Project for Community-Based Support for School Re-Opening in Central, Eastern and Southern States (Sudan)

UNICEF Sudan invites grant applications to restore access to safe, inclusive, and quality education for conflict-affected children. The program targets multiple states, focusing on school rehabilitation, teacher training, adolescent engagement, and capacity strengthening of education authorities, aiming to benefit over 83,000 children by mid-2027.

Program Overview

The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) is providing grants to support the reopening and rehabilitation of schools in Sudan, with the goal of enhancing the resilience, inclusivity, and quality of the education system for children affected by conflict.

Objectives and Focus Areas

The program focuses on:

• Education in emergencies: Ensuring safe and functional learning spaces for conflict-affected children

• School reopening and rehabilitation: Community-led initiatives to restore classrooms, latrines, and school furniture

• Improved teaching quality: Training teachers to deliver inclusive and protective education

• Adolescent engagement: Establishing school clubs for life skills, peer-to-peer support, and mental health interventions

• Capacity strengthening: Enhancing coordination, monitoring, and response capabilities of federal and state education authorities

• Foundational numeracy: Pilot extra-curricular math activities in crisis-affected contexts

Geographic Scope

Targeted states include:

• Red Sea

• South Kordofan

• Gezira

• Khartoum

• North Kordofan

Key Targets and Expected Outcomes

• Children Benefiting: 83,600 children to return to safe, inclusive, and functional schools

• School Rehabilitation: 220 schools improved through community-led efforts

• Direct Child Benefits: 22,000 children receive immediate improvements in classrooms, latrines, and furniture

• Teacher Training: 440 teachers trained directly, with knowledge cascaded to 3,960 peers

• Adolescent Engagement: 220 school clubs benefiting 13,200 adolescents through life skills and psychosocial support

• Capacity Strengthening: Five State Ministries of Education involved in targeted training and support

• Math Pilot: 25 schools testing extra-curricular math activities to enhance foundational numeracy

Funding and Support Areas

Applicant organisations are expected to submit proposals covering:

• Target states and localities

• Detailed project activities with clear targets

• Comprehensive budgets and work plans with timelines

• Optional coverage of one or multiple states

Who Can Apply

Eligible applicants include:

• NGOs, civil society organisations, and community-based groups with experience in education programming

• Organizations capable of implementing school rehabilitation, teacher training, adolescent engagement, and monitoring activities

How to Apply

1. Identify the target state(s) and schools for intervention

2. Design project activities aligned with UNICEF objectives, including rehabilitation, teacher training, and adolescent engagement

3. Prepare a detailed work plan with timelines and performance targets

4. Develop a comprehensive budget outlining costs for infrastructure, training, program delivery, and monitoring

5. Submit the application through the UNICEF Sudan grant portal or specified submission platform

Priority Considerations

• Projects demonstrating community-led engagement and sustainable solutions

• Activities promoting inclusive, safe, and protective learning environments

• Initiatives with measurable impact on teaching quality and student outcomes

• Proposals including innovative approaches to foundational numeracy in crisis-affected contexts

FAQ

1. Which states are targeted by this grant? Red Sea, South Kordofan, Gezira, Khartoum, and North Kordofan.
2. How many children are expected to benefit? Approximately 83,600 children in total, with 22,000 benefiting directly from school rehabilitation.
3. Are organizations required to cover all target states? No, applicants may choose to cover one or multiple states.
4. What types of activities are eligible? School rehabilitation, teacher training, adolescent school clubs, capacity strengthening, and pilot numeracy initiatives.
5. Is community involvement required? Yes, projects must be community-led to ensure sustainability and local ownership.
6. What are the teacher training targets? 440 teachers trained directly, cascading knowledge to an additional 3,960 peers.
7. What is the timeline for program implementation? Projects are expected to be implemented in line with UNICEF Sudan schedules, aiming for mid-2027 outcomes.

Conclusion

This UNICEF grant opportunity aims to strengthen the resilience and quality of Sudan’s education system by supporting school reopening, teacher capacity development, adolescent engagement, and community-led rehabilitation. By focusing on safe, inclusive, and functional learning environments, the program seeks to restore education access and improve outcomes for tens of thousands of conflict-affected children.