The USAID Rule of Law Program is a five-year activity implemented by the East-West Management Institute, Inc. (EWMI) and funded by the US Agency for International Development. EWMI is a U.S.-based not-for-profit organization with extensive experience in supporting legal and judicial reforms around the world. The goal of the USAID Rule of Law Program is to strengthen the rule of law in Georgia by attaining the following objectives:

Objective 1: Independence and effectiveness of justice system institutions strengthened

Objective 2: Equal access to justice for all enhanced

Objective 3: Citizen and institutional oversight of justice institutions increased

Under Objective 3, the Program supports civil society engagement with justice institutions to increase the quality of court services and ensure better treatment of disadvantaged groups. The program also supports the oversight of courts and other justice sector institutions by CSOs and citizens, CSO studies and advocacy for justice sector reforms,   and engagement of courts with local communities.

The Open-door grants mechanism will support civil society organizations’ and unregistered citizen groups’ proposals providing innovative solutions to justice challenges. These may include studies, advocacy initiatives, collaborative and awareness-raising projects directed at increasing independence, transparency, efficiency, and accessibility of justice sector institutions, promoting community engagement with courts, and bringing the justice system closer to the public. The Program welcomes initiatives guided by the principles of ‘people-centered justice,’ i.e., putting people at the center of the work of courts and other justice system institutions. Local initiatives, and partnerships among CSOs and justice institutions, CSOs and academia, as well as CSOs and media, are encouraged. The Program will prioritize the most pressing issues related to the justice sector, such as justice sector reforms as a conditionality of EU integration, developments in the justice sector in the context of upcoming Parliamentary elections, and CSO engagement with individual judges.   

Applicants are encouraged to avoid thematic overlaps with the projects implemented with the Program’s support.   It is also not intended for funding proposals that fall within the mandates of ongoing grant competitions.

Eligibility

Nongovernmental organizations, media organizations with non-profit registration status, and unregistered citizen groups. Organizations that have not received support from the Program will be prioritized.  

Timeline

Announcement: October 16, 2023

The proposals will be reviewed in batches. The deadlines are:

• November 20, 2023;
• February 12, 2024;
• April 22, 2024.    

The USAID Rule of Law Program will process the grant applications within two months after the indicated deadlines

Selection criteria

The following general criteria will be used to assess the projects:

1. Degree of compliance with the Program objectives;

2. Scope and relevance of the project’s impact;

3. Effectiveness of project methodology and feasibility of proposed activities;

4. Capacity to implement the project, including the relevant qualifications of proposed personnel and the capacity of project leadership to manage a grant-funded project and its finances effectively;

6. Cost-effectiveness of the project;

7. Effectiveness of the monitoring and evaluation plan;

8. Sustainability of the project (please note that sustainability can refer to activities, structures, knowledge, and outcomes that result from the project implementation).

Grant Funds

The maximum budget for grants will be $35,000 for registered organizations and $25,000 for unregistered groups. The project duration may range from six to twelve months. Applicants are encouraged to provide cost-share for the projects equal to at least 5% of the requested funding. Higher contributions are welcome.

The following program activities cannot be supported by the USAID Rule of Law Program:

1. Support for or lobbying on behalf of a particular political party;
2. Religious activities; however, the USAID Rule of Law Program may support a religious organization for non-religious aims if its proposal corresponds to project objectives;
3. Humanitarian activities;
4. Theoretical research;
5. Individual or group travel grants;
6. or capital construction projects for commercial purposes.

Proposal Submission Process: Applicants must submit applications, budget, and budget notes. Unregistered groups shall additionally submit a memorandum of understanding or other document demonstrating the participants’ commitment to take part in the project and indicating a project manager.  

Applications must be submitted electronically in English or Georgian to nghvinjilia@ewmi.org

The short-listed applicants will be asked to translate the Georgian language applications into English at their expense. Emails must have “Open-door Grants” in the subject line. Application Forms can be obtained from here. Requests for additional information should be sent to Anna Jobava, Civil Society Advisor, at ajobava@ewmi.org