The Call for Proposals for Project Support from Associations in 2021 has been announced.

4 April 2021

Applications for the 2021 Project Support Program for Associations, administered by the General Directorate of Civil Society Relations of the Turkish Ministry of Interior, opened on March 1, 2021. The aim of the Support Program is to support activities such as improving the service and management capacities of associations, strengthening their relations with public institutions, and ensuring their active participation in decision-making mechanisms. Applications are submitted online. PRODES Applications will be made through the system. While the Application Guide does not specify an upper limit for the project budget and support amount, it is recommended to consult with the Ministry of Interior, General Directorate of Civil Society Relations, Project Acceptance and Evaluation Working Group (contact information below) regarding the suitability of the project budget.

Announcement: https://www.siviltoplum.gov.tr/proje-destek-sistemi-prodes

Online application system: https://sso.dernekler.gov.tr/

Who can apply?

Law No. 5253 on Associations Associations that fall within its scope and have legal personality, as well as federations and confederations formed by these associations, can apply.
Branches and representative offices of associations cannot apply.
Law No. 5072 on the Relations of Associations and Foundations with Public Institutions and Organizations It should not be one of the associations within its scope.
They must not have engaged in activities prohibited by the constitution and laws.
The association must have held its first general assembly meeting and formed its governing bodies.
The applicant must not have failed to submit their declaration for the previous year and/or their declaration must not have been reviewed by the Governorship.
Associations whose projects are still under evaluation and implementation cannot apply for aid. Projects submitted by associations during the year will be valid throughout the year. Associations whose projects are still under evaluation cannot apply a second time.
Its stated purpose in its charter should be to address the needs and problems of society and to contribute to social development.
They must not have any ongoing lawsuits regarding the termination of their employment.
Whether the current managers have received any criminal penalties related to the association's business and transactions, whether the aid previously received under the Directive was used in accordance with its purpose and legislation, and other issues that may affect the implementation of the project may also be taken into consideration during the evaluation.

Institutions and Organizations to Cooperate With

The applicant association may receive assistance from and cooperate with governorships, district governorships, local administrations and other public institutions and organizations, as well as associations, foundations, unions, funds, professional chambers, universities, companies, etc., that will contribute directly or indirectly to the implementation of the project.
The applicant association documents the collaboration with a letter from the participating institutions and organizations. This document clearly specifies the contribution of the collaborating institutions and organizations and the scope of the collaboration.
- For example, an association planning to give seminars in schools belonging to the Ministry of National Education in a province or district as part of a project must document that it will cooperate with one or more of the relevant Governorship, Provincial Directorate of National Education, District Governorship, or District Directorate of National Education.
- For example, the embroidery course envisioned in the project should be conducted in collaboration with the Public Education Center and Evening Art School Directorate, within the framework of the relevant legislation.
After the application is submitted, adding collaborating organizations is subject to the Ministry's approval.

General criteria related to project topics.

It must be in the public interest.
It should be consistent with the association's purpose and areas of activity as stated in its charter.
First and foremost, it provides solutions to the needs and problems of society.
It should contribute to social development.

Project Topics to be Supported under the 2021 Call

Participation in decision-making mechanisms, public-civil society cooperation, and capacity building of civil society organizations.
Raising awareness of human rights, democracy and active citizenship.
Supporting the families of martyrs, veterans, and citizens affected by terrorist incidents.
Women's rights, protection of the family structure, prevention of domestic violence.
Combating drug and substance addiction.
Ensuring peace and harmony in society by achieving reconciliation, increasing cooperation and interaction among different segments of society.
Supporting projects that can provide solutions to the priority needs and problems of society and contribute to social development.
Supporting children, young people, women, people with disabilities, those with low incomes, and socially at-risk groups.
Supporting projects in the fields of education, culture, health, and sports.
The preservation, development, and revival of historical, civilizational, and cultural values.
Increasing employment
Migration and integration
Social entrepreneurship
Volunteering
Disaster awareness

Support Amount and Rate

Project grants are limited to the allocation for this purpose in the budget. The Ministry reserves the right to partially or completely withhold the funds allocated in its budget. The applicant association is solely responsible for ensuring the fulfillment of monetary or in-kind contributions from the institutions and organizations with which it collaborates.
There is no upper limit for the support amount, and it is recommended to contact the Project Support Department of the General Directorate of Civil Society Relations, whose contact information is provided below, to inquire about the suitability of the budget.
Destek oranı: %100

Supported Expenditure Items

Suitable costs are determined taking market conditions into account. Therefore, the project budget submitted by the applicant is in the nature of a cost estimate.

Personnel expenses for those involved in the project.
- Project Coordinator: The person within the project team responsible for coordinating, communicating, managing information and documents, planning, and reporting to ensure the successful progress of the project, from its preparation and presentation to its execution and completion, in collaboration with the funded association.
  - Only one person can be appointed as the project coordinator within the scope of the project.
  - The project coordinator will be paid based on the gross minimum wage. Those working part-time on the project due to having another job will be paid a maximum of 1,315.00 TL gross per month, provided they are actually working. Employer contributions will be covered by the association. The minimum wage at the time the project is accepted will be used as the basis. Any differences arising from changes in the minimum wage during the project period will be covered by the association.
  - The above-mentioned points are the rules regarding the coordinator fee payments that the association includes in the project budget and that the Ministry may provide to the association as assistance. Additional payments beyond the amounts specified above may be made, provided they are covered by the association and within the framework of social security and tax legislation.
  - According to Article 28 of the Civil Servants Law No. 657, which states "...Civil servants cannot open offices, bureaus, clinics, or similar places to engage in professional activity or practice a liberal profession; they cannot work in any workplace belonging to real persons, private legal entities, or professional organizations with the status of a public institution, or in foundation higher education institutions," public officials cannot receive monthly salaries for coordination or similar purposes within the scope of a project.
Expenses for training, consulting, etc.
- For instructors planning to participate in courses, seminars, etc., within the scope of the project, numerical limits such as hourly rates and monthly teaching hours must be determined in accordance with the regulations of the public institution where the instructor is employed.
Purchasing and leasing new equipment required for the project.
- Demirbaş alımları, Bakanlıktan talep edilen yardım tutarının azami %30’u olabilir.
Expenses for consumables and training materials.
Printing, publishing and event organization expenses
Visibility and promotion expenses
Current expenses required for the project (maintenance, repairs, electricity, water, fuel, communication, etc.)
Transportation, accommodation, and food expenses
Unsupported expenses:
- Salaries of public officials involved in the implementation of the project (including the project coordinator)
- Buying used equipment
- Compensation, penalties, interest, and other expenses arising from the faults and negligence of the association managers who own the project and the individuals involved in the project.
- Debts, losses, or provisions for debts
- Employer's share of employee wages
- Cost items that are already financed from another source.
- Expenses for preparatory work and other activities carried out before the start of the project.
- Payments for goods and services purchased from institutions and organizations with which the applicant collaborates within the scope of the project.
- Fees arising from banking transactions (wire transfers, EFTs, etc.)
- Expenses not included in the project budget
Expenses unrelated to the purpose and activities of the project.

Points to consider

Before starting to prepare the project Application Guide And Regarding the provision of aid to associations from the Ministry of Interior's budget.

The directive It is recommended to read the relevant documents. The projects to be prepared should be consistent with the purpose and areas of activity of the Association as stated in its bylaws.

is required.

The project submitted by the association during the year will be valid throughout the year. Since associations whose projects are still under evaluation cannot reapply, it is considered beneficial for associations to prepare their projects realistically, consistently, and implementably, in accordance with the application guide and relevant legislation, without rushing, before submitting their applications.
Being awarded project funding by the Ministry of Interior does not automatically mean that permission has been obtained from the relevant public institutions and organizations for the activities to be carried out in the project. Activities must be implemented in accordance with the relevant regulations of these institutions.
- For example: The embroidery course envisioned in the project must be conducted in collaboration with the Public Education Center and Evening Art School Directorate, within the framework of relevant legislation. The fact that the Ministry of Interior provides project assistance cannot be interpreted as allowing the association to proceed with this project without complying with relevant legislation.
Only eligible costs will be considered for the project to be supported. Eligible costs are those expenses that are essential for the project's implementation. Eligible costs are determined taking market conditions into account.
The cost items included in the budget must be justified in detail and prepared in accordance with the budget form.
No assistance may be received from another institution or organization for an expenditure item of the project covered by the General Directorate. If this is detected, the amount of the expenditure in question will be collected from the association owning the project in accordance with general regulations.
In-kind contributions refer to contributions such as buildings and halls, as well as goods, materials, machinery, vehicles, equipment, and labor provided by the project-owning association or any of the collaborating institutions and organizations. The inclusion of in-kind contributions in the realization of the project is taken into consideration in the positive evaluation of the application. However, the value of in-kind contributions provided by the project-owning association or collaborating institutions and organizations cannot be shown as monetary contributions. Since in-kind contributions do not reflect actual expenditures, they cannot be included in the budget cost analysis. In-kind contributions to be provided by the applicant or collaborating institutions and organizations are specified in the in-kind contributions section of the application form. The applicant association is responsible for fulfilling the monetary or in-kind contributions committed by itself and the collaborating institutions and organizations.
Proforma invoices for goods and services purchased for 7,000 TL or more must be submitted with the application.

Application and Evaluation Process

Within the framework of Technical, Financial and Legal Evaluation; in the evaluation of the project; Directive Regarding the Provision of Assistance to Associations from the Ministry of Interior Budget Under Article 8, expert individuals and organizations may be utilized (Independent evaluators, universities, project consulting companies, relevant public institutions and project coordination offices established by public institutions, etc.).
PRODES software can detect duplicate projects. Projects found to be duplicates will be disqualified.
The budget items and projected budget amounts for each project are examined individually. As a result of this examination, the budget amounts shown as high in the project application may be redefined for each budget item, and revisions may be requested regarding budget items and other aspects of the project if necessary.
Assistance is provided with the approval of the Ministry, taking into account the project's ability to address the priority needs and problems of the province, region, and community where it will be implemented, its contribution to social development, its relationship with the public interest, other technical and legal evaluation criteria, and the amount of funds allocated for the assistance. Projects deemed suitable for support are notified to the Civil Society Relations Directorates. No separate notification is given regarding projects that are still under evaluation or that are not deemed suitable for support.

For more information and questions:

Project Acceptance and Evaluation Working Group