Healthy digital public sphere

FAQs - Request for Proposals- May 2021

Last updated: 11 May 2021

In the budget template, is it mandatory to fill in rows to fill in rows 1-8, and if so: should we fill it in for the overall organisational budget or just for the Civitates proposal?

For rows 1-8, it is indeed mandatory that you fill it in. The information should be for the overall budget of your organisation. Since we are considering core/programmatic support as opposed to project funding, this information is important to us. For the following part of the sheet (rows 14 on) its only related to the grant from Civitates.

Can you tell me how I can access to the application form? I created an account on http://www.nef-europe.optimytool.com in order to access to the "word version" of the application form and prepare our application, but I don't see anything about this call. I just see the TransForm Call: Changemakers forum for integrated community care".

Regarding the grant portal, the link to the RFP is a private one (since it is on invitation only). It cannot be accessed through the public page of the application platform. You have to use the link in the RFP document that you received. 

In section 5.1, the call details 4 types of organisations, and we feel like we fit into a few of these categories. Are applicants expected to focus on one of those things or could their activities fit within two or three of those types? Naturally we see ourselves as convenors, but we do also conduct or commission research regularly to anchor policy demands in evidence, for instance.

The classification of the ‘types of organisation’ is indicative.  It is really to point out that we would like to include organisations that serve one, some or all these functions. Your organisation might fit in all of those and that is not a problem. You can ‘pick the category’ that suits you best and build your application/funding request around the latter. Alternatively, you could decide to touch upon several ‘functions’ if you think that makes more sense. 

What is the call's position on cooperation? We usually partner up and cooperate extensively with other CSOs in the field. Other than the references to cooperation with the field, Civitates grantees and the AI Fund grantees, we didn't see any information on partnerships in the call. What's the thinking on this?

We are open to partnerships.  You can also submit joint applications if you think that makes sense.  Although we are talking about ‘core or programmatic support’ if you would like to go more towards a collaborative project that’s also fine.

Do you have any guidance on when core or programme-specific funding is preferable?

In the RFP document, we make a reference to core/programmatic funding, as opposed to project funding.  While we gave examples of what our support could cover, and ask for an indicative list of activities proposed, the goal is to offer flexibility for such type of work.

The core funding and programmatic funding distinction is made especially for organisations that have a broader remit (geographical or thematic) than the focus of this call. This is just to ensure that the funding is more targeted toward the objectives of this call. Both mechanisms offer a high level of flexibility.

Can the deadline be extended?

Given the wide range of partners we work with (both foundations and grantee partners), our governance structure and our commitments, we cannot move the deadline. We acknowledge that this is a rather short deadline, we took this into consideration and tried our best to make the process as light as possible.