The implementation of the projects funded under the Grant Competition announced on February 18, 2019 by the Training Center has ended. A total of 47 NGOs were funded for the directions stipulated in the competition conditions; of those, grant projects of 23 NGOs funded under the first direction envisaged electoral awareness raising campaign for May 19, 2019 By and Extraordinary elections, while grant projects of 24 NGOs funded under the second direction were aimed at supporting raising electoral awareness and civic culture of young voters.

According to the conditions of the grant competition, this year for the first time the Election Administration provided contribution to winning grant projects. This envisaged provision of information on electoral matters by DEC representatives, according to the competence, to beneficiary citizens involved in the activities organized as part of grant projects.

To ensure contribution, as a result of communication of the Training Center between NGOs and DECs, an action plan was developed, according to which from May 2 through June 7, 2019, 47 informational meetings were held for grant projects beneficiaries, among them:

• 23 meetings under the Direction 1, in which representatives of N1 Mtatsminda, N18 Akhmeta, N22 Marneuli, N51 Zestaponi, N56 Chiatura, N58 Tskaltubo, N60 Ozurgeti, N67 Zugdidi and N84 Khulo DECs took part;
• 24 meetings under the Direction 2, in which the representatives of N6 Samgori, N 7Chughureti, N9 Nadzaladevi, N12 Gurjaani, N14 Dedoplistskaro, N21 Gardabani, N26 Tetritskaro, N27 Mtskheta, N28 Dusheti, N32 Gori, N35 Khashuri, N40 Akhalkalaki, N41 Ninotsminda, N43 Oni, N45 Tsageri, N47 Mestia, N50 Sachkhere, N57 Tkibuli, N59 Kutaisi, N60 Ozurgeti, N62 Chokhatauri, N70 Poti, N79 Batumi and N81 Kobuleti DECs took part.

Representatives of the Election Administration briefed meeting participants around the following key matters: activities of DECs and their powers, inclusive electoral environment, technological innovations in electoral process, services offered by the Election Administration to voters, including electoral/educational programs planned for 2019. The above-mentioned activity is part of the awareness-raising and informational campaign Talk to Voters to be implemented by DECs in 2019; it is aimed at bolstering communication between the Election Administration and voters, raising electoral awareness, as well as improving communication between the Election Administration and electoral stakeholders.

Pursuant to the grant contest conditions, as part of the Training Center contribution, four informational meetings were held in coordination with those NGOs that implemented the projects in ethnic minority regions (Kvemo Kartli, Samtskhe-Javakheti). Training Center employees held the discussion with youth involved in the activities and discussed electoral rights of citizens and mechanisms for exercising these rights, as well as underscored the importance of youth participation in governing the country through elections. To support practical implementation of acquired information, with the immediate involvement of meeting participants, mock voting was organized; during mock voting, youth acted as voters, as well as members of DECs.