, such as those
suggested under Section 1.2. In addition, financial support to third parties may also aim at reinforcing the
technical and management capacities of small organisations active in the thematic areas of intervention
identified in this call, as well as their capacity to enter alliances and networks – both locally and where
relevant internationally – and work with other relevant non-governmental and institutional actors.
Human Rights-based approach (HRBA)
The European Consensus on Development commits the EU and its Member States to implementing a human
rights-based approach (HRBA)10 to development, encompassing all human rights as well as EU’s
commitment to promote and protect human rights and democracy as enshrined in the Joint Communication
and EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy for 2020-2024.
Actions must therefore incorporate the five working principles of the HRBA approach: applying all human
rights for all; meaningful and inclusive participation and access to decision-making; non-discrimination and
equality; accountability and rule of law for all; transparency and access to information supported by
disaggregated data.
10
HRBA toolbox
Page 6 of 33
Gender equality and women’s empowerment
Gender equality is an integral part of the HRBA, encompassing the promotion, protection and fulfilment of
all human rights. Gender equality constitutes a fundamental human rights principle and a common value of
the European Union (EU Treaties, EU Action Plan on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in
External Action 2021-2025 “GAP III”11). The design of the action should give particular attention to gender
mainstreaming to ensure a reinforced role of women as actors of change.
Projects should ensure that project are gender sensitive by using tools such as gender analysis, gender
mainstreamed logical framework, gender disaggregated data and gender sensitive indicators, etc.. Proposals
should ensure inclusion of both men and women stakeholders and that all gender equality issues relevant to
the project are systematically incorporated in its methodology. This should be explicitly reflected in the
Concept Note and Full Application.
The EU will use the OECD-DAC12 gender equality policy marker methodology as a tool for the evaluation.
These cross-cutting elements should be reflected both in the concept note (Annex A.1) and in the full
application (Annex A.2). These aspects will be evaluated in point 2.5 of the concept note evaluation grid
and point 2.4 of the full application evaluation grid (see section 2.3).
Monitoring, evaluation, learning (MEL) and reporting arrangements
An online system called OPSYS will be used to monitor progress in the implementation of the action.
To allow OPSYS to aggregate action results at corporate level, please consider using the following sources to
find suitable logical framework indicators:
i) Global Europe Results Framework indicators13 (in particular indicators no 26, 28, 29 and 30);
ii) Results chain indicators for Human Rights, Democracy, Justice Sector Reform and Gender equality14;
iii) SDG indicators.
When drafting logical framework indicators, please ensure these are:

 Numbered - so that they can be linked to the results they measure;
 SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-oriented, Timed bound) – so these can be
measured objectively with quantitative (‘number of people’, ‘percentage of’, ‘index’) and/or
qualitative (‘level of’, ‘status of’, ‘extent to which’) units of measure;
 Neutral - i.e. not include elements of the target such as ‘increase’, ‘improvement’;
 Disaggregated – broken-down by target group or other relevant criteria reflecting mainstreaming
(sex, age, disability etc.)
Applicants are expected to develop a robust Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) plan which helps
gather reliable quantitative and qualitative information on impact, consistently across consortium members
11
Available at: https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/gender-action-plan-iii-towards-gender-equal-world_en
12
OECD-DAC gender equality policy marker. All EU funded projects should be preferably a G1 or G2 actions.
13
Global Europe Results Framework indicators
14
Indicators for Human Rights, Democracy, Justice Sector Reform and Gender equality
Page 7 of 33
where relevant, but also enables ownership, adaptative learning and improvement - with clear quality
standards and criteria for monitoring/enhanced monitoring, if required. These should include a gender-
performance component and review implementation of the human rights-based approach (HRBA).
Mid-term and/or final evaluation(s) may be carried out for this action or its components via independent
consultants contracted by the contracting authority and/ or the implementing partner.
The budget should include a realistic estimate of MEL costs (with management time/onsite visits/capacity
building etc. to undertake MEL as needed within the budget headings ‘1. Human Resources’ (e.g., budget
lines 1.1 and 1.2) and ‘5. Other costs, services’ (e.g., 5.4 budget line etc.).
Monitoring, evaluation, learning (MEL) and reporting arrangements should be reflected in Annex A.2
section 2.1.2 and shall be evaluated under in point 4.2 of full application evaluation grid (see section 2.3 of
these guidelines).
1.3. FINANCIAL ALLOCATION PROVIDED BY THE CONTRACTING AUTHORITY

The overall indicative amount made available under this call for proposals is EUR 2 972 513. The
contracting authority reserves the right not to award all available funds. Similarly, the amount could be
increased should more funding becomes available.
Indicative allocation of funds by lot:
Lot 1 – EUR 1 472 513
Lot 2 – EUR 1 500 000
If the allocation indicated for a specific lot cannot be used due to insufficient quality or number of proposals
received, the contracting authority reserves the right to reallocate the remaining funds to the other lot.
Size of grants
Any grant requested under this call for proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum
amounts:
 minimum amount: EUR 400 000
 maximum amount: EUR 600 000
Any grant requested under this call for proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum
percentages of total eligible costs of the action:
 Minimum percentage: 50 % of the total eligible costs of the action.
 Maximum percentage: 95 % of the total eligible costs of the action (see also Section 2.1.4).
The balance (i.e. the difference between the total cost of the action and the amount requested from the
contracting authority) must be financed from sources other than the general budget of the Union or the
European Development Fund15.
15
Where a grant is financed by the European Development Fund, any mention of European Union financing must be
understood as referring to European Development Fund financing.
Page 8 of 33
2. RULES FOR THIS CALL FOR PROPOSALS
These guidelines set out the rules for the submission, selection and implementation of the actions financed
under this call, in conformity with the practical guide, which is applicable to the present call (available on the
internet at this address https://wikis.ec.europa.eu/display/ExactExternalWiki/ePRAG ).16
2.1. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

There are three sets of eligibility criteria, relating to:
(1) the actors (2.1.1.):
 The ‘lead applicant’, i.e. the entity submitting the application form;
 if any, its co-applicant(s) (where it is not specified otherwise the lead applicant and its co-
applicant(s) are hereinafter jointly referred as ‘applicant(s)’);
(2) the actions (2.1.3.):
• actions for which a grant may be awarded;
(3) the costs (2.1.4.):
 types of cost that may be taken into account in setting the amount of the grant.
2.1.1. Eligibility of applicants (i.e. lead applicant and co-applicant(s))
Lead applicant
(1) In order to be eligible for a grant, the lead applicant must:
 be a legal person and
 be non-profit-making and
 be a Civil Society Organisation (CSO) or association of CSOs and
 be established in17 Pakistan18, a Member State of the European Union19 or in any other
country20 and
16
Note that a lead applicant (i.e. a coordinator) whose pillars have been positively assessed by the European
Commission and who is awarded a grant will not sign the standard grant contract published with these guidelines but a
contribution agreement based on the contribution agreement template. All references in these guidelines and other
documents related to this call to the standard grant contract shall in this case be understood as referring to the relevant
provisions of the contribution agreement template.
17
To be determined on the basis of the organisation’s statutes, which should demonstrate that it has been established by
an instrument governed by the national law of the country concerned and that its head office is located in an eligible
country. In this respect, any legal entity whose statutes have been established in another country cannot be considered
an eligible local organisation, even if the statutes are registered locally or a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ has been
concluded.
18
To be determined on the basis of the organisation’s statutes, which should demonstrate that it has been established by
an instrument governed by the national law of the country concerned and that its head office is located in an eligible
country. In this respect, any legal entity whose statutes have been established in another country cannot be considered
an eligible local organisation, even if the statutes are registered locally or a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ has been
concluded.
Page 9 of 33
 be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action with the co-
applicant(s), not acting as an intermediary and
 Local Civil Society Organisations established in Pakistan will need to conform with the
government-approved NGO policy, including by applying for a Memorandum of
Understanding covering the present grant21.
 International Non-Governmental Organisations (established in any other eligible country than

Pakistan) must have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Interior of
Pakistan22.
 International Organisations23 and pillar-assessed organisations24 are not eligible under this call
for proposals.
(2) Potential applicants may not participate in calls for proposals or be awarded grants if they are in any of
the situations listed in Section 2.6.10.1 of the practical guide;
Lead applicants, co-applicants and, in case of legal entities, persons who have powers of representation,
decision-making or control over the lead applicant and the co-applicants are informed that, should they
be in one of the situations of early detection or exclusion according to Section 2.6.10.1 of the practical
guide, personal details (name, given name if natural person, address, legal form and name and given
name of the persons with powers of representation, decision-making or control, if legal person) may be
19
The EU Member States are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands,
Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
20
Regulation (EU) 2021/947 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 June 2021 establishing the
Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe, amending and repealing
Decision No 466/2014/EU and repealing Regulation (EU) 2017/1601 and Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No
480/2009 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32021R0947&from=EN
21
NGOs based in Pakistan should, at the moment of submission of the Concept Note, at least have submitted the
registration request to the Ministry of Economic Affairs - https://ngo.ead.gov.pk/ (
https://www.ead.gov.pk/Detail/ZTVlNThkZGEtOTJmNC00NWZiLTkyOGYtYmU5YTBiOTRlZjkz )
22
International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs) are subject to the rules of the Notification of the Ministry of
Interior of Pakistan of 1 October 2015, No.6/34/2015-PE-III regarding the registration of INGOs> The organisation
should, at the moment of submission of the Concept Note, have submitted the registration request to the Ministry of
Interior of Pakistan. This fact is a requirement for the award that will be verified by the evaluation committee on the
basis of the information provided by the Ministry of Interior: https://ingo.interior.gov.pk/
23
As per Article 156 FR, ‘international organisation’ means an international public-sector organisation set up by
international agreement, and specialised agencies set up by such organisations — these organisations may have a
worldwide or regional scope. Organisations such as the United Nations and its agencies and specialised entities, the
World Bank, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Word Trade Organisation, the
International Monetary Fund, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development and the International Organisation for Migration clearly fall under the definition of
‘international organisation’. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Federation of
National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are also recognised as international organisations. In cases of doubt, to
ascertain whether an organisation is covered by the definition, the nature of the organisation must be determined mainly
on the basis of its legal founding documents (for instance, its statutes and/or the intergovernmental agreement setting it
up).
24
Pillar assessment is a review in the context of indirect management of EU funds (defined in Article 62 of the
Financial Regulation) of whether the systems and procedures of Entities wishing to become Implementing Partners
meet the requirements in the areas referred to in Article 154(4) of the Financial Regulation. Pillar assessment aims to
ensure that these Entities guarantee a level of protection of the financial interests of the EU equivalent to that required
under the FR for direct management when they manage EU funds. The present call does not concern indirect
management.
Page 10 of 33
registered in the early detection and exclusion system, and communicated to the persons and entities
concerned in relation to the award or the execution of a grant contract. In this respect, provisionally
selected lead applicants, co-applicants or those placed in the reserve list are obliged to declare that they
are not in one of the exclusion situations through a signed declaration on honour (PRAG Annex A14).
In Annex A.1 Section 2 and Annex A.2 Section 5 (‘declaration(s) by the lead applicant’), the lead
applicant must declare that the lead applicant himself and the co-applicant(s) are not in any of these
situations.
If the lead applicant is not established in Pakistan, it must act with at least one co-applicant established
in Pakistan.
If awarded the grant contract, the lead applicant will become the beneficiary identified as the
coordinator in Annex G (special conditions). The coordinator is the sole interlocutor of the contracting
authority. It represents and acts on behalf of any other co-beneficiary (if any) and coordinate the design
and implementation of the action.
Co-applicant(s)
Co-applicants participate in designing and implementing the action, and the costs they incur are eligible
in the same way as those incurred by the lead applicant.
Co-applicants must satisfy the eligibility criteria as applicable to the lead applicant himself.
If the lead applicant is not established in Pakistan, its proposal needs to include at least one co-applicant
legally established in Pakistan.
Co-applicants must sign the mandate in Annex A.2 Section 5.
If awarded the grant contract, the co-applicant(s) (if any) will become beneficiary(ies) in the action
(together with the coordinator)
(3) In addition, please note that contracts cannot be awarded to or signed with applicants included in the
lists of EU restrictive measures (see Section 2.4. of the PRAG).
2.1.2. Associates and contractors
The following entities are not applicants and do not have to sign the ‘mandate for co-applicant(s)’ statement:
 Associates
Other organisations or individuals may be involved in the action. Such associates play a real role in the
action but may not receive funding from the grant, with the exception of per diem or travel costs. Associates
do not have to meet the eligibility criteria referred to in Section 2.1.1. Associates must be mentioned in
Annex A.2 Section 4 — ‘Associates participating in the action’.
 Contractors
The beneficiaries are permitted to award contracts. Associates cannot be also contractors in the project.
Contractors are subject to the procurement rules set out in Annex IV to the standard grant contract.
2.1.3. Eligible actions: actions for which an application may be made
Definition:
An action is composed of a set of activities.
Page 11 of 33
Duration
The initial planned duration of an action may not be lower than 30 months nor exceed 48 months.
Sectors or themes
Please refer to article 1.2 “OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME AND PRIORITY ISSUES”.
Location
Actions must take place in Pakistan.
Punctual activities may take place outside Pakistan if duly justified in the description of the action.
Types of action
Please refer to article 1.2 “OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME AND PRIORITY ISSUES”.
The following types of action are ineligible:
 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 including political or religious proselytism or propaganda.
 Actions which discriminate against individuals or groups of people on ground of their gender, age,
sexual orientation, religious or political beliefs, ethnic origin, disabilities.
 Actions supporting political parties and/or supporting violence.
 Actions concerned only or mainly with procurement of equipment.
 Core funding of the applicants or co-applicants or affiliated entities (for activities that are normally
carried out by the applicant and/or applicants and affiliated entities) i.e. operating grants are not
eligible.
 Works, including feasibility studies works supervision.
 Microcredits/ microfinancing/revolving funds.
Types of activity
Activities addressing the specific objectives and outputs under the article 1.2 “OBJECTIVES OF THE
PROGRAMME AND PRIORITY ISSUES”.
Financial support to third parties25
Applicants may propose financial support to third parties in order to help achieving the objectives of the
action. This must be clearly indicated in Annex A.1 (Concept note, description of the action).
The maximum amount of financial support per third party is EUR 30 000 except where achieving the
objectives of the actions would otherwise be impossible or overly difficult, in which case this threshold can
be exceeded. A threshold below EUR 30 000 can be set if appropriate.
25
These third parties are neither affiliated entity(ies) nor associates nor contractors.
Page 12 of 33
In compliance with the present guidelines and notably of any conditions or restrictions in this Section, the
lead applicant should define mandatorily in Section 2.1.1 of Annex A.2 (Grant application form – Full
application):
(i) the overall objectives, the specific objective(s) and the outputs26 (i.e. the results) to be achieved
with the financial support
(ii) the different types of activities eligible for financial support, on the basis of a fixed list
(iii) the types of persons or categories of persons which may receive financial support
(iv) the criteria for selecting these entities and giving the financial support
(v) the criteria for determining the exact amount of financial support for each third entity, and
(vi) the maximum amount which may be given.
In all events, the mandatory conditions set above for giving financial support (points (i) to (vi)) have to be
strictly defined in the grant contract as to avoid any exercise of discretion.
The lead applicant shall propose a list of necessary supporting documents must be kept by the third party
(entity receiving the financial support) to demonstrate that the financial support has been used in accordance
with the provisions of the grant contract as well as access rights to the contracting authority and EU bodies,
as per contractual provisions.
Please refer to PRAG27 (chapter 6.8.2) and notes in these guidelines to demonstrate the expected FSTP in the
Description of Action.
As the lead applicant is financially liable for the financial support to third parties, lead applicants shall make
the necessary arrangements to ensure a thorough evaluation of supported activities undertaken by those third
parties. Arrangements may be part of the wider monitoring and evaluation arrangements for the overall
project. This should be explained in the Grant Application form in particular at Full Application stage under
Sections 2.1.2.vi and 2.1.2.vii). This should include the monitoring and evaluation system foreseen for the
Financial Support to Third Parties for each recipient. In addition, the Full Proposal should include an
analysis assessment of the context including risk assessment. The applicant will foresee the mitigation
measures to ensure an efficient implementation of Financial Support to Third Parties for each recipient (at
Full Application Stage under Section 2.1.2.ii).
Visibility
The applicants must take all necessary steps to publicise the fact that the European Union has financed or co-
financed the action. Unless the European Commission agrees otherwise, actions that are wholly or partially
funded by the European Union must ensure the visibility of EU financing by displaying the EU emblem in
accordance with the guidelines set out in the Operational guidelines for recipients of EU funding, published
by the European Commission. If applicable, communication activities may be undertaken to raise the
awareness of specific or general audiences of the reasons for the action and the EU support for the action in
the country or region concerned, as well as the results and the impact of this support.
All measures and activities relating to visibility and, if applicable, communication, must comply with the
latest Communication and Visibility Requirements for EU-funded external action, laid down and published
by the European Commission Communication and Visibility Requirements for EU External Actions |
International Partnerships (europa.eu).
26
As per OECD DAC definition, the term ‘results’ includes: ‘impact’ (overall objective), ‘outcome(s)’ (specific
objective(s) and ‘output(s)’.
27
https://wikis.ec.europa.eu/display/ExactExternalWiki/ePRAG
Page 13 of 33
Number of applications and grants per applicants
The lead applicant may not submit more than one application under this call for proposals.
The lead applicant may not be awarded more than one grant per lot under this call for proposals, as lead
applicant.
The lead applicant may be a co-applicant in another application at the same time.
A co-applicant may be the co-applicant in more than one application under this call for proposals.
A co-applicant may be awarded a maximum of two grants under this call for proposals.
2.1.4. Eligibility of costs: costs that can be included
Union contribution under this call for proposals take the following form(s):
- Reimbursement of eligible costs that may be based on any or a combination of the following forms:
(i) actual costs incurred by the beneficiary(ies);
(ii) one or more simplified cost options (see below).
Only ‘eligible costs’ can be covered by a grant. The categories of costs that are eligible and non-eligible are
indicated below. The budget is both a cost estimate and an overall ceiling for ‘eligible costs’.
Simplified cost options may take the form of:
 unit costs: covering all or certain specific categories of eligible costs which are clearly identified in
advance by reference to an amount per unit.
 lump sums: covering in global terms all or certain specific categories of eligible costs which are
clearly identified in advance.
 flat-rate financing: covering specific categories of eligible costs which are clearly identified in
advance by applying a percentage fixed ex ante.
Simplified costs options (SCOs) which can be proposed are the following:
"output or result based SCOs": they include costs linked to outputs, results, activities, deliverables in the
framework of a specific project (for example the determination of a lump sum for the organization of a
conference, or for the realisation of a determined output/activity). Where possible and appropriate, lump
sums or unit costs shall be determined in such a way to allow their payment upon achievement of concrete
outputs and/or results. This type of SCO can be proposed by the beneficiary (no threshold is applicable) at
proposal's stage (in Annex A.2 – Grant application form – Full application). In case the evaluation committee
is not satisfied with the quality of the justification provided reimbursement on the basis of actually incurred
costs is always possible.
Refer to Annex K for the details of the procedure to be followed depending on the type and amount of the
costs to be declared as SCO.
Applicants proposing this form of reimbursement, must clearly indicate in worksheet no.1 of Annex B, each
heading/item of eligible costs concerned by this type of financing, i.e. add the reference in capital letters to
‘UNIT COST’, ‘LUMPSUM’ in the Unit column (see example in Annex K).
Page 14 of 33
Additionally in Annex B, in the second column of worksheet no.2, ‘Justification of the estimated costs’ per
each of the corresponding budget item or heading applicants must:
 describe the information and methods used to establish the amounts of unit costs and/or lump sums,
to which costs they refer, etc for output or result based SCO;
 clearly explain the formulas for calculation of the final eligible amount for output or result based
SCO.
In case of output or result based SCOs the evaluation committee decides whether to accept the proposed
amounts or rates on the basis of the provisional budget submitted by the applicants, by analysing factual data
of grants carried out by the applicants or of similar actions. In case the evaluation committee is not satisfied
with the quality of the justification provided reimbursement on the basis of actually incurred costs is always
possible.
No threshold is set ex-ante for the total amount of financing that can be authorised by the contracting
authority on the basis of simplified cost options.
Recommendations to award a grant are always subject to the condition that the checks preceding the signing
of the grant contract do not reveal problems requiring changes to the budget (such as arithmetical errors,
inaccuracies, unrealistic costs and ineligible costs). The checks may give rise to requests for clarification and
may lead the contracting authority to impose modifications or reductions to address such mistakes or
inaccuracies. It is not possible to increase the grant or the percentage of EU co-financing as a result of these
corrections.
It is therefore in the applicants' interest to provide a realistic and cost-effective budget.
The grant may take the form of a single lump-sum covering the entire eligible costs of an action or a work
programme.
Single lump sums may be determined on the basis of the estimated budget, which should comply with the
principles of economy, efficiency and effectiveness. Compliance with these principles shall be verified ex
ante at the time of evaluation of the grant application.
When authorising single lump sums the authorising officer responsible shall comply with the conditions
applicable to output or result based SCOs.
When using this form of financing, the description of the action shall include detailed information on the
essential conditions triggering the payment, including, where applicable, the achievement of outputs and/or
results.
Eligible direct costs
To be eligible under this call for proposals, costs must comply with the provisions of Article 14 of the
general conditions to the standard grant contract (see Annex G of the guidelines).
Salary costs of the personnel of national administrations may be eligible to the extent that they relate to the
cost of activities, which the relevant public authority would not carry out if the action were not undertaken.
Contingency reserve
The budget may include a contingency reserve not exceeding 5 % of the estimated direct eligible costs. It can
only be used with the prior written authorisation of the contracting authority.
Page 15 of 33
Eligible indirect costs
The indirect costs incurred in carrying out the action may be eligible for flat-rate funding, but the total must
not exceed 7 % of the estimated total eligible direct costs. Indirect costs are eligible provided that they do not
include costs assigned to another budget heading in the standard grant contract. The lead applicant may be
asked to justify the percentage requested before the grant contract is signed. However, once the flat rate has
been fixed in the special conditions of the grant contract, no supporting documents need to be provided.
If any of the applicants is in receipt of an operating grant financed by the EU, it may not claim indirect costs
on its incurred costs within the proposed budget for the action.
Contributions in kind
Contributions in kind mean the provision of goods or services to beneficiaries free of charge by a third party.
As contributions in kind do not involve any expenditure for beneficiaries, they are not eligible costs (except
for personnel costs for the work carried out by volunteers under an action or operating grant if so authorised).
Contributions in kind may not be treated as co-financing
However, if the description of the action as proposed includes contributions in kind, the contributions have to
be made.
Other co-financing shall be based on estimates provided by the applicant.
Ineligible costs
The following costs are not eligible:
 debts and debt service charges (interest);
 provisions for losses or potential future liabilities;
 costs declared by the beneficiary(ies) and financed by another action or work programme receiving a
European Union (including through EDF) grant;
 purchases of land or buildings, except where necessary for the direct implementation of the action, in
which case ownership must be transferred in accordance with Article 7.5 of the general conditions of
the standard grant contract, at the latest at the end of the action;
 currency exchange losses;
 in kind contributions (except for volunteers' work);
 bonuses included in costs of staff;
 negative interest charged by banks or other financial institutions;
 credit to third parties;
 salary costs of the personnel of national administrations.
2.1.5. Ethics clauses and Code of Conduct

a) Absence of conflict of interest
The applicant must not be affected by any conflict of interest and must have no equivalent relation in
that respect with other applicants or parties involved in the actions. Any attempt by an applicant to
obtain confidential information, enter into unlawful agreements with competitors or influence the
evaluation committee or the contracting authority during the process of examining, clarifying,
Page 16 of 33
evaluating and comparing applications will lead to the rejection of its application and may result in
administrative penalties according to the Financial Regulation in force.
b) Respect for human rights as well as environmental legislation and core labour standards
The applicant and its staff must comply with human rights. In particular and in accordance with the
applicable act, applicants who have been awarded contracts must comply with the environmental
legislation including multilateral environmental agreements, and with the core labour standards as
applicable and as defined in the relevant International Labour Organisation conventions (such as the
conventions on freedom of association and collective bargaining; elimination of forced and compulsory
labour; abolition of child labour).
Zero tolerance for sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment:
The European Commission applies a policy of 'zero tolerance' in relation to all wrongful conduct which
has an impact on the professional credibility of the applicant.
Physical abuse or punishment, or threats of physical abuse, sexual abuse or exploitation, harassment and
verbal abuse, as well as other forms of intimidation shall be prohibited.
Applicants other than (i) natural persons (ii) pillar-assessed entities and (iii) governments and other
public bodies whose application has been pre-selected or placed in a reserve list, shall assess their
internal policy against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (SEA-H) through a self-evaluation
questionnaire (Annex L). For grants of EUR 60 000 or less no self-evaluation is required. Such self-
evaluation questionnaire is not part of the evaluation of the full application by the contracting authority,
but is an administrative requirement. See section 2.5.6 of the PRAG.
c) Anti-corruption and anti-bribery
The applicant shall comply with all applicable laws and regulations and codes relating to anti-bribery
and anti-corruption. The contracting authority reserves the right to suspend or cancel project financing if
corrupt practices of any kind are discovered at any stage of the award process or during the execution of
a contract and if the contracting authority fails to take all appropriate measures to remedy the situation.
For the purposes of this provision, ‘corrupt practices’ are the offer of a bribe, gift, gratuity or
commission to any person as an inducement or reward for performing or refraining from any act relating
to the award of a contract or execution of a contract already concluded with the contracting authority.
d) Unusual commercial expenses
Applications will be rejected or contracts terminated if it emerges that the award or execution of a
contract has given rise to unusual commercial expenses. Such unusual commercial expenses are
commissions not mentioned in the main contract or not stemming from a properly concluded contract
referring to the main contract, commissions not paid in return for any actual and legitimate service,
commissions remitted to a tax haven, commissions paid to a payee who is not clearly identified or
commissions paid to a company which has every appearance of being a front company.
Grant beneficiaries found to have paid unusual commercial expenses on projects funded by the
European Union are liable, depending on the seriousness of the facts observed, to have their contracts
terminated or to be permanently excluded from receiving EU/EDF funds.
e) Breach of obligations, irregularities or fraud
The contracting authority reserves the right to suspend or cancel the procedure, where the award
procedure proves to have been subject to substantial breach of obligations, irregularities or fraud. If
substantial breach of obligations, irregularities or fraud are discovered after the award of the contract,
the contracting authority may refrain from concluding the contract.
Page 17 of 33
2.2. HOW TO APPLY AND THE PROCEDURES TO FOLLOW
To apply for this call for proposals the lead applicants need to:
I. Provide information about the organisations involved in the action. To this end, lead applicants and
co-applicants must register in PADOR. Lead applicants must register at the concept note step. Co-
applicants must register at the full application step; lead applicants must make sure that their
PADOR profile is up to date. Please note that the registration of this data in PADOR is obligatory
for this call for proposals:
PADOR is an on-line database in which organisations register and update information concerning their
entity. Organisations registered in PADOR get a unique ID (EuropeAid ID) which they must mention in
their application. PADOR is accessible via the website: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/pador
If it is impossible to register online in PADOR for technical reasons, lead applicants and co-applicants must
complete the ‘PADOR registration form28 attached to these guidelines. This form must be sent together with
the full application, by the submission deadline (see section 2.2.5).
II. Provide information about the action in the documents listed under sections 2.2.2 (Where and how to send
concept notes) and 2.2.5 (Full applications). Please note that online submission via PROSPECT is
obligatory for this call.
It is strongly recommended to register in PADOR well in advance and not to wait until the last minute
before the deadline to submit your application in PROSPECT.
Before starting using PADOR and PROSPECT, please read the user guides available on the website. All
technical questions related the use of these systems should be addressed to the IT helpdesk at INTPA-
[email protected] via the online support form in PROSPECT.
2.2.1. Concept note content
Applications must be submitted in accordance with the concept note instructions in the grant application
form annexed to these guidelines (Annex A). Lead applicants should then keep strictly to the format of the
concept note and fill in the paragraphs and pages in order.
Applicants must apply in English.
Please note that:
1. In the concept note, lead applicants must only provide an estimate of the requested EU contribution as
well as an indicative percentage of that contribution in relation to the eligible costs of the action. A
detailed budget is to be submitted only by the lead applicants invited to submit a full application in the
second phase. 2. The elements outlined in the concept note may not be modified in the full application,
except for the changes described below:
 The EU contribution may not vary from the initial estimate by more than 20 %. Lead applicants
are free to adapt the percentage of co-financing required within the minimum and maximum
amount and percentages of co-financing, as laid down in these guidelines in Section 1.3.
 The lead applicant may add, remove or replace one or more co-applicant(s) only in duly
justified cases.
 The lead applicant may adjust the duration of the action if unforeseen circumstances outside the
scope of the applicants have taken place following the submission of the concept note and
28
Which corresponds to Annex F – PADOR off-line form (PRAG annex e13).
Page 18 of 33
require such adaptation (risk of action not being carried out). In such cases, the duration must
remain within the limits imposed by the guidelines for applicants. Own contributions by the
applicants can be replaced by other donors' contributions at any time.
An explanation/justification of the relevant replacements/adjustments shall be included in Annex A.2 –

Instructions for drafting the Full Application, section 2.1.1, point viii. Should the
explanation/justification not be accepted by the evaluation committee, the proposal may be rejected on
that sole basis.
Only the concept note form will be evaluated. It is therefore of utmost importance that this document
contains ALL relevant information concerning the action. No additional annexes should be sent.
Please complete the concept note carefully and as clearly as possible so that it can be assessed properly.
Any error or major discrepancy related to the concept note instructions may lead to the rejection of the
concept note.
Clarifications will only be requested when information provided is not sufficient to conduct an objective
assessment.
2.2.2. Where and how to send concept notes
The concept note together with the declaration by the lead applicant (Annex A.1 section 2) must be
submitted online via PROSPECT https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/prospect following the instructions given
in the PROSPECT user manual.
Upon submission of a concept note online, the lead applicant will receive an automatic confirmation of
receipt in its PROSPECT profile.
Please note that incomplete concept notes may be rejected. Lead applicants are advised to verify that their
concept note is complete by using the checklist for concept note (Annex A.1, Instructions).
2.2.3. Deadline for submission of concept notes
The deadline for the submission of concept notes is 22/04/2024 at 12:00 (Brussels date and time). In order
to convert this deadline to local time you can use any online time converter tool that takes into account
timezones and winter/summer time changes (example available here). The lead applicant is strongly
advised not to wait until the last day to submit its concept note, since heavy Internet traffic or a fault with
the Internet connection (including electricity failure, etc.) could lead to difficulties in submission. The
contracting authority cannot be held responsible for any delay due to such afore-mentioned difficulties.
Any concept note submitted after the deadline will be rejected.
2.2.4. Further information about concept notes
An information session on this call for proposals will be held tentatively on 26/03/2024.
Questions may be sent by e-mail no later than 21 days before the deadline for the submission of concept
notes to the address(es) below, indicating clearly the reference of the call for proposals:
E-mail address: [email protected]
The contracting authority has no obligation to provide clarifications to questions received after this date.
Replies will be given no later than 11 days before the deadline for submission of concept notes.
Page 19 of 33
To ensure equal treatment of applicants, the contracting authority cannot give a prior opinion on the
eligibility of lead applicants, co-applicants, an action or specific activities.
No individual replies will be given to questions. All questions and answers as well as other important notices
to applicants during the course of the evaluation procedure will be published on the website where the call
was published: website of DG International Partnerships https://ec.europa.eu/international-
partnerships/home_fr or Funding & Tender opportunities (F&T Portal) https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-
tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/home, as the need arises. It is therefore advisable to consult the
abovementioned website(s) regularly in order to be informed of the questions and answers published.
All questions related to registration in PADOR or the online submission via PROSPECT should be addressed
to the IT helpdesk at [email protected] via the online support form in
PROSPECT: Please note that the working languages of the IT support are English French and Spanish.
Therefore users are invited to send their questions in English, French or Spanish should they wish to benefit
from an optimum response time.
Please note that the contracting authority may decide to cancel the call for proposals procedure at any stage
according to the conditions set out in Section 6.5.9 of the PRAG.
2.2.5. Full applications
Lead applicants invited to submit a full application following pre-selection of their concept note must do so
using the grant application form annexed to these guidelines (Annex A.2 – Grant application form – Full
application).). Lead applicants should then keep strictly to the format of the grant application form and fill in
the paragraphs and pages in order.
The elements outlined in the concept note may not be modified in the full application, except for the changes
described below:
 The EU contribution may not vary from the initial estimate by more than 20 %. Lead
applicants are free to adapt the percentage of co-financing required within the minimum and
maximum amount and percentages of co-financing, as laid down in these guidelines in
Section 1.3.
 The lead applicant may add, remove or replace one or more co-applicant(s) only in duly
justified cases.
 The lead applicant may adjust the duration of the action if unforeseen circumstances outside
the scope of the applicants have taken place following the submission of the concept note
and require such adaptation (risk of action not being carried out). In such cases, the duration
must remain within the limits imposed by the guidelines for applicants.
An explanation/justification of the relevant replacements/adjustments shall be included in Annex A.2 –

Instructions for drafting the Full Application, section 2.1.1, point viii. Should the
explanation/justification not be accepted by the evaluation committee, the proposal may be rejected on
that sole basis.
Lead applicants must submit their full applications in the same language as their concept notes.
Please complete the full application form carefully and as clearly as possible so that it can be assessed
properly.
Any error related to the points listed in the checklist (Annex A.2, Instructions) or any major inconsistency in
the full application (e.g. if the amounts in the budget worksheets are inconsistent) may lead to the rejection
of the application.
Clarifications will only be requested when information provided is unclear and thus prevents the contracting
authority from conducting an objective assessment.
Page 20 of 33
Please note that only the full application form and the published annexes which have to be filled in (budget,
logical framework) will be transmitted to the evaluators (and assessors, if used). It is therefore of utmost
importance that these documents contain ALL the relevant information concerning the action.
If it is impossible to register online in PADOR for technical reasons, the lead applicant has to submit with
the full application the completed PADOR form (Annex F) for the lead applicant, each (if any) co-
applicants29.
Please note that the following documents30 shall be uploaded in PADOR by the full application deadline or
submitted together with the PADOR registration form with the full application form:
1. The statutes or articles of association of the lead applicant, (if any) of each co-applicant and (if
any). Where the contracting authority has recognised the lead applicant’s, or the co-
applicant(s)’s, eligibility for another call for proposals under the same budget line within 2 years
before the deadline for receipt of applications, it should be submitted, instead of the statutes or
articles of association, a copy of the document proving their eligibility in a former call (e.g. a
copy of the special conditions of a grant contract received during the reference period), unless a
change in legal status has occurred in the meantime. This obligation does not apply to
international organisations which have signed a framework agreement with the European
Commission.
2. Legal entity form (see Annex D of these guidelines) duly completed and signed by each of the
applicants (i.e. by the lead applicant and by each co-applicant, if any), accompanied by the
justifying documents requested there. If the applicants have already signed a contract with the
contracting authority, instead of the legal entity form and supporting documents, the legal entity
number may be provided, unless a change in legal status occurred in the meantime.
3. A financial identification form of the lead applicant (not from co-applicant(s)) conforming to
the model attached as Annex E of these guidelines, certified by the bank to which the payments
will be made. This bank should be located in the country where the lead applicant is established.
If the lead applicant has already submitted a financial identification form in the past for a
contract where the European Commission was in charge of the payments and intends to use the
same bank account, a copy of the previous financial identification form may be provided instead.
In addition, for the purpose of the evaluation of the financial capacity, the following documents should be
submitted31:
1. For action grants exceeding EUR 750 000 and for operating grants exceeding EUR 100 000, the lead
applicant must provide an audit report produced by an approved external auditor where it is
available, and always in cases where a statutory audit is required by EU or national law. That report
shall certify the accounts for up to the last 3 financial years available.
In all other cases, the lead applicant shall provide a self-declaration signed by its authorised
representative certifying the validity of its accounts for up to the last 3 financial years available.
This requirement shall apply only to the first application made by an applicant to the contracting
authority in any one financial year.
The external audit report as well as the self-declaration certifying the validity of the accounts are not
required from the co-applicant(s).
29
Natural persons who apply for a grant (if so allowed in the guidelines for applicants) do not have to provide an
organisation data form. In this case, the information included in the grant application form is sufficient.
31
No supporting documents will be requested for applications for a grant not exceeding EUR 60 000.
Page 21 of 33
2. A copy of the lead applicant’s latest accounts (the profit and loss account and the balance sheet for
the last financial year for which the accounts have been closed)32. A copy of the latest account is not
required from the co-applicant(s).
The requested supporting documents (uploaded in PADOR or sent together with the PADOR offline form)
must be supplied in the form of originals, photocopies or scanned versions (i.e. showing legible stamps,
signatures and dates) of the said originals. Originals should be kept on file for controls.
Where such documents are not in one of the official languages of the European Union, a translation into
English of the relevant parts of these documents proving the lead applicant's and, where applicable, co-
applicants' eligibility, must be attached for the purpose of analysing the application.
Where these documents are in an official language of the European Union other than English, it is strongly
recommended, in order to facilitate the evaluation, to provide a translation of the relevant parts of the
documents, proving the lead applicant's and, where applicable, co-applicants' eligibility, into English.
Applicants have to take into consideration the time necessary to obtain official documents from national
competent authorities and to translate such documents in the authorised languages while registering their
data in PADOR.
If the abovementioned supporting documents are not provided by the deadline for the submission of the full
application, the application may be rejected.
No additional annexes should be sent.
2.2.6. Where and how to send full applications
Full applications (i.e. the full application form, PADOR registration form (where applicable), the budget, the
logical framework, and the declaration by the lead applicant) must be submitted online via PROSPECT
https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/prospect following the instructions given in the PROSPECT users’ manual.
Upon submission of the full application online, the lead applicants will receive an automatic confirmation of
receipt in their PROSPECT profile.
Please note that incomplete applications may be rejected. Lead applicants are advised to verify that their
application is complete using the checklist (Annex A.2, Instructions).
2.2.7. Deadline for submission of full applications
The deadline for the submission of full applications will be indicated in the letter sent to the lead applicants
whose application has been pre-selected. This letter will appear online automatically in the PROSPECT
profile of the lead applicant.
Lead applicants are strongly advised not to wait until the last day to submit their full applications,
since heavy Internet traffic or a fault with the Internet connection (including electricity failure, etc.) could
lead to difficulties in submission. The Contacting Authority cannot be held responsible for any delay due to
such afore-mentioned difficulties.
Any application submitted after the deadline will be rejected.
32
This obligation does not apply to natural persons who have received a scholarship or that are in most need of direct
support, nor to public bodies and to international organisations. It does not apply either when the accounts are in
practice the same documents as the external audit report already provided pursuant to Section 2.2.5, point 1.
Page 22 of 33
2.2.8. Further information about full applications
Questions may be sent by e-mail no later than 21 days before the deadline for the submission of full
applications to the addresses listed below, indicating clearly the reference of the call for proposals:
E-mail address: [email protected]
The contracting authority has no obligation to provide clarifications to questions received after this date.
Replies will be given no later than 11 days before the deadline for the submission of full applications.
To ensure equal treatment of applicants, the contracting authority cannot give a prior opinion on the
eligibility of lead applicants, co-applicants, or an action.
No individual replies will be given to questions. All questions and answers as well as other important notices
to applicants during the course of the evaluation procedure, will be published on the website of DG
International Partnerships: https://ec.europa.eu/international-partnerships/home_fr, as the need arises. It is
therefore advisable to consult the abovementioned website regularly in order to be informed of the questions
and answers published.
All questions related to registration in PADOR or the online submission via PROSPECT should be addressed
to the IT helpdesk at [email protected] via the online support form in
PROSPECT. Please note that the working languages of the IT support are English French and Spanish.
Therefore users are invited to send their questions in English, French or Spanish should they wish to benefit
from an optimum response time.
2.3. EVALUATION AND SELECTION OF APPLICATIONS

Applications will be examined and evaluated by the contracting authority with the possible assistance of
external assessors. All applications will be assessed according to the following steps and criteria.
If the examination of the application reveals that the proposed action does not meet the eligibility criteria
stated in Section 2.1, the application will be rejected on this sole basis.
Page 23 of 33
(1) STEP 1: ADMINISTRATIVE CHECKS AND CONCEPT NOTE EVALUATION
During the administrative check the following will be assessed:
 If the deadline has been met. Otherwise, the application will be automatically rejected.
 If the concept note satisfies all the criteria specified in the checklist in Annex A.1, Instructions of
the grant application form. This includes also an assessment of the eligibility of the action. If any of
the requested information is missing or is incorrect, the application may be rejected on that sole basis
and the application will not be evaluated further.
The concept notes that pass this check will be evaluated on the relevance and design of the proposed action.
The concept notes will receive an overall score out of 50 using the breakdown in the evaluation grid below.
The evaluation will also check on compliance with the instructions on how to complete the concept note,
which can be found in Annex A.1.
The evaluation criteria are divided into headings and subheadings. Each subheading will be given a score
between 1 and 5 as follows: 1 = very poor; 2 = poor; 3 = adequate; 4 = good; 5 = very good.
Evaluation Grid
Maximum
Section
Score
1. Relevance of the action 20
1.1. How relevant is the proposal to the objectives and priorities of the call for proposals and to 5
the specific themes/sectors/areas or any other specific requirement stated in the guidelines
for applicants? Are the expected results of the action aligned with the priorities defined in
the guidelines for applicants (section 1.2)?
1.2. How relevant is the proposal to the particular needs and constraints of the target 5
country(ies), region(s) and/or relevant sectors (including synergy with other development
initiatives and avoidance of duplication)?
1.3. How clearly defined and strategically chosen are those involved (final beneficiaries, target 5
groups)? Have their needs (as rights holders and/or duty bearers) and constraints been
clearly defined and does the proposal address them appropriately?
1.4. Does the proposal contain particular added-value elements (e.g. innovation, best practices) 5
? [and the other additional elements indicated under 1.2. of the guidelines for applicants]
2. Design of the action 30
2.1. How coherent is the overall design of the action? Does the proposal indicate the expected 5x2**
results to be achieved by the action? Does the intervention logic explain the rationale to achieve
the expected results?
2.2. Does the design reflect a robust analysis of the problems involved, and the capacities of the 5
relevant stakeholders?
2.3. Does the design take into account external factors (risks and assumptions)? 5
2.4. Are the activities feasible and consistent in relation to the expected results (including 5
timeframe)? Are results (output, outcome and impact) realistic?
Page 24 of 33
2.5. To which extent does the proposal integrate relevant cross-cutting elements such as 5
environmental/climate change issues, promotion of gender equality and equal opportunities,
needs of disabled people, rights of minorities and rights of indigenous peoples, youth,
combating HIV/AIDS (if there is a strong prevalence in the target country/region)?
Maximum total score 50
**: this score is multiplied by 2 because of its importance
Note: A score of 5 (very good) will only be allocated if the proposal specifically addresses more than the
required minimum number of priorities as indicated in Section 1.2 (objectives of the programme) of these
guidelines.
Once all concept notes have been assessed, a list will be drawn up with the proposed actions ranked
according to their total score.
Firstly, only the concept notes with a score of at least 30 will be considered for pre-selection.
Secondly, the number of concept notes will be reduced, taking account of the ranking, to the number of
concept notes whose total aggregate amount of requested contributions is equal to approximately 200% of
the available budget for this call for proposals. The amount of requested contributions of each concept note
will be based on the indicative financial envelopes for each lot, where relevant.
Lead applicants will receive a letter indicating the reference number of their application and the respective
results. This letter will automatically appear online in the PROSPECT profile of the lead applicant.
The pre-selected lead applicants will subsequently be invited to submit full applications.
Page 25 of 33
(2) STEP 2: EVALUATION OF THE FULL APPLICATION
Firstly, the following will be assessed:
 If the submission deadline has been met. Otherwise, the application will automatically be rejected.
 If the full application satisfies all the criteria specified in the checklist (Annex A.2, Instructions).
This includes also an assessment of the eligibility of the action. If any of the requested information
is missing or is incorrect, the application may be rejected on that sole basis and the application will
not be evaluated further.
The full applications that pass this check will be further evaluated on their quality, including the proposed
budget and capacity of the applicants. They will be evaluated using the evaluation criteria in the evaluation
grid below. There are two types of evaluation criteria: selection and award criteria.
The selection criteria help to evaluate the applicant(s)'s operational capacity and the lead applicant's
financial capacity and are used to verify that they:
 have stable and sufficient sources of finance to maintain their activity throughout the proposed
action and, where appropriate, to participate in its funding (this only applies to lead applicants);
 have the management capacity, professional competencies and qualifications required to successfully
complete the proposed action. This applies to all applicants.
For the purpose of the evaluation of the financial capacity, lead applicants must ensure that the relevant
information and documents (i.e. accounts of the latest financial year and external audit report, where
applicable) are up to date either in their PADOR profile or when submitting the requested documents with
PADOR registration form. If the information and documents requested are outdated and do not allow for a
proper evaluation of the financial capacity, the application may be rejected.
The award criteria help to evaluate the quality of the applications in relation to the objectives and priorities
set forth in the guidelines, and to award grants to projects which maximise the overall effectiveness of the
call for proposals. They help to select applications which the contracting authority can be confident will
comply with its objectives and priorities. They cover the relevance of the action, its consistency with the
objectives of the call for proposals, quality, expected impact, sustainability and cost-effectiveness.
Scoring:
The evaluation grid is divided into Sections and subsections. Each subsection will be given a score between
1 and 5 as follows: 1 = very poor; 2 = poor; 3 = adequate; 4 = good; 5 = very good.
Page 26 of 33
Evaluation grid
Maximum
Section
Score
1. Financial and operational capacity 20
1.1. Do the applicants have sufficient in-house experience of project management? 5
1.2. Do the applicants have sufficient technical in-house expertise (especially knowledge of 5
the issues to be addressed)?
1.3. Do the applicants and have sufficient management in-house capacity (including staff, 5
equipment and ability to handle the budget for the action)?
1.4. Does the lead applicant have stable and sufficient sources of finance? 5
2. Relevance of the action 20
2.1. How relevant is the proposal to the objectives and priorities of the call for proposals and
to the specific themes/sectors/areas or any other specific requirement stated in the guidelines
5
for applicants? Are the expected results of the action aligned with the priorities defined in the
guidelines for applicants (section 1.2)?
2.2. How relevant is the proposal to the particular needs and constraints of the target
country(ies), region(s) and/or relevant sectors (including synergy with other development 5
initiatives and avoidance of duplication)?
2.3. How clearly defined and strategically chosen are those involved (final beneficiaries,
target groups)? Have their needs (as rights holders and/or duty bearers) and constraints been 5
clearly defined and does the proposal address them appropriately?
2.4. Does the proposal contain particular added-value elements (e.g. innovation, best
practices) ? [and the other additional elements indicated under 1.2. of the guidelines for 5
applicants]
3. Design of the action 15
3.1. How coherent is the design of the action? Does the proposal indicate the expected results 5
to be achieved by the action? Does the intervention logic explain the rationale to achieve
the expected results? Are the activities proposed appropriate, practical, and consistent
with the envisaged outputs and outcome(s)?
3.2. Does the proposal/Logical Framework include credible baseline, targets and sources of 5
verification? If not, is a baseline study foreseen (and is the study budgeted appropriately
in the proposal)?
3.3. Does the design reflect a robust analysis of the problems involved, and the capacities of 5
the relevant stakeholders?
4. Implementation approach 15
4.1. Is the action plan for implementing the action clear and feasible? Is the timeline realistic? 5
4.2. Does the proposal include an effective and efficient monitoring system? Is there an 5
evaluation planned (previous, during or/and at the end of the implementation)?
Page 27 of 33
4.3. Is the co-applicant(s)'s level of involvement and participation in the action satisfactory? 5
5. Sustainability of the action 15
5.1. Is the action likely to have a tangible impact on its target groups? 5
5.2. Is the action likely to have multiplier effects, including scope for replication, extension 5
capitalisation on experience and knowledge sharing?
5.3. Are the expected results of the proposed action sustainable?- Financially (e.g. financing 5
of follow-up activities, sources of revenue for covering all future operating and
maintenance costs)- Institutionally (will structures allow the results of the action to be
sustained at the end of the action? Will there be local ‘ownership’ of the results of the
action?)- At policy level (where applicable) (what will be the structural impact of the
action — e.g. improved legislation, codes of conduct, methods) - Environmentally (if
applicable) (will the action have a negative/positive environmental impact?)
6. Budget and cost-effectiveness of the action 15
6.1. Are the activities appropriately reflected in the budget? 5
6.2. Is the ratio between the estimated costs and the expected results satisfactory? 5x2**
Maximum total score 100
**: this score is multiplied by 2 because of its importance
If the total score for Section 1 (financial and operational capacity) is less than 12 points, the application will
be rejected. If the score for at least one of the subsections under Section 1 is 1, the application will also be
rejected.
If the lead applicant applies without co-applicants the score for point 4.3 shall be 5 unless the involvement of
co-applicants is mandatory according to these guidelines for applicants.
Provisional selection
After the evaluation, a table will be drawn up listing the applications ranked according to their score. The
highest scoring applications will be provisionally selected until the available budget for this call for
proposals is reached. In addition, a reserve list will be drawn up following the same criteria. This list will be
used if more funds become available during the validity period of the reserve list.
Page 28 of 33
(3) STEP 3: VERIFICATION OF ELIGIBILITY OF THE APPLICANTS
The eligibility verification will be performed on the basis of the supporting documents requested by the
contracting authority (see Section 2.4). It will by default only be performed for the applications that have
been provisionally selected according to their score and within the available budget for this call for
proposals.
 The declaration by the lead applicant (Section 5 of Annex A.2) will be cross-checked with the
supporting documents provided by the lead applicant. Any missing supporting document or any
incoherence between the declaration by the lead applicant and the supporting documents may lead to
the rejection of the application on that sole basis.
 The eligibility of applicants will be verified according to the criteria set out in Section 2.1.1.
Any rejected application will be replaced by the next best placed application on the reserve list that falls
within the available budget for this call for proposals.
Page 29 of 33
2.4. SUBMISSION OF SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
The lead applicant shall submit the documents listed in section 2.2.5.
In addition, a lead applicant whose application has been provisionally selected or placed on the reserve list
will be informed in writing by the contracting authority. It will be requested to supply the following
documents via PROSPECT:
1. Declaration on honour: the lead applicant as well as all co-applicants shall fill in and sign the
declaration on honour certifying that they are not in one of the exclusion situations (see Section
2.6.10.1 of the PRAG) where the amount of the grant exceeds EUR 15 000. Please note that the
declaration on honour should be submitted via PROSPECT.
2. Self-evaluation questionnaire on SEA-H: the lead applicant as well as all co-applicants shall fill in the
self-evaluation questionnaire assessing the organisation’s internal policy and procedure against sexual
exploitation, abuse and harassment (SEA-H) (Annex L) where the amount of grant exceeds EUR 60
000 (see Section 2.5.6 of the PRAG)33. Please note that the self-evaluation questionnaire on SEA-H
should be submitted via PADOR.
After verifying the supporting documents, the evaluation committee will make a final recommendation to the
contracting authority, which will decide on the award of grants.
NB: In the eventuality that the contracting authority is not satisfied with the strength, solidity, and
guarantee offered by the structural link between one of the applicants, it can require the submission of
the missing documents allowing for its conversion into co-applicant. If all the missing documents for
co-applicants are submitted, and provided all necessary eligibility criteria are fulfilled, the above
mentioned entity becomes a co-applicant for all purposes. The lead applicant has to submit the
application form revised accordingly.
2.5. NOTIFICATION OF THE CONTRACTING AUTHORITY’S DECISION
2.5.1. Content of the decision
The lead applicants will be informed in writing of the Contracting Authority’s decision concerning their
application and, if rejected, the reasons for the negative decision. This letter will be sent by e-mail and will
appear online automatically in the PROSPECT profile of the user who submitted the application. Lead
applicants who, in exceptional cases (see section 2.2), had to submit their application by post, private courier
or hand-delivery, will be informed by email or by post if they did not provide any e-mail address. Therefore,
please check regularly your PROSPECT profile, taking into account the indicative timetable below. Please
note that the lead applicant is the intermediary for all communications between applicants and the
contracting authority during the procedure.
An applicant believing that it has been harmed by an error or irregularity during the award process may
lodge a complaint. See further Section 2.12 of the practical guide.
Applicants and, if they are legal entities, persons who have powers of representation, decision-making or
control over them, are informed that, should they be in one of the situations of early detection or exclusion,
33
Applicants, co-applicants and affiliated entities who are (i) natural persons (ii) pillar-assessed entities and (iii)
governments and other public bodies do not have to submit the self-evaluation questionnaire.
Page 30 of 33
their personal details (name, given name if natural person, address, legal form and name and given name of
the persons with powers of representation, decision-making or control, if legal person) may be registered in
the early detection and exclusion system, and communicated to the persons and entities concerned in relation
to the award or the execution of a grant contract. For more information, you may consult the privacy
statement available on http://ec.europa.eu/budget/explained/management/protecting/protect_en.cfm
2.5.2. Indicative timetable
DATE TIME
1. Information meeting (if any) 26/03/2024 TBD
2. Deadline for requesting any clarifications 01/04/2024 -

from the contracting authority
3. Last date on which clarifications are issued 10/04/2024 -

by the contracting authority
12:00 Brussels time

4. Deadline for submission of concept notes 22/04/2024
Corresponding to 15:00
Islamabad time
5. Information to lead applicants on [opening,] Tentatively end of May -

administrative checks and concept note 2024
evaluation (Step 1)
6. Invitations to submit full applications Tentatively June 2024 -
7. Deadline for submission of full applications Tentatively July 2024 -
8. Information to lead applicants on the Tentatively September -

evaluation of the full applications (Step 2) 2024
9. Notification of award (after the eligibility Tentatively September -

check) (Step 3) 2024
10. Contract signature Tentatively October 2024 -
All times are in the time zone of the country of the contracting authority.
This indicative timetable refers to provisional dates (except for dates 2, 3, and 4) and may be updated by the
contracting authority during the procedure. In such cases, the updated timetable will be published on the web
site where the call was published: website of DG International Partnerships
https://ec.europa.eu/international-partnerships/home_fr or Funding & Tender opportunities (F&T Portal)
https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/home.
2.6. CONDITIONS FOR IMPLEMENTATION AFTER THE CONTRACTING AUTHORITY’S DECISION TO

AWARD A GRANT
Page 31 of 33
Following the decision to award a grant, the beneficiary(ies) will be offered a contract based on the standard
grant contract (see Annex G of these guidelines). By signing the application form (Annex A of these
guidelines), the applicants agree, if awarded a grant, to accept the contractual conditions of the standard grant
contract. Where the coordinator is an organisation whose pillars have been positively assessed, it will sign a
contribution agreement based on the contribution agreement template. In this case, references to provisions
of the standard grant contract and its annexes shall not apply. References in these guidelines to the grant
contract shall be understood as references to the relevant provisions of the contribution agreement.
Implementation contracts
Where implementation of the action requires the beneficiary(ies) to award procurement contracts, those
contracts must be awarded in accordance with Annex IV to the standard grant contract.
In this context, a distinction should be made between awarding implementation contracts and subcontracting
parts of the action described in the proposal, i.e. the description of the action annexed to the grant contract,
such subcontracting being subject to additional restrictions (see the general terms and conditions in the
model grant contract ).
Awarding implementation contracts: implementation contracts relate to the acquisition by beneficiaries of

routine services and/or necessary goods and equipment as part of their project management; they do not
cover any outsourcing of tasks forming part of the action that are described in the proposal, i.e. in the
description of the action annexed to the grant contract .
Subcontracting: Subcontracting is the implementation, by a third party with which one or more beneficiaries
have concluded a procurement contract, of specific tasks forming part of the action as described in annex to
the grant contract (see also the general terms and conditions in the model grant contract).
Page 32 of 33
3. LIST OF ANNEXES
DOCUMENTS TO BE COMPLETED
Annex A: Grant application form (Word format)

A.1 – Concept note
A.2 – Full application form
Annex B: Budget (Excel format)
Annex C: Logical framework (Excel format)
Annex D: Legal entity sheet
Annex E: Financial identification form
Annex F: PADOR registration form
DOCUMENTS FOR INFORMATION34
Annex G: Standard grant contract

- Annex II: general conditions
- Annex IV: contract award rules
- Annex V: standard request for payment
- Annex VI: model narrative and financial report
- Annex VII: model report of factual findings and terms of reference for an expenditure verification of
an EU financed grant contract for external action
- Annex VIII: model financial guarantee
- Annex IX: standard template for transfer of ownership of assets
Annex H: Declaration on Honour

Annex I: Daily allowance rates (per diem), available at the following address: https://international-
partnerships.ec.europa.eu/funding/guidelines/managing-project/diem-rates_en
Annex J: Information on the tax regime applicable to grant contracts signed under the call.
Annex K: Guidelines for assessing simplified cost options.
Annex L: Self-evaluation questionnaire on SEA-H
Useful links:
Project Cycle Management Guidelines

https://ec.europa.eu/international-partnerships/funding/managing-project_en
The implementation of grant contracts
A Users' Guide: https://wikis.ec.europa.eu/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=48169235
Financial Toolkit: https://ec.europa.eu/international-partnerships/financial-management-toolkit_en
Please note: the toolkit is not part of the grant contract and has no legal value. It merely provides general
guidance and may in some details differ from the signed grant contract. In order to ensure compliance with
their contractual obligations beneficiaries should not exclusively rely on the toolkit but always consult their
individual contract documents.
***
34
These documents should also be published by the contracting authority.
Page 33 of 33

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Contracting Authority: European Commission

Country–based support scheme (CBSS) to promote

Guidelines for grant applicants

Budget lines: BGUE-B2024-14.020211-C8-INTPA

22/04/2024 at 12:00 (Brussels date and time)

1. COUNTRY–BASED SUPPORT SCHEME (CBSS) TO PROMOTE AND PROTECT HUMAN

1.1. Background ........................................................................................................................................... 4

2.1. Eligibility criteria .................................................................................................................................. 9

The Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI-Global Europe

1.2. OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME AND PRIORITY ISSUES

Lot 1: Business and Human Rights

Lot 2: Equality and inclusion of minorities

The priorities of this call for proposals are:

Lot 1: Business and Human Rights

Under Lot 1, actions may foresee the following outputs:

Under Lot 2, actions may foresee the following outputs:

o Preventing and combatting discrimination and violence, addressing either non-governmental or

Methodological cross-cutting elements

Human Rights-based approach (HRBA)

Monitoring, evaluation, learning (MEL) and reporting arrangements

When drafting logical framework indicators, please ensure these are:

1.3. FINANCIAL ALLOCATION PROVIDED BY THE CONTRACTING AUTHORITY

Indicative allocation of funds by lot:

Lot 1 – EUR 1 472 513

Lot 2 – EUR 1 500 000

 minimum amount: EUR 400 000

 maximum amount: EUR 600 000

 Minimum percentage: 50 % of the total eligible costs of the action.

2.1. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

(1) the actors (2.1.1.):

(2) the actions (2.1.3.):

• actions for which a grant may be awarded;

(3) the costs (2.1.4.):

2.1.1. Eligibility of applicants (i.e. lead applicant and co-applicant(s))

(1) In order to be eligible for a grant, the lead applicant must:

 be a legal person and

 be a Civil Society Organisation (CSO) or association of CSOs and

 International Non-Governmental Organisations (established in any other eligible country than

Co-applicants must sign the mandate in Annex A.2 Section 5.

2.1.2. Associates and contractors

2.1.3. Eligible actions: actions for which an application may be made

An action is composed of a set of activities.

Actions must take place in Pakistan.

The following types of action are ineligible:

 Actions including political or religious proselytism or propaganda.

 Actions supporting political parties and/or supporting violence.

 Actions concerned only or mainly with procurement of equipment.

 Works, including feasibility studies works supervision.

 Microcredits/ microfinancing/revolving funds.

Financial support to third parties25

(vi) the maximum amount which may be given.

2.1.4. Eligibility of costs: costs that can be included

(i) actual costs incurred by the beneficiary(ies);

(ii) one or more simplified cost options (see below).

Simplified cost options may take the form of:

It is therefore in the applicants' interest to provide a realistic and cost-effective budget.

Eligible direct costs

Contributions in kind may not be treated as co-financing

Other co-financing shall be based on estimates provided by the applicant.

The following costs are not eligible: