Technical Assistance for
Civil Society Organisations
Regional Office
This project is funded
by the European Union.
Technical Assistance Service Contract for the implementation of the project
“Capacity Building of Civil Society in the IPA countries and Territories (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Croatia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo under UNSCR 1244/99, Montenegro, Serbia
and Turkey).
EuropeAid/127427/C/SER/Multi – additional services.
OPEN CALL for
Support to
Regional CSO Networks in the IPA countries
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The general objective of the project Technical Assistance for Civil Society Organisations (TACSO) is to strengthen
the civil society within a participative democracy, to stimulate a civil society-friendly environment and culture, as
well as to strengthen the overall capacities and accountability of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) within the IPA
beneficiaries (Western Balkans and Turkey), to guarantee the quality of services of CSOs and a sustainable role of
CSOs in the democratic process.
In particular, TACSO pays special attention to strengthening and establishing sectoral, national and regional
networks, mainly because the TACSO Needs Assessments indicated a need for a regional CSO dialogue to promote
a unified regional platform for CSO policies and activities within the framework of the EU accession process; for
further networking and partnership building with CSOs in the region, and in general for connecting regional and
country networks on policy issues, with EU platforms, for information sharing, etc.
Therefore, in August of 2011, the TACSO Regional Office (RO) organised a mapping exercise of the Regional
CSOs’ Networks in the IPA countries. The result of this task was the Report on Regional CSOs’ Networks which
gives information on existing networks in the region, their capacities, needs, and provides some recommendations
to stakeholders such as: TACSO, EU, governments, and networks. This was the first report of this kind in the
region.
Apart from mapping the regional networks, and initial identification of their capacities and needs, the report is
supposed to serve as a starting point for planning further actions related to the support to regional CSO networks
(RCSONs).
As a follow-up to this exercise, the TACSO RO in cooperation with the Regional Cooperation Council organised
the Regional Conference for Regional CSOs’ Networks in the IPA countries, whose main purpose was to bring the
regional CSOs’ networks together to examine upcoming prospects for their support, mainly from the EU, and to
discuss their needs in a wider, face-to-face forum.
After summarizing the issues, recommendations, and open questions identified by the participants at the
conference, it became obvious that there is an evident need for further support to the RCSON.
On this occasion we are planning to provide further support for regional CSO networks in the IPA countries.
OBJECTIVES AND FOCUS OF SUPPORT
The Overall objective is to contribute to strengthening the regional CSOs networking in the IPA countries.
The purpose is to support CSOs in undertaking specific actions targeted at regional CSO network development.
Expected results:
o Increased capacities of the regional CSO networks
o Increased number of quality actions by regional CSO networks in the IPA region
o Promotion of partnership and networking among CSOs in the IPA region
TACSO Regional Office • Potoklinica 16 • 71 000 Sarajevo • t: +387 33 532 757 • f: +387 33 532 757 • e-mail: info@tacso.org
SIPU International AB Sweden • Civil Society Promotion Centre Bosnia and Herzegovina • Human Resources Development Foundation Turkey
Foundation in Support of Local Democracy Poland • Partners Foundation for Local Development Romania
1
Technical Assistance for
Civil Society Organisations
Regional Office
This project is funded
by the European Union.
Lots:
Lot 1 – Civil Society’s Call for proposals – IPA-CSF Partnership Program for CSOs
Lot 2 –Capacity building regional CSOs networks
TYPE OF ACTIONS THAT WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR SUPPORT
Definition
An action (or project) is composed of a set of activities.
Themes:
Lot 1:
 Sector thematic actions
Lot 2:
 Capacity building of regional CSOs’ networks
 Exchange of lessons learned and best practices
 Promotion of policy dialogue between government institutions in IPA countries and regional
CSOs’ networks, and/or between regional CSOs’ networks and EU
organisations/institutions/networks
Activities
Following activities would be considered eligible under:
Lot 1:

Organisation of cross-border meetings of network members to plan and prepare the project for the
upcoming Civil Society Facility’s Call for Proposal - IPA-CSF Partnership Programmes for CSOs
Lot 2:
 Organisation of meetings of network members to develop concrete action plan, strategic plane,
and/or
 Preparation for/organisation/facilitation of meetings between regional CSOs’ Networks from an
IPA country with a EU organisations/institution/network, and or with the government institutions
in IPA countries and/or
 Provision of training/coaching services in strategic planning, communication planning, and other
topics of interest for regional CSOs Networks and/or
 Organisation of meetings of CSOs who are planning to develop a network,
WHO WOULD BE CONSIDERED ELIGIBLE FOR SUPPORT?
Lot 1:
 networks who are eligible for the Civil Society Facility’s Call for Proposal - IPA-CSF Partnership
Programmes for CSOs
Lot 2:
Regional CSOs’ Networks
The regional CSO network would be eligible to apply for support if:
 it is registered in the TACSO report on Regional CSOs’ Networks in IPA countries; and/or
 it has participated in the Regional Conference for Regional CSOs’ Networks organised by TACSO
in December 2011, and/or,
TACSO Regional Office • Potoklinica 16 • 71 000 Sarajevo • t: +387 33 532 757 • f: +387 33 532 757 • e-mail: info@tacso.org
SIPU International AB Sweden • Civil Society Promotion Centre Bosnia and Herzegovina • Human Resources Development Foundation Turkey
Foundation in Support of Local Democracy Poland • Partners Foundation for Local Development Romania
2
Technical Assistance for
Civil Society Organisations
Regional Office
This project is funded
by the European Union.
 other than the previous two points, other networks which are informal, or formally registered or in
the process of registration, and
 its base country is one of the IPA countries, and
 an area of its actions include the countries of the Western Balkans and Turkey, and
 member organisations of a network come solely from at least two countries from the Western
Balkans and Turkey.
Civil Society Organisations
CSOs would be considered eligible if they are planning to establish a network that will:
 have its base country in one of the IPA countries, and
 include the countries of the Western Balkans and Turkey as an area of its actions, and
 have member organisations of a network solely from at least two countries from the Western
Balkans and Turkey.
ACTION DURATION
Lot 1: the action should be implemented in 1-5 days.
Lot 2: the action should be implemented during the period March and end of December 2012.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Interested regional CSO networks from the IPA region are requested to submit in English:
- Application form (attached to this call),
- Completed questionnaire (attached to this call).
Incomplete applications, missing one of the two listed documents, will be rejected.
Please send your application by e-mail to: jasenka.perovic@tacso.org by:
Lot 1: 23rd of February 2012
Lot 2: 10th March 2012
with the subject heading: REGIONAL CSO NETWORKS SUPPORT, Lot 1 or Lot 2 (please specify which lot
your application refers to).
SELECTION CRITERIA
-
Relevance of the proposed action
Sustainability of the outputs and outcomes of the supported action/activity
Requested amount to be supported by TACSO
Co-financing expectations of the proposed action from sources other than TACSO
Market distortion plan, i.e. suggested return of pro bono services to and for capacity building of small/rural
CSOs in return for received support from TACSO.
Once selected for support, the networks and organisations will commit themselves to ensure the full participation of
its participant throughout the foreseen steps in the proposed action and to deliver, pro bono, certain capacity
building services to smaller/rural CSOs in return in order to avoid a CSO market distortion.
The protocol of cooperation will be signed between the relevant TACSO offices and recipient(s) of the TACSO
support under this call.
TACSO Regional Office • Potoklinica 16 • 71 000 Sarajevo • t: +387 33 532 757 • f: +387 33 532 757 • e-mail: info@tacso.org
SIPU International AB Sweden • Civil Society Promotion Centre Bosnia and Herzegovina • Human Resources Development Foundation Turkey
Foundation in Support of Local Democracy Poland • Partners Foundation for Local Development Romania
3
Technical Assistance for
Civil Society Organisations
Regional Office
This project is funded
by the European Union.
Further information can be obtained from the TACSO Web site, www.tacso.org. If you have any additional
questions please contact the TACSO Regional Office info@tacso.org.
TACSO Regional Office • Potoklinica 16 • 71 000 Sarajevo • t: +387 33 532 757 • f: +387 33 532 757 • e-mail: info@tacso.org
SIPU International AB Sweden • Civil Society Promotion Centre Bosnia and Herzegovina • Human Resources Development Foundation Turkey
Foundation in Support of Local Democracy Poland • Partners Foundation for Local Development Romania
4