U.S. Department of State, Bureau of NEA/AC: Increasing Women’s Political Participation in Kuwait

Deadline: 7 June 2017

The United States Department of State, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Office of Assistance Coordination (NEA/AC) announces a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to increase womens political participation in Kuwait with an aim to advance U.S. foreign policy by encouraging inclusive governance through building the leadership and technical capacity of women in government and civil society; addressing persistent barriers that prevent women from accessing decision-making processes; and facilitating constructive engagement and collaboration between female civic actors and government officials.

Objectives

NEA/AC seeks proposals that will enable women leaders and emerging leaders to:

Increase their skills and ability to compete in political processes;
Launch strategic alliances with civic actors who are advocating issues of concern;
Develop communication skills and strategies to engage with the public and advocate to government representatives on issues of concern; and
Prepare young women for assuming leadership roles and increasing their civic engagement.

Funding Information

Estimated Total Program Funding: $1,000,000
Estimated Award Ceiling: $1,000,000
Estimated Award Floor: $1,000,000
Length of Project Period: Up to Two Years

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible applicants include U.S. or foreign non-profit organizations; for-profit organizations; private institutions of higher education; public or state institutions of higher education; and public international organizations with functional and regional experience in the areas of gender, candidate training, civil society, coalition building, and organizational strengthening in the MENA region.
Applications will be accepted only from organizations that have previously operated in Kuwait, or have personnel who have previously worked in Kuwait. 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 actually spent in the region through local partners will be among the elements of evaluation for this competition.
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.
NEA/AC encourages applications from organizations working with underserved communities, including women, people with disabilities, and youth.
Prime Applicant: Applicants must have the organizational capacity to implement program components in Kuwait. Applicants should:
- Demonstrate expertise in NEA/AC’s strategic focus areas of civic engagement, campaign skills, and coalition building.
- Demonstrate experience working in Kuwait and expertise in developing and implementing political and social reform projects.
- Demonstrate the ability to accomplish the required activities with minimal full-time
- Demonstrate the ability to involve local partners.
- Demonstrate ability to work with Kuwait University’s Center for Women’s Studies.