Claim Your Space is a rapid response mechanism available through Global Focus. The purpose of CYS is to provide rapid financial support to civil society and human rights defenders at risk. The mechanism is a response to the global shrinking of civic space; freedoms of expression, gathering and association.
Provision of CYS emergency assistance is available to individuals, organisations, movements and groups active in Sub-Saharan African countries, Palestine, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. CYS is unique in its capacity to provide both rapid emergency support and support to activities establishing proactive and sustainable responses to shrinking civic space. CYS is open for applications throughout the initial two-year pilot period from January 2021 till the end of 2022.
Track 1: Emergency assistance to individuals and groups under threat
Funding will be granted to individuals and groups under threat to enable them to survive and/or continue operating. The grant will cover expenses aimed mitigating immediate threats to civil society actors and activities may include rehabilitation, evacuation, legal support, psycho-social support, bail, etc.Follow this link to see suggested activities for Track 1.
Track 2: Grants to local CSO alliances to collectively counter civic space restrictions
Funding will be granted to alliances of local civil society groups working together to collaboratively address a situation of closing civic space that is occurring or is about to occur in the country. Project activities must be planned and implemented collectively by an alliance of equal partner organizations with the aim of creating sustainable responses to civic space restrictions. The grant will cover expenses in connection with activities countering civic space restrictions, such as alliance building and strengthening among local civil society, advocacy work and campaigns, support and capacity building for local civil society actors, etc.Follow this link to see suggested activities for Track 2.
Applicants must fulfill the following criterie to be eligible for funding under CYS:
(1) Any civil society actor (organisation, movement, group of or individual activists) who has either been a) collaborating with a Danish civil society organisation or b) funded by a Danish embassy.
(2) Must have experienced restrictions such as threats, attacks, extra bureaucratic hurdles, legal barriers, defamation, harassment, stigmatisation, discrimination, exclusion, marginalisation, displacement etc. due to their work.
(3) Must be active within the geographical scope of CYS (Sub-Saharan African countries, Palestine, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar).
(4) Must be able to state the amount needed form CYS, as well as the timeframe for the planned activities.
Grants will fall within the range of EUR 4,000 – 6,000 but amounts above may be granted if necessary. The timeframe for the activities should not exceed 12 months, except in special circumstances, and all activities must be completed no later than December 2022.
Grants will fall within the range of EUR 13,000 and 30,000. Co-financing is allowed if needed provided that individual expenses are not covered by more than one source of funding. The timeframe for project implementation must not exceed 24 months, and all activities must be completed no later than December 2022.
Applications will be assesed with regard to the following criteria:
(1) Ability to describe and document that the applicant is subject to civic space restrictions as a result of their work for human rights and civic space.
(2) Fulfilment of applicant criteria, including history of a) collaborating with Danish civil society organisation or b) receiving funding from Danish embassy.
(3) Budget and the proposed activities are are within the scope of the CYS fund and are deemed an appropriate response to counter the described restrictions.
Applicants will receive an answer within 10 working days of receival per the Danish public holiday calendar.