Following a letter sent by the Autonomous Women's Center to the Ministry of Labor, Employment, Veterans' and Social Affairs, with a proposal to withdraw the open call titled "Public invitation for associations to provide the services of an SOS helpline for people who have experienced violence", the ministry issued a decision to withdraw the open call.
The AWC's letter states, among other things, that it is not clear from the contest description whether it had been announced in accordance with the Law on Public Procurement or the Law on Associations, as well as what exactly is the funding program - training for SOS helpline services or the services themselves. Regardless of the law on which the open call relies on, uncertainties were noticed that could not be clarified by other means, but by the withdrawal of the competition and the elimination of the mentioned deficiencies. "Everything else raises doubts about impartiality in the announcement of an open call," the letter says.
The AWC also stated that the open call does not correspond to the Rulebook on closer conditions and standards for the provision of SOS helpline services for women who have experienced violence it refers to, given that the service outlined in this rulebook is intended for "women who have experienced violence", while the public call talked about an SOS helpline for "people who have experienced violence". This is exactly what the Ministry referred to in its decision to withdraw the tender.
The letter from the Autonomous Women's Center is available in its entirety in Serbian language on this link.
The decision of the Ministry of Labor, Employment, Veterans' and Social Affairs is fully available in Serbian language on this link.