Call for Expressions of Interest: GCERF Funding for CSOs in Ghana

Deadline: 10-Jun-2024

The Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF) is pleased to announce a call for expressions of interest for CSOs in Ghana to form a consortium and become a Principal Recipient (PR) of GCERF funding.

Consortium grants are managed and supported by the PRs, who are the legal recipients of GCERF funding and provide funding to other consortium members or “Sub-Recipients” (SR).

By providing financial support to Ghanaian CSOs, GCERF aims to enhance their capacity to establish a network of stakeholders, thereby strengthening resilience against the threats of violent extremism and supporting impactful awareness campaigns, economic empowerment efforts, and traditional conflict resolution promotion.

Objectives

• The funding of consortia will be directed towards strengthening the following objectives:
  • Objective 1: Increase awareness of violent extremism and preventative approaches among communities, CSOs, and authorities.
  • Objective 2: Support vulnerable populations in accessing sustainable socio-economic opportunities.
  • Objective 3: Promote traditional conflict resolution and peacebuilding mechanisms to strengthen social cohesion.

Priority Programming Areas

• GCERF has identified the following priority programming activities in Ghana:
  • Objective 1
    • Raise awareness on PVE and early signs of violent radicalisation online and offline.
    • Conduct digital awareness-raising campaigns targeting youth.
    • Training on digital literacy and critical thinking skills targeting youth.
    • Promote the development of networks of community representatives, CS0s, and authorities to address violent extremism.
  • Objective 2
    • Conduct a local market-needs assessment and identify required market-based skills.
    • Coordinate with key actors and build on previous results, good practices and lessons learned for livelihood programming.
    • Provide government-certified vocational skills training and financial literacy training.
    • Support job placement, toolkits, and access to micro-leans/seeds funding for IGAs.
    • Provide long-term mentorship and coaching to beneficiaries.
  • Objective 3
    • Training of traditional leaders, religious leaders and Queen mothers on PVE.
    • Resource and strengthen the role of local traditional leaders, religious leaders and Queen mothers in peacebuilding efforts.
    • Strengthen and support existing inter and intro-community conflict resolution structures, including inter-ethnic peace committees.

Funding Information

• GCERF plans to sign agreements with CSOs during Q3 2024 and will fund up to three grants.
• The grant size will be at least 700 000 USD and a maximum of 1 M USD.

Duration

• The grants will be at least 30 months (about 2 and a half years) and no more than 42 months (about 3 and a half years).

Population Groups

• Youths (men and women aged 15 – 24 and 25 – 35) from the refugee and host communities: 
  • Unemployed or underemployed;
  • from rural settings; and
  • from ostracised minorities.
• Local authorities: 
  • Traditional leaders;
  • religious leaders; and
  • Queen Mothers.
• Marginalised communities: 
  • Refugees and migrants, with a specific focus on women with limited access to social and economic opportunities; and
  • Ethnic minorities, incl. Fulanis.

Geographic Locations

• Northeast, Upper East, Upper West, Northern, and Savannah.

Eligibility Criteria

• Each consortium should be led by a Principal Recipient (PR) responsible for providing subgrants to other consortium members (Sub-Recipients).
• Priority will be given to consortia whose members have experience implementing socioeconomic and governance programmes, specifically in the context of preventing violent extremism. Minorities, women, and youth-led organisations have an added advantage.
• Additionally, consortia that include organizations led by minorities, women, and youth, as well as those composed entirely of local organizations with an equitable distribution of work and funds, will receive special consideration.
• Applicants are asked to demonstrate that they meet GCERF’s established prerequisites and that they possess the required capabilities to be a Principal Recipient of GCERF funding.
  • Prerequisites 
    • Appropriate legal registration in the Republic of Ghana (Documents must be included in the application).
    • Willingness to accept and fulfill the role of a Principal Recipient (as described herein).
  • Required Capabilities 
    • Experience and capacity in supporting community-level initiatives that address the local drivers of violent extremism.
    • Established relationships and credibility with the communities and population groups in the geographical areas identified in the Call.
    • Experience and capacity in delivering programme and management.
    • Experience and capacity in financial management and in the management of and accounting for international donor grant funding.

For more information, visit GCERF.