The Human Rights and Justice Program of the International Renaissance Foundation in the framework of the EU4USociety project in cooperation with the European Union announces a competition: “Strengthening the capacity of the justice system and bringing it closer to modern European standards and practices”

The purpose of this grant is to involve the general civil society, including professional legal communities, local communities in the assessment, search and implementation of changes in the justice system to strengthen its effectiveness, establish the rule of law, protect human rights, and expand access to justice.

This competition aims to support public initiatives that will promote the development and promotion of best practices in the justice system, based on the principles of efficiency, justice and respect for human rights. It is announced as part of the EU-funded EU4USociety project, the overall goal of which is to strengthen the involvement, sustainability, capacity, relevance and influence of Ukrainian civil society in addressing pressing domestic, regional and global challenges.

Competition priorities

Competitive projects may include informational, educational and public advocacy activities, preparation of analytical documents, organization of stakeholder dialogues, public discussions, etc. in the following areas:

• Monitoring and evaluation of the practical activity of the institutions of the justice system in view of their functional purpose and the effectiveness of its achievement;
• Introduction of human rights standards as a necessary fundamental value of fair justice;
• Supporting professional communities in understanding and applying modern standards of activity, professional ethics and the rule of law;
• Creating conditions and environment for finding and discussing new solutions for the justice system aimed at improving its efficiency;
• Development of legal capacity of local communities, introduction of practices of alternative settlement of legal disputes.

Funding Information

• The minimum grant amount is UAH 100,000.
• The maximum grant amount is UAH 900,000.
• The optimal size of the grant is UAH 500,000-600,000.
• The total budget of the competition is UAH 3,300,000.

Requirements for project proposals

• The objectives and expected results of the project must correspond to the priorities of the competition;
• The content of the project proposal should contain a brief preliminary analysis of the problem, which indicates the applicant's awareness of the project, the positions of authorities and interest groups, the current state of discussion in Ukraine and the EU;
• The maximum project implementation period is 12 months. The planned start date of project implementation is January 2021.

Contest Participants

Public organizations, unions, associations, societies and other associations registered in accordance with Ukrainian legislation as non-profit or charitable organizations.

Criteria

• Substantial compliance of the project proposal with the priorities of the competition, awareness of the subject of the project proposal, convincing preliminary analysis of the problem;
• Logical construction of the project (clear and realistic action plan; level of involvement of partners; realism of achieving the expected results with the help of the activities proposed in the project);
• Performance (expected practical results at the exit, the impact of the project on target audiences; the availability of objective indicators, monitoring and evaluation of performance);
• Organizational and financial capacity of the organization and partner organizations (availability of expertise, previous experience on the project; availability of staff and necessary material resources (premises, equipment, etc.) required for project implementation; experience of successful project implementation and reporting; availability of other stable sources of funding organizations);
• Adequacy of the budget, its compliance with the content of the project and the conditions of the competition.

For more information, visit International Renaissance Foundation.