Black Sea NGO Award

The Representation of the European Commission in Romania will award this year for the first time, within the framework of Black Sea NGO Forum, the Black Sea NGO Award for Excellency in promoting regional cooperation in the Black Sea region.

The aim of the award is to enhance the profile of the Black Sea Synergy and its role in proposing a regional, cooperative approach in the region as well as the multilateral dimension of EU external policies.

The winner of the award will receive directly from ECR a grant amounting to 5,000 EUR.

Goals of the Award:

• to promote regional NGO cooperation in the Black Sea region
• to promote concrete good practices of NGO cooperation in the region among and for NGOs
• to raise the general public's awareness of existing initiatives of NGO cooperation in the Black Sea region

To whom it is addressed:

NGOs registered in the Black Sea wider region (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Turkey, Ukraine).

The nominated organizations should lead NGO initiative(s) involving actors from or impacting on more countries in the region. The nominees should have a proven record of good practice in their work and in fulfilling the organizational mission (transparency, autonomy etc.)

Selection criteria:

• proven commitment to cooperation in the Black Sea region (track records of initiatives and projects)
• projects that increase awareness of regional cooperation and European policies
• involving multiple actors (NGOs, other civil society groups, academia, mass media, local and national authorities, international organizations, donors etc.)
• innovative projects, with an European value added as well as a multiplier effect (impact beyond the target group)
• visible impact

Process of selection:

1. call for nomination of potential award candidates launched at regional and international level [7 July]
2. deadline for receipt of nominations [30 July] extended to 10 September
3. additional information may be requested from the short-listed nominated organizations (e.g. annual reports, short description of their regional  activities)
4. evaluation by the evaluation committee

Who can nominate:

NGOs, other civil society groups, academia, mass media, local and national authorities, international organizations, donors etc. operating in the Black Sea region.

Evaluation committee:

In 2010, the evaluation committee will include representatives from:

• FOND (Romanian NGDO platform) 2
• European Commission 1

Note: There must be no conflict of interest between competition winners and jury members.

Awarding ceremony:

The ceremony in which the award will be formally granted will take place during the Black Sea NGO Forum, 21-23 October 2010, in Constanta, Romania.

Documents available:

• About the Black Sea NGO Award
• Black Sea NGO Award Evaluation Grid
• Black Sea NGO Award Nomination Form

Contact persons:

FOND 

Valentin Burada