Bulgarian Fund for Women launches an open call for feminist projects with a total budget of 50 000 Bulgarian leva. The maximum size of funding a project can receive is 5 000 Bulgarian leva and the deadline for applications is 23:59 on June 9^th  2019

Information about the call and application guidelines  

This call for proposals is directly linked to Bulgarian Fund for Women’s mission to develop a feminist movement in Bulgaria by supporting organizations, groups and activists working on women’s rights and is supported by the German Women’s Fund filia die frauenstiftung and Mama Cash. The call is a part of the strategic activities of BFW for addressing the needs of different groups of women and girls for achieving gender equality and for a society where there is no violence, discrimination and inequalities, where all girls and women are able to achieve their potential to the fullest, have equal opportunities and access to resources, quality education and services, make informed choices about their personal and professional life, and their own bodies.  

The call has 7 thematic priorities out of which each applicant may choose just one to apply with: 

1. Encouraging and support of leadership of girls and young women (between 16 and 30 years of age)  

1. Increasing women’s participation in decision-making processes and public life  

1. Women’s economic independence 

1. Sexual-reproductive rights and women’s health 

1. Legislative / local policies changes aiming to achieve gender equality.  

1. Creating communication campaigns increasing society’s sensitivity on topics such as feminism, social inequalities intersection, gender equality, gender-based discrimination  

1. Feminist knowledge production – research, articles, text translations, podcasts, educational videos, etc.  

A wide spectrum of activities can be funded, the leading principles should be equality, indiscrimination and empowering of women and girls, especially of representatives of vulnerable and/or marginalized groups. The goals and activities of each project must demonstrate a feminist approach and clear understanding of the problem that they address and should target a sustainable social change.  

We encourage candidates to utilize intersectional and inclusive approach and to focus on real empowering of the target groups they are planning to work with, so that they are not treated as passive beneficiaries, but as active engines of change. 

The total budget of this call is 50 000 Bulgarian leva and each grant will be in the amount of 5 000 leva. In case of insufficient number of project proposals and/or of approved project proposals, Bulgarian Fund for Women preserves the right to change the conditions of the call, including the size of the individual grants and the total budget. 

Application requirements 

Only organizations registered under the  

Only organizations registered under the Non-Profit Legal Entities Act (NPLNP) and in public benefit can participate in the call. Participation of unregistered groups / collectives is only admissible if it is in partnership with NGOs registered for public benefit with which a financing contract is concluded. 

The budget of each project proposal must be well balanced and tailored to the needs of the applicant organisation. Eligible costs are also costs for administration, coordination and communication of the project. The cost of creating printed and promotional materials on the project (brochures, leaflets, t-shirts, pens, etc.) should not exceed 10% of the total budget of the project, and the need for creating such materials has to be well grounded. 

In assessing the applications, an advantage will be given to: 

• Feminist organizations 
• Organisations active in the field of women’s rights, the empowerment of girls and the fight against gender-based violence 
• Organisations working to empower and overcome multiple discrimination and/or marginalisation of vulnerable groups of women (LBT, Roma organisations, organisations of people with disabilities, single mothers, etc.); 
• Organisations run by women, or in whose leadership there are more than 50% of women in decision-making positions, working for human rights; 

• Organizations whose activities take place outside of Sofia; 
• Newly created feminist organisations and those whose activities take place in less than a year; 
• Organisations whose annual budget is less than 50 000 BGN. 

Additional scoring points will be given to:  

• Project proposals to be implemented in partnership by several organisations  

• Project proposals, which will be implemented by NGO registered under the Non-Profit Legal Entities Act (NPLNP) and in public benefit in partnership with a non-registered group/Team 
• Project proposals for intersectional approach/cross-section of social inequalities 
• Project proposals addressing the needs of vulnerable groups (groups of women subject to multiple discrimination and/or marginalisation)   

Application documents  

• The application package should be sent by 23:59 on June 9th to office@bgfundforwomen.org.  
• E-mail subject: Open Call for feminist projects – May 2019 

• The application documents are only available in Bulgarian HERE. The call itself is only open to Bulgarian organizations and the projects take place in Bulgaria. 

Assessment criteria 

• Administrative compliance with the requirements of the call – Completed and shaped application form (in Word) and budget form (in Excel) according to the requirements of BFW; A signed and stamped Statement of assurance is applied. 

• Capacity and/or potential to implement the project (the application of newly registered organisations is encouraged). 

• Link of the objectives and activities of the project with the thematic priorities of this competition. 

• Realism of the objectives and expected results. 

• Realistic budget and balance between administrative and implementation costs.  

The projects will be assessed by the Board of Trustees of BFW, its team and external experts, whose names will be announced once the results are published. 

Deadlines 

• May 13 – June 9, 2019 – application (application forms submitted after 23:59 on June 9 will not be considered)  
• June 10 – June 28, 2019  – project proposals evaluation 
• June 28, 2019 – announcing of the results 
• July 1 – 15, 2019 – signing contracts for funding  

• July 15, 2019 – January 31, 2020  – project implementation  
• February 2020 – turning in narrative and financial reports  

Additional information  

All selected organizations sign Contracts for target funding with Bulgarian Fund for Women and after completing the projects, by the end of February 2020 the organizations send a narrative and a financial report using the forms and according to the requirements that they receive prior from BFW.  

The support of the Bulgarian Fund for Women should be reflected in all communications activities and materials of the project, according to the funding contract’’s conditions. 

BFW is an administrator of personal data and can and processes such data in accordance with the legislation on personal data protection and with Regulation (EC) 2016/679. You can learn about our privacy policy HERE.  

For additional information and questions, you can write to  office@bgfundforwomen.org. 

Photo:  Harper’s Bazaar Singapore