On July 17, 2018, the Center of Electoral Systems Development, Reforms, and Training, LEPL (Hereinafter – the Training Center) announces grant competition for the following direction of grant competition funding stipulated under the CEC of Georgia July 13, 2018 Ordinance N 149/2018 (available in Georgian): Local Broadcaster for informing voters and raising their electoral awareness.

Competition topic: Local broadcaster for informing voters and raising their electoral awareness

Grant proposal submitted for the above-mentioned competition topic shall envisage invigorating local TV broadcasters’ role for ensuring access to quality, professional and independent news for the electorate. The grant proposal shall envisage creating media product (TV programs/rubrics) for the 2018 President of Georgia Elections to raise awareness of the electorate about elections and about the importance of role of every citizen in this process, will be directed at developing the informational space that will support informed choice of voters and will stimulate voters’ (including of young voters) participation in electoral process.

Given the goals of the announced competition, grant projects funding in regional aspect will be the focus area.

In light with the above-mentioned conditions, grant proposal shall envisage implementing a project in partnership with a pre-determined local TV broadcaster (except for Tbilisi). Grant project shall be attended by a letter of consent from a local TV broadcaster about cooperation with the NGO under the grant project.

Total available funding: GEL 185 000

Funding limit per grant project: GEL 11 500

Grant project duration: September 21 – October 21, 2018

Note:  For the purposes of the Competition, once the day of elections is announced, project implementing NGO is required to shift project implementation schedule according to the Grant Proposals Evaluation Committee decision and notify the Training Center thereof.

Attention:

• Heads of NGOs funded under the announced grants competition, as well as individuals in charge of project implementation, in the course of implementing grant projects, shall be independent and impartial, they shall refrain from activities that may be perceived as support to/action against any electoral subject in the course of implementation of activities envisaged by projects. In case the failure to comply with the above-mentioned requirement is confirmed, measures of responsibility stipulated under the Grant Award Rules shall be applied against relevant NGOs.
• Pursuant to the Grant Award Rules, NGOs are authorized to submit just one grant proposal under the announced competition.

Who is eligible to participate in the Grant Competition:

Local non-entrepreneurial (non-commercial) legal entities (hereinafter – NGO) registered in accordance with the legislation of Georgia prior to the competition announcement are eligible to participate in the competition.

NGOs shall not be eligible to participate in the competition if managers and/or the individuals in charge of implementing submitted grant project are either of the following: a member of the Central Election Commission of Georgia; a Head of the structural unit of the CEC Apparatus; a Head, a Deputy Head of the Training Center; Head of a structural unit of the Training Center; a member of a grant proposals evaluation committee, committee secretariat and monitoring group. NGO management implies individuals having the authority to lead/represent an NGO according to an extract from the Registry of Entrepreneurs and Non-commercial Legal Entities.

Competition documentation to be submitted for the grant competition:

To participate in the grant competition, NGOs shall submit the following documents according to the indicated rule:

a) Grant application as per the form in the Annex N1 (available in Georgian) (hard copy and an electronic version (CD));

b) An extract from the Registry of Entrepreneurs and Non-commercial Legal Entities obtained after the grant competition announcement (July 17, 2018) evidencing that the NGO does not have the following obligations: attachment/injunction, tax lien, registry of creditors (hard copy);

c) a founding document (statute, charter, etc.) verified according to Georgia legislation (hard copy).

Reviewing body:

Grant Proposals Selection Committee that is established pursuant to Grant Award Rules takes a decision on dismissing competition documentation, on funding/refusal to fund an NGO, removal of competition documentation from competition. Grant competition commission takes such decisions in absentia of a representative of an NGO that has submitted the competition documentation.

Members of grant proposals evaluation committee will evaluate grant projects according to the criteria stipulated in the competition documentation evaluation sheet (Annex N2) (available in Georgian).

Publicity of Grant Competition Results:

Bidders will be informed about competition results via an e-mail notice to their e-mail address. Information about NGOs funded based on the grant proposals evaluation committee decision will also be posted to the CEC and the Training Center websites:

www.cesko.ge; www.electionreforms.ge

Grant competition schedule:

• Competition announcement: July 17, 2018;
• Competition documentation submission period: from July 18, 2018 through July 31 (except for weekends), from 10:00 to 18:00, at the following address: 5^th Floor, CEC Building, 13^th km, David Aghmashenebeli Alley, Tbilisi;
• Briefing concerning the rule of submitting competition documentation: July 24, 2018, 15:00, at the address: 13^th km, David Aghmashenebeli Alley, Tbilisi (the CEC Building).

Follow the link for Grant Award Rule (available in Georgian).

For additional information contact us at: 261 21 11 (17)