Deadline: 06-Jun-2026
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is inviting proposals from qualified civil society organizations (CSOs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in South Sudan to provide legal aid, legal representation, legal awareness, psychosocial support, and referral services to vulnerable populations. The initiative aims to strengthen access to justice and protection services for women, girls, survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, detainees, juveniles, and other at-risk groups in Central Equatoria State.
Through this grant opportunity, UNDP seeks to improve access to both formal and community-based justice systems while promoting survivor-centered, rights-based, and gender-responsive approaches to justice and protection.
About the Grant Opportunity
South Sudan continues to face major challenges in delivering accessible justice and protection services due to prolonged conflict, weak institutional capacity, limited justice infrastructure, and harmful social and cultural norms. These challenges disproportionately affect vulnerable groups, particularly women, girls, survivors of gender-based violence, internally displaced persons, returnees, refugees, persons with disabilities, and older persons.
In Central Equatoria State, justice institutions often struggle with limited resources and growing caseloads involving gender-based violence, prolonged pre-trial detention, family disputes, land disputes, and other human rights concerns.
To address these gaps, UNDP intends to partner with a qualified national CSO or NGO that can work alongside justice and security institutions to strengthen legal aid, psychosocial support, and community-based justice services.
Programme Objectives
The initiative aims to:
- Improve access to justice for vulnerable populations
- Strengthen legal aid and legal representation services
- Support survivors of conflict-related sexual violence
- Enhance psychosocial support and referral mechanisms
- Promote legal awareness and community outreach
- Expand access to alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services
- Strengthen survivor-centered and rights-based justice approaches
- Improve coordination between communities and justice institutions
The project seeks to ensure that vulnerable individuals can access legal protection, support services, and fair justice processes.
Key Areas of Support
The selected organization will be expected to provide services across several intervention areas.
Legal Aid and Legal Representation
Support activities may include:
- Free legal assistance for vulnerable individuals
- Legal representation in relevant cases
- Legal counseling and advice
- Support for victims and survivors seeking justice
- Assistance for women in conflict with the law
- Legal support for juveniles and detainees
Psychosocial Support and Referral Services
The project emphasizes the provision of survivor-centered support services.
Expected activities include:
- Psychosocial counseling and support
- Referrals to specialized service providers
- Support for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence
- Assistance for vulnerable women and girls
- Coordination with protection and support networks
Legal Awareness and Community Outreach
Community engagement is a key component of the project.
Activities may include:
- Legal awareness campaigns
- Community education initiatives
- Outreach activities on rights and legal protections
- Awareness raising on available justice services
- Engagement with local communities and stakeholders
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
The initiative also promotes community-based justice mechanisms.
Support may include:
- Mediation services
- Alternative dispute resolution processes
- Community-based conflict resolution
- Restorative justice initiatives
- Resolution of family and land disputes where appropriate
Target Beneficiaries
The project focuses on supporting vulnerable and marginalized groups, including:
- Women and girls
- Survivors of conflict-related sexual violence
- Survivors of gender-based violence
- Juveniles
- Detainees
- Women in conflict with the law
- Internally displaced persons (IDPs)
- Returnees
- Refugees
- Persons with disabilities
- Older persons
These groups often face significant barriers to accessing justice, legal protection, and support services.
Expected Project Activities
The selected organization will be responsible for implementing activities such as:
- Operating legal aid clinics
- Providing free legal representation and counseling
- Conducting prison and police station visits
- Supporting detainees with legal aid services
- Delivering psychosocial support and referrals
- Conducting large-scale legal awareness campaigns
- Facilitating mediation and ADR processes
- Supporting referrals from Victim Support Groups
- Assisting mobile and circuit court processes
- Preparing regular progress reports
- Submitting final narrative and financial reports
The project will be implemented using a survivor-centered and trauma-informed approach.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible applicants must:
- Be legally registered in South Sudan
- Be operational within South Sudan
- Be a civil society organization (CSO) or non-governmental organization (NGO)
- Demonstrate experience in legal aid, access to justice, human rights, protection, or related programming
- Have a strong operational presence in Central Equatoria State
- Have qualified legal and psychosocial personnel
- Possess effective financial management and reporting systems
Applicants should demonstrate the technical and operational capacity necessary to implement the proposed activities successfully.
Team Requirements
The proposed project team should include qualified professionals capable of delivering legal and psychosocial services.
Key requirements include:
- Lead team member with at least a bachelor’s degree in law
- Experience in legal aid and access to justice programming
- Qualified legal professionals
- Qualified psychosocial support personnel
Additional qualifications in the following fields are considered advantageous:
- Human rights
- Social work
- Communications
- Development studies
- Peace and conflict studies
- Related disciplines
Grant Value and Duration
Key financial and implementation details include:
- Maximum budget: USD 35,000
- Implementation period: 30 working days
- Overall project duration: Two calendar months
- Activities must be implemented in at least three locations within Central Equatoria State
Financial proposals should be realistic, detailed, and clearly justify operational and travel costs required for implementation.
Why This Grant Matters
Access to justice remains a significant challenge in South Sudan, particularly for women, survivors of violence, detainees, and other vulnerable groups. By strengthening legal aid, psychosocial support, and community-based justice mechanisms, this initiative seeks to improve protection outcomes and ensure greater access to rights and services.
The grant supports:
- Protection of vulnerable populations
- Strengthened legal assistance services
- Increased access to justice institutions
- Improved psychosocial support systems
- Community-based conflict resolution
- Gender-responsive and survivor-centered programming
- Stronger collaboration between communities and justice institutions
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who can apply for this grant?
Legally registered and operational CSOs and NGOs in South Sudan with relevant experience in legal aid, access to justice, human rights, or protection programming. - What is the maximum grant amount?
The proposed budget must not exceed USD 35,000. - Where will the project be implemented?
The project will be implemented in Central Equatoria State, South Sudan. - Who are the target beneficiaries?
Women, girls, survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, detainees, juveniles, internally displaced persons, refugees, returnees, persons with disabilities, and older persons. - What services are expected under the project?
Legal aid, legal representation, psychosocial support, referral services, legal awareness campaigns, prison visits, and alternative dispute resolution services. - What qualifications should the lead team member have?
The lead team member should possess at least a bachelor’s degree in law. - How long is the project duration?
The grant covers 30 working days of implementation over a period of two calendar months.
Conclusion
The UNDP Grant for Legal Aid, Access to Justice and Psychosocial Support Services in South Sudan provides an opportunity for qualified CSOs and NGOs to strengthen justice and protection services for vulnerable populations in Central Equatoria State. With funding of up to USD 35,000, the initiative aims to expand legal aid, enhance psychosocial support, promote community-based justice solutions, and improve access to survivor-centered and rights-based services for those most affected by conflict, violence, and social exclusion.
For more information, visit UNDP.