Low Value Grants: Piloting Community Kitchen in Afghanistan

Deadline: 31-Jul-23

The United Nations Development Programme is seeking proposals to conduct/achieve promote gender equality, women’s economic empowerment and promotion of social cohesion through piloting creation of community kitchen.

The goal is to elevate woman’s income levels, ensure financial stability, and augment their decision-making and leadership roles within their households, society and communities at large.

The ABADEI program combines a local area-based program approach within each of Afghanistan’s administrative regions with specific vertical sector initiatives. These six sector initiatives include:

renewable energy,
strengthening health systems,
tertiary education,
banking and financial services,
CSO/NGO capacity building, and
private sector development.

Budget Size and Duration

The proposed total budget amount should not exceed USD 120,000 for interventions in Kabul province and USD 50,000 for interventions in Parwan province.
The amount requested in the proposal should be commensurate with the organization’s administrative and financial management capabilities. In principle, project duration will not exceed 6 months.

Results

After completion of the assignments, UNDP expects to achieve the following main results:
- Identified 8 areas and locations for piloting community kitchen in Kabul province and 4 locations in Parwan provinces through the consultations with the community members and leaders.
- Created community kitchens through procurement of equipment and selection of management structure for running them from local communities. As a result, 50 people benefitted from these in each community kitchen daily for 5 months.
- Built capacities of selected women-led community kitchens 8 in Kabul province and 3 in Parwan province by providing training programmes on leadership, accounting, business planning, food literacy and nutrition education, financial management, and enterprise development.
- Ensured operation of community kitchen for five months supporting livelihoods of vulnerable communities in the targeted areas creating at last 8 employment opportunities in each community kitchen. It is expected to run the operation of 8 community kitchens in Kabul province and 3 community kitchens in Parwan province as per guideline from UNDP through providing groceries and necessary materials for running during the 5 months period.
- Propose sustainability models for ensuring sustainability of created community kitchens and agree with UNDP.
In summary, these initiatives aim to empower women in Kabul and Parwan provinces by offering training, resources, and support in food processing, sustainable farming, and dairy production. The expected outcomes include increased employment opportunities, income generation, improved food security, sustainable agriculture, and enhanced economic empowerment for women in these regions.

Outputs

Output 2.3: Local private sector development through technical and financial support to informal and formal businesses, including assisting micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to access and/or expand to new market areas, support to local traders, to women-led businesses and community- led social enterprises.
- Key Activity Result: Local economies improved through gender-responsive community-based livelihoods
- Key Actions/Deliverables:
  - Support to the private economy: Agriculture, business, MSMEs, employment.
  - Support women’s empowerment through business, especially (MSMEs) in handicraft industries, agricultural value chain, and women’s access to vocational education that enhances their employability.
- Indicators: Number of MSMEs benefitting from technical and financial support, disaggregated by female- led MSMEs

Targeted Geographic Areas: Kabul Province and Parwan Province.

Eligibility & Qualification Criteria

Minimum Eligibility
- To be eligible for this call, an applicant must:
  - Be a non-governmental organization or association officially registered in the country
  - Have sufficient capacity to execute the proposed application and operating experience of minimum two years.
  - Be established and operating in the Kabul and Parwan provinces.
  - Have experience of managing at least two similar projects on livelihoods building and economic development with similar scope and volume during the last four years.
  - Have a valid bank account open under the name of the applicant organization indicating Bank Name, Account Number, Branch Name, Swift Code,
  - Women led registered NGOs/CSOs are encouraged.
Technical Qualification of the Applicant Organization
- The submission package should include the following minimum sections and supporting documents:
  - A cover letter explaining why the applicant organization considers itself the most suitable candidate for the work.
  - A brief explanation of how each of the activities described in this document would be carried out. This should include specific ideas or suggestions that demonstrate an understanding of the requirements, objectives, scope and deliverables and how they might be enhanced as stipulated Sections V and VI of the ToRs.
  - Gender- inclusive arrangements in targeting and implementation of the TOR, such as female personnel involved in the identification, validation process, location, sector, occupation selection, conducive space i.e., cultural, hygiene, safety, lighting, selection of trainers and timing.
  - Communication and visibility plan in alignment with UNDP and donor requirements and standards. The comprehensive photo and video database should be developed and submitted to UNDP.
  - Grievance redressal mechanism prior, during and after the programme (submit the GRM manual if any).
  - Key risks to completing the deliverables and of ways that these risks might be mitigated.
Qualification of the Project Implementation Team
- All key staff positions are required to have the technical competencies and in addition to the qualification below:
  - Display cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality, and age sensitivity and adaptability
  - Treats all people fairly and with impartiality
  - Good communication skills including the ability to write concise and analytical reports in English.
  - Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
  - Flexible and responsive to changes and unexpected demands.
  - Ability to work with people from different backgrounds to deliver quality products within a short timeframe.
  - Client-oriented and open to feedback.

For more information, visit UNDP.