Call for proposals VP/2019/014 - Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme - Operating Grants 2020 to EU level networks having signed a framework partnership agreement for the period 2018-2021 and being active in the field of rights of persons with disabilities

Purpose

This call for proposals aims to provide specific operating grants for the year 2020 to European networks having signed a Framework Partnership Agreements 2018-2021 with the European Commission.

The 4-year Framework Partnership Agreements established cooperation between the European Commission and European networks whose statutory aim is to promote and protect the rights of persons with disabilities.

The specific operating grants will enhance the capacities of the networks to contribute actively to the development and implementation of all relevant policies. The grants will fund operating costs and those activities of the networks which have EU added value and which contribute to the implementation of the objectives of the REC Programme for the year 2020.

Objectives & Priorities

The objective of the Call is to promote, protect and monitor the rights of persons with disabilities, to ensure that people with disabilities can fully enjoy their rights.

Activities

Applicants are expected to focus particularly on the following areas of activity:
  • supporting the European Commission in implementing the above-mentioned priorities by providing analysis and data for critical or emerging issues, especially those where there is a knowledge-gap;
  • providing input to European Commission's Public Consultations and drafting position papers in relevant EU policy areas.
  • supporting national member organisations in their involvement in the implementation, at national level, of main political EU driven processes;
  • equipping member organisations with the necessary skills and competences to promote the interests and rights of people with disabilities, in particular to enhance equality of opportunities for people with disabilities, namely in employment, and combat discrimination on the basis of disability;
  • developing information and campaigning tools (websites, publications or other means) to inform about EU objectives, policies and actions in the disability field, increasing the network capacity and raising public awareness.
The types of activities which may be funded under this call for proposals include:
  • analytical activities, such as the collection of data and statistics; the development of common methodologies and, where appropriate, indicators or benchmarks; studies, researches, analyses and surveys; evaluations; the elaboration and publication of guides, reports and educational material; workshops, seminars, experts' meetings and conferences;
  • training activities, such as staff exchanges, workshops, seminars, train-the-trainer events and the development of online training tools or other training modules;
  • mutual learning, cooperation, awareness-raising and dissemination activities, such as the identification of, and exchanges concerning, good practices, innovative approaches and experiences; the organisation of peer reviews and mutual learning; the organisation of conferences, seminars, media campaigns, including in the online media, information campaigns, including institutional communication on the political priorities of the Union as far as they relate to the objectives of the Programme; the compilation and publication of materials to disseminate information about the Programme and its results; the development, operation and maintenance of systems and tools using information and communication technologies;
  • management activities to support the operations of the network as well as capacity building for its members.

In order to ensure an inclusive perspective, beneficiaries shall encourage the participation of relevant target groups in actions financed by the Programme, and in particular of people with disabilities, their families and representative organisations.

Expected results

Applicants are invited to:
  • provide a clear description of the methodology, main outputs and their expected contribution to European policy development in the thematic areas of this call, as well as to demonstrate the added value of their activities;
  • describe their monitoring system and the way in which they use monitoring and external evaluations in order to assess, on the one hand, their overall performance and, on the other hand, the relevance and impact of their outputs.
The documents, information, websites, meetings and other events organised in the framework of the work programme are expected to be accessible, and reasonable accommodation should be provided.

Deadline for submitting proposals

25/09/2019, 24:00 Brussels time / hand deliveries 16:00 Brussels time

More information about the call can be found here.