The Embassy of Kingdom of the Netherlands in Tirana is seeking applications for its MATRA for European Cooperation Program 2021 that aims at using Dutch expertise in the areas of democracy, the rule of law and human rights to contribute to social transformation leading to a sustainable stable relationship between government and its citizens, and to invest in the bilateral relationship with these countries and in future partners.

MATRA program supports countries to fulfill conditions required by the EU accession processes (e.g. Copenhagen Criteria and/or Association Agreements with EU). The MATRA Fund supplements the European Commission’s efforts and aims to help countries strengthen democracy and the rule of law, thus enhance stability.

Focus Areas

The MATRA Program is demand-driven. It supports initiatives of Albanian NGOs. The project support is aligned with policy priorities. To be eligible for support, projects must promote the process of transformation in the following areas:

• Rule of Law:
  • Proposal should be in line with the strategic documents and objectives of the Albanian justice institutions including Ministry of Justice, High Judicial Council, High Prosecutorial Council and High Justice Inspector. Specific topics that are of interest to this Embassy:
    • Support judicial institutions in their capacity building, based on EU best practices and courts jurisprudence (ECtHR and CJEU).
    • Support citizens and vulnerable groups in their access to justice, taking into account areas that are already covered by Albanian institutions or other donors.
• Freedom of expression, media freedom and independent journalism:
  • Freedom of expression is an essential part of a properly functioning democracy and a free society. People in general, and journalists in particular, should be free to express themselves both online and offline. Specific topics that are of interest to this Embassy:
    • Support the independent position of journalists and media organizations in a variety of ways, with a particular focus on fostering a culture in which freedom of expression is considered self-evident.
    • Raising awareness and combating impunity for people who threaten or attack journalists as well as contributing to having effective legislation in place and providing a safe space for threatened journalists.
• Anti-Corruption, good governance and institutional democratization:
  • The proposal should contribute to a more capable and responsive public sector towards citizens’ and private sector needs, as well as to advance and respond to demands of the EU integration process. Specific topics that are of interest to the Embassy:
    • Strengthening of policy dialogue on anti-corruption between the government, civil society and the private sector;
    • Contribution to anti-corruption measures and outreach at local level;
    • Enhanced transparency and access to information for the citizens, leading to improved quality of services for citizens and businesses.
    • Strengthening the cooperation between different stakeholders in addressing the major reforms in the framework of the EU integration process in the field of integrity, anti-corruption and transparency.

Funding Information

• Overall budget for project should range between EUR 60.000 and EUR 120.000.
• The project has duration of 24 – 36 months and should start between April and September 2021.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applications are only taken into consideration when the Embassy provided format is used.
• Only NGOs that are officially registered and have at least 2 last year’s audited accounts will be eligible to apply.
• Applications must be relevant to the specific MATRA objectives
• The project needs to promote local ownership of the issue that is at the core of the project. It should take inclusiveness seriously, be gender sensitive and create equal access to project results for all groups in society.
• If cooperation with government authorities/independent institutions is foreseen, outreach to relevant stakeholders should be done before submitting the concept note.
• The applicant should contribute to the project (financial or in kind). This needs to be specified clearly in the activities and budget overview.
• Not eligible for funding under the Matra Embassy Program:
  • Humanitarian aid;
  • Commercial activities;
  • Business registered organizations;
  • Projects with a predominantly academic focus, i.e. feasibility studies, research etc.;
  • Projects that exclusively or largely include the delivery of goods or materials;
  • Infrastructural or construction projects;
  • Scholarships or education programs;
  • Social programs.

For more information, visit Kingdom of the Netherlands.