Rainbow Fund Small Grants Programme for Activists & Civil Society Organisations – Cyprus

The overall objective of the Rainbow Fund is to increase the capacity, effectiveness, and sustainability of relevant stakeholders to mainstream LGBTI+ rights and ensure access for members of the LGBTI+ community to health and/or education. This is to be achieved by increasing the number of actors taking action on LGBTI+ rights and diversifying activities in the northern part of Cyprus (TCc). Therefore, applications and project proposals should focus on LGBTI+ rights in the education and/or health sector.

Priorities of the Small Grants Programme

Projects should focus on LGBTI+ rights in the education and/or health sector.

• Coordination and cooperation at local, regional and European level: Effective coordination and cooperation among local, regional, and European entities are crucial for ensuring comprehensive support and access to rights across different geographic scales,
• Capacity Building: Empowering individuals and civil society organisations (CSO) with the knowledge, skills, and resources necessary to address the unique challenges faced by the LGBTI+ community in education and/or health contexts,
• Organizational Skills: Developing and enhancing the organizational capacity of individuals and civil society organisations (CSO) working to advance LGBTI+ rights in education and/or health sectors, enabling them to better advocate, support, and protect the community,
• Anti-Discrimination: Implementing robust measures to combat discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression and sex characteristics in educational and/or healthcare settings, fostering environments of equality and inclusivity,
• Advocacy and Lobbying: Engaging in advocacy efforts to influence policies, “laws”, and practices that impact the rights and well-being of LGBTI+s, ensuring their voices are heard and their needs addressed in education and/or health contexts,
• Awareness: Promoting awareness and understanding of LGBTI+ rights within the community, education and/or healthcare sectors to reduce stigma, increase acceptance, and foster inclusive environments,
• Monitoring: Establishing mechanisms to systematically monitor the implementation of policies, programs, and initiatives and/or right violations aimed at protecting and promoting LGBTI+ rights in education and/or healthcare sectors, ensuring accountability and effectiveness.

Added Value Elements

The following elements of proposed projects will be considered during the evaluation and be given a higher score for project feasibility.

• Peace building,
• Actions reaching out to and/or implemented in remote areas, and/or with marginalized communities/groups,
• Actions targeting youth,
• Actions focusing on LGBTI+ Women,
• Actions targeting health and/or education professionals,
• Advocacy or lobbying activities targeting local body responsible for education and/or health on LGBTI+ rights,
• Action including HIV and AIDS
• Actions that are forming coalitions/network among health and/or education sector CSOs to tackle LGBTI+ rights,
• Actions fostering collaboration and dialogue between the Cypriot communities.

Financial Support

• The Rainbow Fund will range from EUR 1,000 to EUR 1,500 under lot 1 and EUR 1,500 and EUR 2,500 under lot 2.
• The minimum duration for implementation will be two months and the maximum will be four months.
• Applications should be developed in sufficient detail to reflect the complexity and scope of the proposed activities.
• The maximum amount allocated under this grant scheme is €12,000. The Contracting Authority reserves the right to not grant the entire available fund.

Expected Results of the Small Grants Programme

• Enhanced awareness, knowledge, and action to support LGBTI+s in education and/or health sector,
• Increased capacities of individuals/Organizations,
• Strengthened support networks and collaboration,
• Increased advocacy efforts,
• Reduction in discrimination incidents,
• Empowerment of LGBTI+ community with enhanced resources.

Eligible Activities

• Actions increasing the technical capacity of the relevant stakeholders in the Education and/or Health sector,
• Actions increasing the accessibility of LGBTI+’s to healthcare and patient’s rights,
• Actions increasing the inclusivity and diversity of the Education and/or Health sector.
• Actions increasing the knowledge and awareness of the Education and/or Health sector professionals,
• Actions concerned with policy-making and monitoring of the implementation of strategies, policies and/or legal texts at the local level for LGBTI+ rights in health and education sector,
• Actions that decrease discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics in health and/or education sector,

Applicant Eligibility

• LOT 1: Individual Activist/ Non registered Initiatives in TCc are eligible to apply.
• LOT 2: Registered CSO / NGO / NPO / Foundations in TCc are eligible to apply.
• The following third parties eligible for financial support are;
  • Non registered Initiatives in TCc,
  • Individual Activists in TCc,
  • Registered CSO/NGO/NPO/Foundations in TCc (NGOs, membership-based, cause-based and service-oriented CSOs, community-based organisations, non-governmental organisations, trade unions and employers’ organisations, non-partisan civil society groups, professional organisations).

Applicant Ineligibility

The following third parties that will be considered ineligible for financial support are;

• Businesses,
• The public sector,
• Universities.

For more information, visit Queer Cyprus Association.