The Representation of the European Commission in Romania will award this year,within the framework of Black Sea NGO Forum, the Black Sea NGO Award for Excellency.

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:

• a. call for nomination of potential award candidates launched at regional and international level [1 July]
• b. deadline for receipt of nominations [10 September]
• c. additional information may be requested from the short-listed nominated organizations (e.g. annual reports, short description of their regional activities) [31 August – 7 September]
• d. evaluation by the evaluation committee [mid to end of September]

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.

Awarding ceremony: The ceremony in which the award will be formally granted will take place during the Black Sea NGO Forum, 6-8 October 2011, in Bucharest, Romania.

More: blackseango.org/old/pagini/black-sea-ngo-award.php