Pre-announcement of the Open Call DGV03 under Domestic and Gender-based Violence Programme

Pre-announcement of the Open Call  on improvement of the quality of services so that they meet the required standards[1], including specific services for children victims.

Call number:	DGV03
Planned Call launching:	16 August 2021
Planned Call closure:	02 November 2021

The call will be launched by the Programme Operator – the Ministry of Investments, Regional Development and Informatization of the Slovak Republic (National Focal Point)

The objective of the call DGV02 is the improvement of quality of services provided by existing shelters and counselling centres not meeting the European Standards1.

Project grant: EUR 200,000 – 500,000

Estimated total call allocation: EUR 2,000,000

Co-financing conditions: For public sector entities and non-governmental organisations[2], co-financing is not required. At least 10% for social partners[3],[4] and other non-for-profit organizations is required and at least 15% for private sector entities and other entities.

Financing: payments of the project grant shall take the form of advance payments, interim payments and a final payment. The level of advance payment to projects shall be set out in the project contract.

Eligible applicants:

• Legal entities established as a legal person in the Slovak Republic, which are registered in the social services providers register or accredited providers of social services in the Slovak Republic according to the Act No. 305/2005 Coll.[5]  on the Socio-legal Protection of the Child and on Social Guardianship or Act No. 448/2008 Coll. on Social Services and on change and amendment of the Act No. 455/1991 Coll., or Act No. 274/2017 Coll. on Victims of crime, which do not meet the required standards1 yet, provided that they have a project partner meeting the required standards1,[6]

or

• Legal entities established as a legal person in the Slovak Republic which are registered and accredited providers of social services in the Slovak Republic according to Act No. 448/2008 Coll. on Social Services and on change and amendment of the Act No. 455/1991 Coll. or accredited according to Act No. 305/2005 Coll. on the Socio-legal Protection of the Child and on Social Guardianship or accredited according to the Act No. 274/2017 Coll. on Victims of crime, which meet the required standards1

Eligible partners:

• Legal entities established as a legal person in the Slovak Republic, which are registered and accredited providers of social services in the Slovak Republic according to the Act No. 448/2008 Coll. on Social Services and on change and amendment of the Act No. 455/1991 Coll. or accredited according to the Act No. 305/2005 Coll. on the Socio-legal Protection of the Child and on Social Guardianship, or accredited according to the Act No. 274/2017 Coll. on Victims of crime, meeting the required standards1
• Other partners:  any public or private entity, commercial or non-commercial, as well as non-governmental organisations established as a legal person either in Norway or in the Slovak Republic, or any international organisation[7] or body or agency thereof.

 

Further conditions:

• The mandatory attachments to the Project Application will be the Budget, Test of local character of social services[8] and in case of eligible applicant provided that they have a project partner meeting the required standards1 - Partnership statement, Letter of Intent or other similar document proving the interest of the applicant and its partner to jointly implement the Project together, signed by the mandatory partner.
• Project promoters and partners shall adhere to the following approach :

- to protect women against all forms of violence, and prevent and eliminate violence against women and domestic violence, including by the prosecution of perpetrators;

- to contribute to the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and promote substantive equality between women and men, including by empowering women;

- to design a comprehensive framework, policies and measures for the protection of and assistance to all victims of violence against women and domestic violence;

- to promote international co‐operation with a view to eliminating violence against women and domestic violence;

- to effectively co‐operate in order to adopt an integrated approach to eliminating violence against women and domestic violence, including a victims-oriented, evidence-based approach to combating domestic and gender-based violence in accordance with the principles of gender equality, in line with the overall objective of the programme.

• Projects shall be focused on building or specialisation of counselling centres and/or shelters to meet the European Standards1.

• Costs on infrastructure (hard measures)[9] must not exceed 40% of the total eligible costs of the project.
• Project shall be implemented in line with applicable state aid rules.
• Based on the timeframe the recommended duration of the project implementation is 18 months or less.

Expected date of project contracts signature: June 2022.

Eligible activities: The project grant can be used for the following purposes and activities[10] in the area of domestic and gender-based violence:

• Building and expanding of existing network of social services providers – shelters and counselling centres for victims of Domestic and Gender-based Violence through:
  • establishment of regional branches of already existing specialised service providers
  • specialisation of existing service providers on Domestic and Gender-based Violence victims so that they meet the European standards1. This should be carried out in cooperation with the specialised service providers, e.g. through supervision and special training
• Support of establishment or expanding of facilities and services for children victims or witnesses of violence in the shelters and counselling centres
• Other supporting activities needed to expand and enhance the services for victims of Domestic and Gender-based Violence related to the area of Domestic and Gender-based Violence.

More concrete examples of eligible activities are:

• operation of the counselling centres and/or shelters
• provision of counselling services (such as special social, legal, psychological, economic, empowerment, health etc.) for victims at risk and victims of gender-based violence (such as domestic violence, sexual violence and rape, stalking, sexual harassment, forced abortion, forced marriage, female genital mutilation, forced sterilisation, crimes in the name of honour etc.) and their children (counselling for children witnessing violence, psycho-social, pedagogic, therapeutic, and group-dynamic work, conjoint work with mothers, support during judicial intervention etc.) by existing counselling centres and/or shelters,
• trainings/workshops for counselling centres/shelters staff with the aim to enhance their qualification, to receive the accreditation/registration to provide social services, to enhance the services for children needs etc.,
• minor construction works and other investments needed to adapt the existing counselling centres/shelters premises to the European Standards1, if relevant,
• participation in the existing consortium[11] of organizations working in the field of domestic and gender-based violence in the region/district dealing with the domestic and gender-based violence 
• exchange of best practises and transfer of knowledge and experience between experienced organizations working in the field of domestic and gender-based violence,
• publicity of the new or specialised services,
• providing social, legal, psychological counselling, special pedagogical counselling in a counselling centre / shelter and legal representation,
• extension, or quality enhancement of spaces for children, e.g. establishment of a playroom for children with equipment for children and youth of all ages, establishment of a therapy room, multifunctional room, rooms for leisure activities, gardens where children and mothers could engage in physical and recreational activities, etc.,
• construction, technical and other modifications and measures to ensure an increased sense of security, improve the quality of life and the possibilities of communication, loneliness, creativity and movement (for self-expression, stress relief, etc.) in a counselling centre or a shelter,
• study visits by members of the intervention team to Norway,
• support and implementation of education and training at all levels of the education system, including non-formal education, etc.

Eligible expenditures: except for the so-called “excluded expenditures” listed in Article 8.7 of the Regulations on the Implementation of the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2021, all types of expenditures can be eligible, provided that they meet the conditions listed in the Call and in Article 8.2, 8.3 and 8.5 of the Regulation on the Implementation of the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2021.

Unless a later date is provided in the project contract, expenditures are eligible as of the date on which the Programme Operator decides to award the project grant. The final date of eligibility which shall be no later than either one year after the scheduled completion of the project or the date referred to in paragraph 3 Article 8.13 (currently 30 April 2024) of the Regulation, whichever is earlier.

Launch of the Open call for bilateral relations for establishing and development of the partnership for the call DGV03 will only be implemented only if the conditions are suitable for travelling.

The objective of this call will be the support of visits and meetings of applicants from Slovakia with their potential partners from Norway. These activities can be funded under the Programme Bilateral Fund, which will provide small grants up to 2 500 EUR, covering mainly the related travel costs.

 

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[1] This includes standards set in the Council of Europe document ‘Combating violence against women: minimum standards for support services’ and are adapted to Slovakia by the Coordinating Methodical Centre (the required standards are hereinafter referred to as European Standards).

[2] For the purposes of the Call “Non-governmental organization” (hereinafter referred to as NGO) is defined as a non-profit organization established as a legal entity, having a non-commercial purpose, independent off local, regional and central government, public entities, political parties and commercial organizations. Religious institutions and political parties are not considered NGOs

[3] For the purposes of the call “Social partners” are defined as representatives of employers´ organizations and trade unions.

[4] In case of social partners (and NGOs, if applicable), in-kind contribution in the form of voluntary work may constitute up to 100% of the co-financing.

[5] Collection of Acts

[6] An informative list of social service providers meeting the required European standards is listed in Annex 5 of this call

[7] For the purposes of the EEA and Norway Grants “International organizations” are defined as intergovernmental organizations as defined by the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.

[8] The test is needed to complete and submit on behalf of applicant and all project partners financially engaged in the project, with the exception of those applicants and project partners, which are public organizations acting within their public competences and foreign project partners.

[9] For the purposes of the Programme the infrastructure (hard measures) is/are defined as any activities that require a building permit/a building announcement or purchase of buildings or estates.

[10] In the case that new or existing entities will be supported, the aim of which is specialization of provided services, for new entities registration is required before the commencement of the provision of basic counselling in accordance with Act No. 448/2008 Coll. on social services and on the amendment of Act no. 455/1991 Coll. and for both, before the submission of the final project report, accreditation in accordance with one of the relevant Acts – Act No. 448/2008 Coll. or Act No. 274/2017 Coll. Accreditation is not required only in the case of shelters, as long as it provides counselling services only to accommodate clients.

[11] A consortium is a group of companies or people with the same goal who are working together to achieve that goal.