The Center for Investigative Reporting, together with partners from the Reporting Diversity Network 2.0 , is announcing a public call for project proposals aimed at combating hate speech and better presentation of diversity.
The public call was published within the Reporting Diversity Network 2.0 project, which aims to effectively influence the media presentation of ethnicity, religion and gender equality in the Western Balkans.
Reporting Diversity Network 2.0 aims to activate the role of civil society in counteracting narratives that lead to divisions, and replacing them with much-needed positive discourse that contributes to the values of good neighborly relations and respect for social diversity;
The main goal of the public call is to increase the efficiency of civil society organizations that cooperate with the media in order to reduce the spread of stereotypes and negative portrayal of others.
The specific objectives of the call are:
- Strengthen the position of local civil society organizations in protecting the rights of their users in the media;
- Provide an opportunity for local civil society organizations to influence public opinion;
- Increase the number and quality of messages conveyed to the audience;
- Improve the visibility and media presence of topics related to women’s rights and the rights of minority groups;
- Raise awareness and contribute to the positive perception of others, tolerance and inclusion in the region.
Types of activities eligible for funding (the list of activities may include other project activities as long as they contribute to the above objectives):
a) Advocacy and awareness raising campaigns;
b) Production of media content;
c) Creating campaigns to suppress hate narratives in public space;
d) Development of special websites and portals that enable citizens to contribute, access to information and public debates;
e) Consultations, round tables and meetings with local stakeholders;
f) Establishing political dialogue with stakeholders (e.g., political parties, local officials, community experts, media representatives).
All project activities must be implemented in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Estimated time for project implementation is a maximum of 6 (six) months.
The total budget of the program is 27,500 euros. As envisaged by the program, the Center for Investigative Reporting will support 5 (five) projects, while the amount of individual grants will range from 3,000 euros to 8,000 euros.
Civil society organizations applying to this call must meet the following criteria:
- Registered in accordance with the applicable legal regulations in Bosnia and Herzegovina and that they have settled all legal obligations;
- Have experience in advocating for diversity and/or hate speech;
- Be directly responsible for project preparation and project management;
- That the bank account of the organization is not blocked;
- That the organizations are not beneficiaries of the European Commission Civil Society Facility and Media Program 2018-2019, budget lines: BGUE-B2018-22.020401 and BGUE-B2019-22.020401.
- Organizations can submit only one project proposal under this Program as an applicant or as a partner.
Different types of civil society organizations can apply for the public call: grassroots organizations, members of networks of organizations operating at the national or regional level, media established as civil society organizations.
Partnership with local media will be considered an advantage and brings additional points during the project evaluation process.
A one-day training on the rules and procedures for the implementation of EU grants will be organized for selected beneficiaries of grant funds. The training will cover topics such as: project management, visibility guidelines, financial reporting, etc.
Selected civil society organizations will be provided with mentoring support to assist in the implementation of creative media campaigns aimed at raising public awareness and managing project activities.
We invite all interested organizations to fill in the application forms (attached to the call).
The deadline for submission is February 21, 2022, 5:00 p.m.
Please send your project proposals to the e-mail address: mirza@cin.ba.
If you have additional questions, please contact us by email: mirza@cin.ba no later than February 7, 2022.
Evaluation criteria:
1) Relevance of the project proposal in relation to the objectives of the Public Call and relevance of the project proposal in relation to the needs of target groups; (30 points)
2) Efficiency and feasibility of activities – clear connection and consistency between objectives, expected results, proposed activities and strategies; (20 points)
3) Financial and operational capacity to independently implement the proposed activities – the basic level of organizational and management capacity; (20 points)
4) Influence and participation of stakeholders – project proposals must be feasible, and indicators objectively measurable (number of citizens who will be involved in the activities); (10 points)
5) Involvement of representatives of vulnerable groups and respect for gender equality – the project proposal must take into account the needs of vulnerable groups; (5 points)
6) Sustainability – the project proposal clearly reflects how sustainable it will be after the completion of activities; (5 points)
7) Budget and efficiency costs of activities – a rational relationship between estimated costs and expected results must be satisfactory; (10 points)
During the evaluation of project proposals, the Evaluation Committee will pay attention to the geographical representation and thematic diversity of grants, while respecting the principles of equal opportunities and inclusiveness.
Note: The Center for Investigative Reporting may request additional documentation no later than eight days after receiving the project proposal.
