Call for EOIs: Joint Social Protection Project in the Sahel (Chad)

The World Food Programme (WFP) is inviting expressions of interest for a project in Chad aimed at supporting vulnerable households through cash assistance, complementary services, and stronger social protection systems. The initiative focuses on cash and voucher assistance, social safety nets, poverty reduction, and institutional strengthening, with direct support planned for 4,000 households in Kanem province.

About the Opportunity

This WFP-led initiative is part of a broader effort launched in 2023 to strengthen the resilience of households in Chad that face repeated economic, climatic, and social shocks.

The project combines direct financial assistance for vulnerable families with long-term investments in social protection systems, helping communities better cope with crises while building more sustainable support structures for the future.

It is funded by Germany through development financing institutions and implemented through collaboration among international agencies operating in Chad.

Project Focus Areas

The call focuses on the following areas:

• Cash and voucher assistance for livelihoods

• Social policy and advocacy

• General social protection policy

• Social safety nets

• Social protection and multidimensional poverty

• Institutional strengthening for resilience and inclusion

Project Objectives

The initiative aims to:

• Support vulnerable households with regular and predictable cash transfers

• Reduce harmful coping strategies during periods of crisis

• Strengthen food security and livelihood stability

• Improve access to basic social services

• Promote productive and resilience-building activities

• Reinforce national social protection systems

• Improve policy, governance, financing, monitoring, and accountability mechanisms

Key Project Components

The project is built around three main components, combining immediate household support with longer-term systems strengthening.

Cash Social Transfers for Vulnerable Households

A major component provides regular cash assistance to vulnerable households over a three-year period.

Under this component:

• 4,000 vulnerable households in Kanem province will be supported

• Each household will receive quarterly cash transfers of 45,000 FCFA

• Households will also receive an exceptional lean season top-up of 99,000 FCFA

This financial support is intended to:

• Protect livelihoods

• Stabilize food consumption

• Reduce negative coping mechanisms

• Strengthen resilience to recurring socio-economic shocks

Complementary Services and Human Capital Support

In addition to cash assistance, the project includes integrated complementary services to strengthen household resilience and human capital.

These services include:

• Capacity building in climate-smart agricultural techniques

• Skills development linked to nutrition-sensitive social protection

• Support for public officials

• Capacity strengthening for civil society actors

These measures are designed to improve both immediate resilience and long-term self-reliance.

Strengthening Social Protection Systems

Another core component focuses on strengthening national social protection systems in Chad.

This includes support for:

• Governance

• Planning

• Financing

• Monitoring and evaluation

• Accountability

• Knowledge generation

By strengthening these areas, the project aims to build a more sustainable, responsive, and scalable social protection framework.

Why This Opportunity Matters

This initiative is significant because it combines direct household support with institutional reform, which is essential for durable resilience in fragile contexts.

Rather than offering one-time relief, the project supports:

• Predictable social assistance

• Crisis preparedness

• Poverty reduction

• Nutrition-sensitive interventions

• Climate resilience

• Long-term public system strengthening

For organisations working in social protection, food security, livelihoods, resilience, governance, and community development, this is a high-impact engagement opportunity.

Who This May Be Relevant For

This expression of interest may be especially relevant for organisations with experience in:

• Social protection programming

• Cash and voucher assistance (CVA)

• Food security and livelihoods

• Climate-smart agriculture

• Nutrition-sensitive programming

• Public policy and governance

• Monitoring and evaluation

• Civil society capacity building

• Humanitarian-development nexus programming

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Focusing only on cash delivery without addressing systems strengthening

• Ignoring the social protection policy and institutional reform dimensions

• Failing to show experience in integrated programming

• Not demonstrating capacity in community-level implementation in Chad or similar contexts

• Overlooking the importance of resilience-building and long-term sustainability

FAQs

What is the purpose of this WFP call?

It seeks expressions of interest for a project in Chad that supports vulnerable households through cash assistance, complementary services, and stronger social protection systems.

Which households will directly benefit?

The project will support 4,000 vulnerable households in Kanem province through predictable cash transfers.

How much cash support will households receive?

Each household will receive 45,000 FCFA quarterly, plus an additional 99,000 FCFA during the lean season.

What other support is included besides cash?

The project also includes climate-smart agriculture training, skills development, nutrition-sensitive social protection support, and capacity building for officials and civil society actors.

Does the project also support government systems?

Yes. A major component focuses on strengthening national social protection systems, including governance, planning, financing, monitoring, accountability, and knowledge generation.

Final Takeaway

The WFP expression of interest in Chad is a strong opportunity for organisations working at the intersection of cash assistance, social protection, resilience, and systems strengthening. With support for 4,000 vulnerable households in Kanem and a strong focus on long-term institutional capacity, this initiative goes beyond emergency relief to build more sustainable and inclusive protection systems.