#defyhatenow Ethiopia – Call for External Audit Services

Project Title: Mobilising Civic and Digital Action to Counter Social Media Hate Speech and Online Incitement to Violence in Ethiopia

r0g_agency for open culture & critical transformation, a non-profit organization based in Berlin implementing this EU-funded project in Ethiopia, invites qualified external audit firms to submit proposals for conducting the expenditure verification (audit) of the above-mentioned grant contract financed by the European Union under the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI).

Purpose of the Audit

The objective of the audit is to verify that the costs declared in the financial statements for the grant period are in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Grant Agreement, the applicable EU rules and regulations, and the principles of sound financial management. The audit should be carried out in line with the Terms of Reference for Expenditure Verification as published by the European Commission.

Scope of Work

The audit will cover the period from 15.03.2023 to 31.12.2025, and should result in:

• An auditor’s report and an opinion on the eligibility, accuracy, and validity of the expenses claimed;
• A management letter highlighting any findings or recommendations for financial or administrative improvement.

Eligibility and Requirements

Interested audit firms must

• Be independent, licensed and recognized by EU Member States or equivalent authorities.
• Demonstrate proven experience in auditing EU-funded projects, preferably NDICI (formerly EDF or EIDHR/CSO) projects.
• Provide a team of qualified auditors with experience in international NGO financial compliance.
  Be able to conduct the audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (ISA) and the EU’s Verification Terms of Reference.

Application Procedure

Interested firms are invited to submit the following documents by submission deadline, 21 February 2026 to finance@openculture.agency with the subject line “EU Audit Proposal – NDICI-HR-INIPA/2022/440-589”:

1. Technical and financial proposal, including estimated time frame and total cost (in EUR, excluding VAT).
2. Company profile and registration documents.
3. Description of relevant experience, specifically EU-funded project audits
4. CVs of proposed audit team members.

The audit is expected to be conducted between March–April 2026, with the final report submitted no later than 30 April 2026.

Timeline

For the Coordinator please contact:
Seda Seuing
Project finance lead
seda@openculture.agency

Ms. Susanne Bellinghausen, r0gCEO
r0g agency for open culture and critical transformation gGmbH
Knobelsdorffstr. 22, 14059 Berlin, Germany
Tel: +49 (0)30 55071900 | Mob: +49 177 7063689 | Email: susanne@openculture.agency For EU Delegation Ethiopia:
Head of Finance, Contracts and Audit Section (payments/reports)
Cape Verde Street, PO Box 5570, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Tel: +251-11-6612511 | Email: delegation-ethiopia-fcs@eeas.europa.eu

Note: Full tender dossier (Annexes I–IX, Special Conditions) available upon request to coordinator.