CALL FOR PROPOSALS
Support to Ukraine civil society organisations (CSOs) for combating hate speech
Click here to enter the reference of the grant award procedure
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Project |
Combating hate speech in Ukraine – within the joint programme of the European Union and the Council of Europe “Partnership for Good Governance” |
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Awarding entity |
Council of Europe |
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Council of Europe Office in Ukraine |
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Funding |
European Union and Council of Europe |
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Duration |
Projects shall be implemented by 15 October 2025. Reporting requirements shall be completed by 01 November 2025. |
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03 September 2025 |
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Issuance date |
16 July 2025 |
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Deadline for applications |
TABLE OF CONTENTS
II. BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE PROJECT
6. Further to the general objective, preference will be given to:
7. The following types of action will not be considered:
4. Change, alteration and modification of the application file
VI. EVALUATION AND SELECTION PROCEDURE
VII. NOTIFICATION OF THE DECISION AND SIGNATURE OF GRANT AGREEMENTS
Appendices:
- Appendix I - Application Form
- Appendix II - Provisional budget (Template)
- Appendix III - Template Grant Agreement (for information only)
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The objective of this call is to support selected grantees in developing concrete responses to combat hate speech, with a focus on vulnerable groups and those targeted by hate speech on different grounds.
II. BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE EUROPEAN UNION/THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE PROJECT
The goal of this project is to enhance the implementation of national and local mechanisms for combating hate speech in Ukraine. This aligns with the Council of Europe’s recommendations and aims to improve public awareness and the capacity of stakeholders to respond to hate speech in line with European standards.
The call builds upon the Educational programme on combating hate speech, through which Ukraine CSO activists have already gained specialised knowledge and skills on non-legal measures to combat hate speech and the development of counternarratives. This grant competition is designed to help them apply their acquired expertise in their work and professional environments and ultimately help reducing hate speech in the public discourse, be in person or online.
This call aligns with the recommendations of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), particularly General Policy Recommendation No. 15 and the Recommendation CM/Rec(2022)16 on combating hate speech.
The project “Combating hate speech in Ukraine” aims to support the revision and development of legal framework in line with European standards as well as enhance the implementation of the current relevant laws, through capacity building for relevant institutions. The project aims to support the fight against hate speech, improve the protection and inclusion of vulnerable groups and put in practice some non-legal measures in countering hate speech.
The grants are intended to support the development and implementation of projects that will address hate speech through counter and alternative narratives and human rights education at the local level in Ukraine.
IV. REQUIREMENTS
The grants will fund activities aimed at supporting the concrete implementation and/or follow-up of local level awareness raising and education initiatives on combating hate speech in line with the standards set by the Council of Europe .
Projects designed could address the following issues:
· Combating hate speech targeting vulnerable groups such as Roma, people with disabilities, people of different ethnicity/religions, LGBTI people, Internally displaced people etc.
· Creation and promotion of counter and alternative narratives to combat hatred and intolerance using Council of Europe tools and resources.
· Implementation of human rights education initiatives aiming to counter hate speech using Council of Europe’s tools and resources on the local level.
Projects should include specifically tailored activities aiming at supporting the implementation of one or more recommendations/documents and/or issues linked to the topics.
Applicants should refer to the relevant recommendations/documents at the following links:
ECRI's General Policy Recommendation (GPR) no.15 on Combating hate speech
Furthermore, an overview of Council of Europe’s standards, approaches and tools on combating hate speech is available here: Resources on Combating Hate Speechand here: Publications of the Anti-discrimination cooperation unit.
Sample of activities could include the following:
Ø Countering hate speech through counter and alternative narratives: conducting workshops with groups targeted by hate speech to develop human-rights based narratives, design of a communication strategy using counter narratives, development of products for the communication strategy – designing templates, audio-visual material, photos and similar activities. However, the grant does not cover costs related to external communication and campaigning activities and it is tailored only to build internal communication strategies and tools based on counter and alternative narratives.
Ø Human Rights Education activities: training activities, seminars, workshops, youth work activities based on the tools and resources of the Council of Europe and mobilising diversity of stakeholders on the local level..
The proposed areas are not exhaustive, the call is also open to other suggestions and proposals.
The implementation period of the projects shall be from 3 September 2025 to 29 October 2025, in accordance with the grant agreements signed by 3 September 2025. Projects completed prior to the submission of the applications will be automatically excluded. As for projects started before the submission of the applications or before the signature of the grant agreement, only those costs incurred after the submission of the grant application may be eligible, provided the agreement concerned allows it.
Media Organisations
• Journalistic entities engaged in countering hate speech and promoting tolerance
• Media institutions involved in educational initiatives and public awareness campaigns
Academic Institutions
• Universities and research centers working on topics related to hate speech, human rights, and social inclusion
5. Budgetary requirements
Project proposals shall be accompanied by a draft budget (see Template Budget in Appendix II) amounting to a maximum of 8,000 Euros (eight thousand Euros) per grant. Up to a total of 5 grants will be awarded. The estimated budget must be consistent, accurate, clear, complete, and cost-effective in relation to the proposed activities.
Each grantee may contribute to the project, either through its own resources or contributions from third parties. Co-financing may take the form of financial or human resources, in-kind contributions, or income generated by the project.
6. Further to the general objective, preference will be given to:
· Projects proposed by CSOs with a multistakeholder approach, including relevant stakeholders and institutions;
· Projects/actions that involve groups targeted by hate speech themselves;
· Projects initiated by CSOs with experience in applying awareness-raising and educational measures against hate speech using the Council of Europe`s standards.
7. The following types of action will not be considered:
· Projects/actions providing financial support to third parties (re-granting schemes);
· Projects/actions concerning individual scholarships for studies or training courses;
· Projects/actions supporting political parties.
The funds for each grant should in principle be distributed as follows:
· 80 % will be paid to the Grantee or the Lead Grantee in case of a consortium when the Grant Agreement between the Parties is signed;
· the balance will be paid to the Grantee or the Lead Grantee in case of a consortium based on actual expenditures incurred, and after the presentation and acceptance by the Council of Europe of the final narrative and financial reports for the Grant implementation.
· narrative reporting requires a full narrative report on the use made of the grant and a copy of the register of the persons present during each of the activities, including names and signatures of participants;
· financial reporting requires in particular a statement in the currency in which the Grant Agreement will be concluded (Euros or local currency), in English, stating the payments made for the implementation of the activities, certified by the responsible financial officer of the Grantees, accompanied by “appropriate original supporting documents” (see below). The Council of Europe reserves the right to ask for summary translations of invoices into English. If for legal reasons the original documents must be retained by the Grantees, certified copies must be submitted with the financial statement.
“Appropriate original supporting documents” refers to signed contracts, invoices and acceptances of work (for all transactions), payment authorisation for all transactions should also be provided in case the Grantees use such practice, and reliable evidence of payment (authorised payment order and bank statement).
As regards round tables / conferences / training courses / seminars, presenting “appropriate original supporting documents” requires presentation of a programme indicating the title, dates, venue, and agenda of the event; the names of persons facilitating the event, a signed list of participants, the contracts with the owner of venue of the event (e.g. hotel) for the rent of premises, food and beverages of participants, invoices from the owner of the venue of the event for the above services, and a report on the results of the event (see narrative reporting above).
As regards consultancy services, presenting “appropriate original supporting documents” requires presentation of evidence of the outputs produced, contracts with experts and consultants containing a specific description of services to be carried out, invoices produced after the works have been performed and delivered (the specialities of the consultants shall correspond to the nature of activities for which they are contracted).
As regards travel fees / lodging of experts and participants, presenting “appropriate original supporting documents” requires presentation, where relevant, of contracts with a travel agency for travel fees and lodging, invoices of the travel agency indicating destinations, dates, ticket costs, and names of the travelling persons, a programme of the event indicating the names of the experts and signed lists of participants.
The above description is not comprehensive. Any doubt regarding the interpretation of the notion of “appropriate original supporting documents” should lead the Grantee or the Lead Grantee in case of a consortium to consult the Council of Europe.
Each application shall contain:
· the completed and signed Application Form (See Appendix I);
· a provisional budget (using the template reproduced in Appendix II);
· the other supporting documents:
- Organigram of the unit/organisation for implementing the proposed project (or link to the relevant web-page that remains valid until the end of the year)
- CV of project staff involved in the implementation of the proposed project;
- Bank certificate confirming the solvency of the account with the minimum liquidity of 2000 Euro (or its equivalent in the local currency);
- Registration documents/settlement status (statut).
Applications that are incomplete will not be considered.
General information can be found on the website of the joint EU and Council of Europe Partnership for Good Governance, and information of interest concerning the Action “Combating Hate speech in Ukraine” can be found on the website of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine.
Other questions regarding this specific call for proposals must be sent at the latest one week before the deadline for the submission of proposals (8 August 2025, 23:59 CET), in English and shall be exclusively sent to the following address:[email protected] with the following reference in subject: PGG Ukraine– QUESTION FOR GRANT.
The application form, completed and signed by all Grantees, together with the supporting documents, must be submitted in electronic form (Word or PDF) to the following e-mail address: [email protected] Emails should contain the following reference in subject: PGG Ukraine APPLICATION FOR GRANT.
Applications must be received before 15 August 2025(at 23:59 CET). Applications received after the above mentioned date will not be considered.
4. Change, alteration and modification of the application file
Any change in the format, or any alteration or modification of the original application file, will cause the immediate rejection of the application concerned.
VI. EVALUATION AND SELECTION PROCEDURE
The projects presented will be assessed by an Evaluation Committee composed of three staff members of the Council of Europe.
The procedure shall be based on the underlying principles of grant award procedures, which are transparency, non-retroactivity, non-cumulative awards, not-for-profit, co-financing and non-discrimination, in accordance with Rule 1374 of 16 December 2015 on the grant award procedures of the Council of Europe.
The applicants, and their projects, shall fulfil all of the following criteria:
Applicants shall be excluded from the grant award procedure where they or, in the case of legal persons, their owner(s) or executive officer(s):
a) have been sentenced by final judgment on one or more of the following charges: participation in a criminal organisation, corruption, fraud, money laundering, terrorist financing, terrorist offences or offences linked to terrorist activities, child labour or trafficking in human beings;
b) are in a situation of bankruptcy, liquidation, termination of activity, insolvency or arrangement with creditors or any like situation arising from a procedure of the same kind, or are subject to a procedure of the same kind;
c) have received a judgement with res judicata force, finding an offence that affects their professional integrity or constitutes a serious professional misconduct;
d) do not comply with their obligations as regards payment of social security contributions, taxes and dues, according to the statutory provisions of the country where they are established;
e) are an entity created to circumvent tax, social or other legal obligations (empty shell company), have ever created or are in the process of creation of such an entity;
f) have been involved in mismanagement of the Council of Europe funds or public funds;
g) are included in the lists of persons or entities subject to restrictive measures applied by by the United Nations Security Council or the European Union.the European Union (available at www.sanctionsmap.eu).
By signing the Application Form, applicants shall declare on their honour that they are not in any of the above-mentioned situations (See Appendix I, Item 12).
The Council of Europe reserves the right to ask applicants at a later stage to supply the following supporting documents:
- for the items set out in paragraphs a), b), c) and f), an extract from the record of convictions or failing that an equivalent document issued by the competent judicial or administrative authority of the country where the applicant is established, indicating that these requirements are met;
- for the items set out in paragraph d), a certificate issued by the competent authority of the country of establishment;
1. for the items set out in paragraph e);
1. for natural persons, a scanned copy of a valid photographic proof of identity (e.g. passport)
2. for legal persons, an extract from the companies register or other official document proving ownership and control of the applicant.
In order to be eligible for a grant, an applicant must:
· be legally constituted as a non-governmental organisation in Ukraine;
· be entitled to carry out activities in Ukraine described in its project proposal;
· to be active for at least two years in the field of human rights/anti-discrimination, hate speech;
· have sufficient financial capacity on the bank account: at least 2000 Euro or the equivalent in the local currency
· have sufficient operational and professional capacity ofstaff members, to carry out activities described in its project proposal and who have at least two years experience in project implementation.
Multiple applications are not allowed and shall lead to the exclusion of all applications concerned.
Applications will be assessed against the following criteria:
· the relevance and added value of the project and its activities with regard to the implementation of recommendations/documents (listed under 2. Means of action and 6 Further to the general objective, preference will be given to which are to be found under SectionIV Requirements of the present document), thus meeting the requirements of the call (40%)
· the quality of the application (60%), including:
- Quality and clarity of the proposed project methodology and activities - 30%
- Cost-effectiveness of the proposed budget - 20 %
- Relevance and demonstrated experience of the applicant in similar projects - 10 %
VII. NOTIFICATION OF THE DECISION AND SIGNATURE OF GRANT AGREEMENTS
On completion of the selection process, all applicants will be notified in writing of the final decision concerning their respective applications as well as on the next steps to be undertaken.
The selected Grantees will be invited to sign a Grant Agreement (See Appendix III, for information only), formalising their legal commitments. Potential applicants are strongly advised to read the draft contract, in particular its requirements in terms of payment and reporting.
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Phases |
Indicative timing |
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Publication of the call |
16 July 2025 |
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Deadline for submitting applications |
15 August 2025 (at 23:59 CET) |
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Information to applicants on the results of the award procedure |
1 September 2025 |
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Signature of the grant agreements |
3 September 2025 |
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Implementation period |
3 Septemer 2025 – 29 October 2025 |