Call for Proposals: Promoting civic engagement and digital literacy through the Digital Ambassador programme

Call for Proposals

Promoting civic engagement and digital literacy through the Digital Ambassador programme

1. Objectives of the call for proposals

The call for proposals seeks to provide financial support to civil society organisations (CSOs) so they can play a more strategic role in Moldova’s evolving democratic landscape. Recognising that digitalisation has become central to participation, consultation, and access to public information, the call focuses on strengthening the ability of CSOs to adapt to technological change, enhance digital security, and make effective use of online platforms for civic engagement. Particular attention is given to organisations operating in rural areas or with limited resources, for whom the digital transition remains especially challenging.

Through the subgrants, the call aims to support initiatives that advance digital literacy, promote meaningful and responsible online civic participation, and foster safer and more informed use of digital technologies among young people and community actors. This includes building essential digital skills within community organisations, encouraging ethical and informed engagement through digital tools, and expanding CSOs’ capacity to interact constructively with public institutions via digital channels.

The call aligns with Moldova’s broader democratic and digital transformation, contributing to a more resilient and inclusive civil society capable of engaging confidently and effectively in an increasingly digital public sphere.

Within this effort, the supported organisations will act as Digital Ambassadors, who are entrusted with fostering responsible and informed online participation, guiding communities in the use of digital tools for civic engagement, and helping citizens navigate the digital landscape with greater confidence and awareness.

2. Scope of the support programme

Selected organizations will receive financial support in the form of grants managed by People in Need Moldova. This funding will enable them to cover the costs of their project activities.

Selected organizations will be able to receive tailored, on-demand consultancy support in organizational development and other relevant areas through the CONTACT Centre.

2. Grants' modalities

The funding amount for each proposal is up to EUR 15,000.

The projects should last between 7 and 11 months and be implemented starting February 2026.

The grant recipients will sign a contribution agreement (grant contract) with PIN. As selected organisations will be exempted from VAT from the costs incurred within this grant, the budget proposal should contain the planned costs excluding VAT.

3. Eligible activities and priorities of the call

Below please find the example of types of activities that are eligible for funding. The list is neither exhaustive nor cumulative. Additional types of activities may be considered, provided they align with the objectives of this call for proposals. These examples are offered as suggestions to inspire potential applicants and guide their project design. Applicants are encouraged to propose innovative initiatives that align with the objectives and priorities of this Call.

Priority 1. Strengthening civil society use of digital tools for democracy

• Support for CSOs and citizens to use public e-governance platforms to participate in consultations and decision-making;

• Capacity-building and workshops on digital tools for project management, communication, visibility, and monitoring (for example Google Workspace or Canva);

• Development and implementation of organisational digital-transformation or innovation strategies, particularly for regional CSOs;

• Application of artificial-intelligence-based tools for analysis, advocacy, communication, or community engagement, supporting responsible and transparent use of AI to enhance participation;

• Improving communication with citizens and public stakeholders through social media, newsletters, or digital storytelling;

• Networking and peer-learning sessions to exchange good practices in digitalisation, including dedicated exchanges on engaging citizens, youth groups, and underrepresented communities.

Priority 2. Supporting responsible, informed, and safe online behaviour among citizens and young people

• Awareness-raising activities on digital rights, cybersecurity, and safe online practices;

• Educational and training programmes for youth on digital literacy, online safety, and countering hate speech or misinformation;

• Creation of digital materials such as videos, infographics, mobile apps, or social-media content that promote civic engagement and democratic values;

• Empowering young people to design and deliver digital courses, workshops, or campaigns on civic and community issues;

• Workshops, webinars, or mentorship sessions promoting inclusive and responsible digital participation.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to consider both priorities of the call, and to include civil society organisations from the region among their beneficiaries, alongside wider community members. Proposals are expected to demonstrate meaningful outreach within the sector, and applicants are encouraged to design activities that will engage at least 75 CSO representatives over the course of the project. Proposals are encouraged to emphasise engagement with organisations operating in rural areas or with limited resources, for whom the digital transition remains especially challenging, as well as with groups facing difficulties in digital literacy and responsible online participation.

The following types of activities are ineligible for funding:

• Actions that focus primarily on individual sponsorships for participation in workshops, seminars, conferences, or congresses;

• Actions which relate solely or mainly to individual scholarships for studies or training courses;

• Actions that support political parties or candidates during elections;

• Retroactive financing for projects that are already in progress or have been completed;

• Projects that provide exclusive benefits to individuals or restricted groups of individuals will not qualify for funding.

• Environmentally harmful projects will not receive funding, and the purchase of equipment is only permissible if it is directly linked to the implementation of the project.

4. Application and selection process

The following provides an overview of the application and selection process from the publication of the guidelines to the start of implementation.

4.1 Indicative timeline

Opening of the call: 26th November 2025

Online information session: 2nd December 2025; 15:00 Chișinău time (link here)

Deadline for Questions*: 10th December 2025

Deadline to submit proposals: 22nd December 2025; 23:59 Chișinău time

Evaluations of the proposals: 23 December 2025 – 23 January 2026

Negotiation, finalisation and award: 26 - 30 January 2026

Indicative implementation period of grants: February - December 2026 (from 7

to 11 months within this period)

PIN induction trainings: mid-February 2026

*Questions related to the Call for Proposals can be sent to the email within the deadline: concurs.moldova@peopleinneed.net.

4.2 Full application submission

The application period is open immediately and will close on Monday, 22nd December 2025; (23:59, GMT+3, Chișinău time). The full application package is composed of:

• Annex B _ Application Form;

• Annex C _ Budget Form;

• Confirmation of the organization's registration;

• Sworn Statement.

Applications should be sent to concurs.moldova@peopleinneed.net

Applications must be submitted in English, Romanian or Russian languages. The full application package shall be submitted in the provided forms and contain all the requested information with respect to characters limit. The application must be readable and accessible, therefore please, along with signed/ scanned/ PDF version of Annex_B _Application Form, kindly submit the editable MC Word version of the document, Failing to submit full application package in the requested templates within the deadline will result in the application being incomplete and thus inadmissible.

4.3. Eligibility check, evaluation and award procedure

4.3.1 Admissibility

All applications will undergo an administrative check that establishes whether the information required by the online application form has been provided. Applications will be assessed through the criteria described below:

• The application package is received complete, in line with section 5.2 above. The organisation must be an NGO registered in Moldova and provide a certificate of registration.

• The organisation is not already a beneficiary of a grant within the INSPIRED Moldova project.

• The organisation must not have any political affiliation, nor any records of illegal and unethical activity, including but not limited to conflict of interest, adverse audit opinion by the organisation’s own auditors or its donors’ auditors, participation in a criminal organisation, corruption, fraud, terrorist activities, money laundering or terrorist financing, child labour and other forms of modern slavery or human trafficking, any illegal activity, being bankrupt or subject to insolvency or winding-up proceedings or similar arrangements, professional misconduct or unfair procurement processes, and an outstanding level of debt that could put grant funds at risk, records of unethical or fraudulent previous experiences with PIN or PIN’s partners.

The following criteria will be considered but not affect final decision on admissibility:

 An Applicant shall be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action, not acting as an intermediary;

 An Applicant shall have demonstrated relevant experience in the topic of the Call for Proposals;

 An Applicant shall have demonstrated experience in cooperating with Local Public Authorities;

 An Applicant shall have demonstrated evidence of managing funds of a similar budget size.

4.3.2 Evaluation criteria

After eligibility check PIN Evaluation Committee will assess admissible applications against the criteria listed below:

Evaluation criteria Max points

Organizational Capacity

(Years of existence; Financial volume in the past year; Team size and structure; Presence of permanent human resources; Experience in managing similar-sized projects relative to the requested grant size) 20

Organizational Experience in the field

(Civil Society participation, Experience in stakeholder involvement, including local authorities, experience in youth work, experience in Awareness-raising and digital literacy activities etc.) 20

Relevance of the Project Proposal

(Alignment with Action and FSTP; Expected participant/target groups reach - youth; Stakeholder involvement, including local authorities, multi-stakeholder dialogue and partnership development) 20

Financial Component

(Cost-effectiveness, costs per beneficiary, HR component) 20

Performance and Sustainability

(Sustainability of the proposed activities; Originality and innovation; multi-stakeholder dialogue and partnership development; Environmental impact; Gender mainstreaming) 20

Total Score* 100

* Evaluation Committee will consist of 3-5 evaluators; each evaluator can allocate up to 100 points per submitted application.

4.3.3 Final evaluation & award decision

Based on the above evaluation scoring, as decided by the PIN Evaluation Committee, applicants will receive an official response with the outcome of their application.

If pre-selected for funding, an applicant may be invited to the interview for application discussion and addressing the comments of the Evaluation Committee. Additionally, a few additional documents may have to be completed by the applicant as part of the due diligence process. Once all comments have been addressed and additional information and documents have been provided, a contribution agreement will be signed between the applicant and PIN.

5. Background information

INSPIRED Moldova is an EU-funded project running from 2024 to 2027 which aims to contribute to creating an enabling environment for civil society in Moldova by empowering civil society organisations (CSOs) to actively engage in policy discussions at all levels. Building on the momentum generated by the EU accession process, the project facilitates policy dialogue processes on the enabling environment for civil society and relevant plans and programmes stemming from the accession negotiations. Recognising the importance of prioritising democracy building in the EU's new methodology on the fundamentals first accession criteria, the initiative will strengthen the capacities of CSOs to act as catalysts for democracy both at national and local level and in the digital sphere.

The project will foster inclusive and participatory processes to improve public participation, particularly by promoting the involvement of underrepresented groups and women in Moldova. By empowering Moldovan civil society through technical and financial support, the project aims to strengthen their influence on national policies and accelerate the country's EU integration. This involves engaging CSOs in policy-making processes at the national, local, and digital levels. The project encourages dialogue and collaboration with public authorities to ensure that civil society becomes a key actor in promoting democracy in Moldova.

The Call for Proposal relates to Project Output 3, which seeks to provide CSOs with the necessary digital resources and know-how to effectively interact with citizens and engage in policy dialogue with the help of digital toolkits.

People in Need (PIN) will complement this support with core induction training focused on grant implementation, compliance, and reporting standards. PIN is a non-profit organisation committed to building a world where people are not restricted by poverty, discrimination, or lack of opportunity. Guided by its mission to promote inclusive and sustainable development, PIN works to ensure that individuals and communities can participate fully in decision-making and enjoy their rights in practice. More information about PIN Moldova is available at https://moldova.peopleinneed.net

6. Notice

This call for proposals is made possible by the financial support of the European Union. Its content represents the sole responsibility of the INSPIRED Moldova project, financed by the European Union. The content of the call for proposals belongs to People in Need Moldova and does not necessarily reflect the vision of the European Union.

The project is implemented by a Consortium of six organisations, among which the European Partnership for Democracy (EPD), Center for Policies and Reforms (CPR Moldova), the National Assistance Centre for NGOs in Moldova (CONTACT), People in Need (PIN), the European Association for Local Democracy (ALDA), and Democracy Reporting International (DRI).