NOFO: Improving Community Security in Syria

Deadline: 22-May-23

The Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs (NEA), Office of Assistance Coordination (AC) seeks proposals for targeted assistance projects to empower civilian security providers in non-regime held areas of NE Syria to deliver effective and equitable security services in a manner that serves, and is supported by, the population.

Achievable Objectives

A successful project will result in:
- Improved security in NE Syria by enabling civilian security providers to provide services in a manner that supports, and is supported, by local communities, and increases security providers’ responsiveness and accountability to local communities. This will include:
  - Development of the capacity of internal security forces to deliver policing services in line with community policing principles and practices;
  - Increasing involvement of communities in identifying, communicating, and addressing their security needs; and
  - Improvement of the capacity of local governance actors’ capacity to fulfill their responsibilities for public safety.

Project Design

This solicitation invites applications that seek to improve the security of communities in areas controlled by the SDF, i.e., the governates of Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor, and Al-Hasakah. Demonstrations of the flexibility to expand to other parts of Syria, should the opportunity arise, are welcome. As a stabilization project, the proposal should be designed to advance U.S. policy objectives, primarily ensuring the enduring defeat of ISIS. The proposal should articulate an end-state appropriate for a stabilization project that does not include longer-term goals more appropriate for a development project. As NEA seeks to collaborate with other donors to support community security, the application must demonstrate the capability to facilitate such collaboration in an efficient, transparent, cost-effective manner.

Funds are available to support projects with potential to promote the objectives through activities that take a holistic approach to the security challenges presented by the NE Syrian environment. While addressing all elements of the security challenges in NE Syria may require military or para-military capabilities, only activities focused on the civilian elements of these challenges will be considered.

The project shall be designed in a manner that facilitates the provision of security in a conflict environment in which major combat operations have decreased and a transition towards the civilian provision of security is underway, but where risks from terrorist organizations, belligerent states, and the resumption of armed conflict persist. Activities should be designed to promote respect for human rights. Development of the ISFs’ ability to provide policing services are essential to this effort, and proposed activities should incorporate best practices of community policing. Plans should also include activities designed to enable local communities to be involved in identifying and addressing their security concerns, and to support the role of local governance entities in providing public safety.

Funding Information

Estimated Number of Awards: One
Estimated Total Project Funding: $30,000,000
Estimated Base Year Award Ceiling: $10,000,000
Estimated Base Year Award Floor: $7,000,000
Cost-Sharing or Matching: Encouraged; NOT Required
Estimated Length of Project Period: One to Three (1-3) Years

Beneficiaries

Project beneficiaries shall include:
- The Internal Security Forces in NE Syria;
- Individuals in the communities in the areas in which the project operates; and
- Local council committees with responsibility for public safety.

Activities

Project activities shall include:
- Training on community policing tailored to the environment;
- Provision of material assistance to support the delivery of community policing services;
- Capacity-building to enable the sustainable delivery of community policing services;
- Security-focused community engagement mechanisms;
- Activities that enable communities to identify, and respond to, their security concerns;
- Efforts to increase the responsiveness and accountability of security providers;
- Capacity-building to enable local governance actors to fulfil their public safety responsibilities; and
- Clearly articulated end-states appropriate to a stabilization project.
Project activities should include:
- Efforts to work with civil society and other stakeholders to improve the relationship between security providers and local communities;
- Activities that address issues of civil and criminal procedure that undermine the provision of security services;
- Mechanisms to address the security issues related to the reintegration of IDPs in northeast Syrian communities of return and/or security issues within IDP camps, such as al-Hol;
- Activities that address the security needs of women and other marginalized populations;
- Activities to support access to justice and dispute resolution services that address issues that undermine the security of communities;
- Activities that address the issue of drug use and smuggling; and
- Provision of services such as street lighting, civil documents, information on detained individuals, alternative dispute resolution that enable authorities to respond to the communities’ security concerns.

Eligible Countries and Territories

In this announcement, they seek to specifically support programming activities in northeast Syria. In the future, DOS might seek to potentially support programming in areas of northwest Syria outside the control of the Syrian regime, therefore applications should focus primarily on the northeast in responding to this NOFO.
NEA/AC requires a presence in Berlin, Germany, for operational and donor liaison purposes throughout the award’s period of performance.
NEA/AC welcomes applicants without a current presence in Berlin, Germany and who meet the eligibility criteria to apply, with the understanding that if selected, the applicant is expected to establish a presence in Berlin, Germany.
NEA/AC requires that applicants be in sound legal standing with appropriate government authorities in the country where the project will be managed prior to an award being issued.
Key overseas personnel must be co-located, while consideration should be taken for minimizing the need for expatriate and/or ThirdCountry National staff and operational costs.
Award recipients will be required to maintain legal standing throughout the life of the award, including for any sub-grant made under its auspices.
Please note: Applications that focus on activities for countries and territories other than those listed will NOT be considered.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible applicants include:
- U.S. or foreign
- Non-profit organizations;
- For-profit organizations;
- Private, public, or state institutions of higher education; and
- Small businesses with function and regional experience in the areas of community security in the MENA region.
NEA/AC is committed to an anti-discrimination policy in all of its programs and activities. NEA/AC welcomes applications irrespective of an applicants’ race, ethnicity, color, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability. They encourage applications from organizations working with underserved communities, including women, people with disabilities, and youth.
NEA/AC strongly encourages applications from organizations headquartered in the Middle East and North Africa region. International non-governmental organizations with principal bases of operations outside the Middle East and North Africa are also encouraged to apply, but the percentage of total budget spent in the region through local partners may be among the elements of evaluation for this competition.