Call for EOIs: UNICEF-BISP Nutrition and Social Protection Programme (Pakistan)

UNICEF is inviting Expressions of Interest (EOIs) under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) to strengthen nutrition and gender-responsive social protection interventions in Punjab, Pakistan. The initiative aims to reduce child stunting, wasting, micronutrient deficiencies, and maternal malnutrition through integrated nutrition services, behavior change communication, community engagement, and enhanced service delivery systems.

Program Overview

The UNICEF-BISP partnership seeks to improve nutrition outcomes for children, adolescents, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers across Punjab. The initiative supports the integration of nutrition-sensitive and gender-responsive approaches into social protection systems, with a particular focus on vulnerable and high-burden communities.

The programme builds upon the existing Benazir Nashonuma Programme and aims to strengthen service delivery, community engagement, referral mechanisms, and evidence-based nutrition interventions.

Funding Information

• Partnership opportunity through UNICEF under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP).
• Funding supports implementation of nutrition-focused social protection interventions.
• Applicants are invited to submit Expressions of Interest (EOIs).
• Specific funding allocations will be determined according to project scope and approved activities.

Key Focus Areas

The programme supports interventions in:

• Child nutrition and growth promotion.
• Prevention and treatment of malnutrition.
• Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF).
• Maternal nutrition.
• Adolescent nutrition.
• Micronutrient supplementation.
• Early Childhood Development (ECD).
• Nutrition counselling.
• Breastfeeding promotion.
• Complementary feeding practices.
• Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC).
• Community engagement.
• Parenting support.
• Gender-responsive nutrition services.
• Psychosocial support.
• Referral systems.
• Hygiene and care-seeking practices.
• Prevention and management of wasting.
• Digital monitoring systems.
• Supply chain strengthening.
• Climate resilience and nutrition security.
• Evidence generation and research.

Background and Context

Punjab has made important progress in reducing child stunting and underweight prevalence over recent years. However, malnutrition continues to affect large numbers of women, children, and adolescents.

Key challenges include:

• Increasing rates of wasting among children.
• Persistent rural and regional inequalities.
• Poverty and food insecurity.
• Poor maternal nutrition.
• Limited access to quality health and nutrition services.
• Inadequate sanitation and hygiene.
• Low dietary diversity.
• Weak infant and young child feeding practices.
• Limited nutrition awareness among caregivers.

These challenges contribute to poor child growth, developmental delays, and adverse maternal health outcomes.

Understanding the Benazir Nashonuma Programme

The Benazir Nashonuma Programme is Pakistan’s flagship maternal and child nutrition initiative under the Benazir Income Support Programme.

The programme provides:

• Conditional cash transfers.
• Growth monitoring services.
• Nutrition counselling.
• Micronutrient supplementation.
• Community-based awareness activities.
• Support for pregnant and lactating women.
• Services aimed at improving child growth and development.

The UNICEF partnership seeks to further strengthen and expand these services.

Why This Initiative Matters

Malnutrition during pregnancy and early childhood can have lifelong consequences for health, learning, productivity, and economic wellbeing.

This programme is important because it:

• Reduces child stunting and wasting.
• Improves maternal nutrition.
• Prevents anaemia among women and adolescent girls.
• Promotes healthy infant feeding practices.
• Supports child development.
• Strengthens social protection systems.
• Improves community resilience.
• Encourages gender-responsive service delivery.
• Creates sustainable improvements in family wellbeing.

Expected Outcomes

The programme aims to achieve:

• Improved maternal and child nutrition.
• Increased use of health and nutrition services.
• Better breastfeeding practices.
• Improved complementary feeding behaviors.
• Reduced micronutrient deficiencies.
• Stronger referral systems.
• Enhanced parenting and caregiving practices.
• Better child development outcomes.
• Increased community awareness of nutrition issues.
• Improved monitoring and accountability systems.

Who Can Apply?

Eligible applicants include:

• Non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
• Civil society organizations.
• Organizations with experience in nutrition programming.
• Organizations working in maternal and child health.
• Community-based organizations with relevant expertise.
• Institutions experienced in social protection and behavior change initiatives.

Applicants should demonstrate:

• Technical expertise in nutrition programming.
• Experience working with vulnerable populations.
• Capacity for community engagement.
• Ability to coordinate with government systems.
• Experience in monitoring and reporting.

Core Activities Supported

Successful partners may implement activities such as:

Nutrition Services

• Growth monitoring.
• Nutrition screening.
• Nutrition counselling.
• Micronutrient supplementation.
• Maternal nutrition support.
• Adolescent nutrition interventions.

Community Engagement

• Awareness campaigns.
• Community dialogues.
• Social behavior change activities.
• Parent education sessions.
• Youth engagement initiatives.

Child Development

• Early childhood stimulation activities.
• Parenting support programmes.
• Psychosocial support services.

Capacity Building

• Training frontline workers.
• Strengthening community volunteers.
• Building institutional capacity.
• Improving referral systems.

Digital Innovation

• Digital monitoring systems.
• Community feedback mechanisms.
• Data collection and analysis.
• Evidence generation initiatives.

How to Apply

Organizations interested in participating should:

1. Review the Expression of Interest requirements carefully.
2. Assess organizational eligibility and technical capacity.
3. Develop a project concept aligned with programme objectives.
4. Demonstrate experience in nutrition, child protection, health, or social protection.
5. Present implementation strategies and expected outcomes.
6. Highlight monitoring, evaluation, and reporting capabilities.
7. Submit the completed EOI according to UNICEF guidelines.

Tips for a Strong Application

• Demonstrate experience in nutrition and social protection.
• Show strong community engagement capabilities.
• Include evidence-based intervention approaches.
• Present realistic implementation plans.
• Highlight partnerships with local stakeholders.
• Explain sustainability measures.
• Include robust monitoring and evaluation frameworks.
• Address gender and inclusion considerations throughout the proposal.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Submitting incomplete documentation.
• Providing vague implementation plans.
• Failing to demonstrate technical expertise.
• Ignoring gender-responsive programming requirements.
• Overlooking community engagement strategies.
• Presenting unrealistic timelines or targets.
• Weak monitoring and reporting frameworks.
• Limited evidence of organizational capacity.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the main objective of this UNICEF initiative?

The initiative aims to strengthen gender-responsive nutrition and social protection services to reduce malnutrition, stunting, wasting, and micronutrient deficiencies among women and children in Punjab.

What populations are targeted?

The programme primarily targets children, adolescents, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, caregivers, and vulnerable households in high-burden districts.

What role does the Benazir Nashonuma Programme play?

The Benazir Nashonuma Programme serves as the primary platform for delivering nutrition services, cash transfers, counselling, and behavior change interventions.

Does the programme address adolescent nutrition?

Yes. Improving adolescent nutrition, particularly reducing anaemia among adolescent girls, is a major programme priority.

Are community-based interventions included?

Yes. Community engagement, behavior change communication, parenting support, and local capacity building are central components of the programme.

Will digital systems be used?

Yes. The initiative supports digital monitoring, data management, community feedback mechanisms, and evidence generation activities.

Why is gender responsiveness important?

Gender-responsive programming helps address barriers that women and girls face in accessing nutrition, health, and social protection services, leading to more equitable outcomes.

Conclusion

UNICEF’s partnership opportunity under the Benazir Income Support Programme represents a significant effort to strengthen nutrition-sensitive and gender-responsive social protection systems in Punjab. By integrating nutrition services, behavior change interventions, community engagement, and evidence-based programming, the initiative aims to improve maternal wellbeing, child growth, and long-term development outcomes while building stronger and more resilient communities.