Deadline: 16 October 2020
The United States Embassy provides grants under the Ambassador’s Self-Help Fund (SSH) to non-governmental organizations, schools, community associations, and other local groups that directly benefit and improve the quality of life for citizens and their communities in Guinea.
The objective is to aid groups develop projects that improve living conditions in their communities.
Embassy Conakry invites proposals for small community projects. The program is designed to improve basic economic and social conditions in local communities and support high impact, quick implementation activities that benefit a large number of people. Participating communities provide a significant contribution in cash, labor, and materials. Examples of U.S. Embassy Community Small Grants Program projects include, but are not limited to:
- Small construction projects, including school rooms, community centers, health facilities, foot bridges, housing for a government or community-paid nurses or teachers, workshops, community abattoirs, grain storage, rural airstrips for hospitals, and school dormitories for distant students.
- Water-related projects – wells, latrines, pumps, bore holes, shower stalls and sinks and fishponds.
- School equipment and supplies – desks, chairs, laboratory equipment and library items.
- Communal construction equipment such as brick-making machines.
- Miscellaneous durable goods – stoves or refrigerators for a school or hospital, or washing machines for a clinic.
- Income generating equipment – weaving looms, tools for furniture making, rice-milling machines.
The Embassy tries to fund equipment that can be maintained properly by the local community.
Funding Information
- Award amounts: awards may range from a minimum of $5,000 to a maximum of $15,000
- Length of performance period: 2 to 12 months
- Anticipated project start date: October 15, 2021
Participants and Audiences
Embassy Conakry is soliciting proposals for small grants from non-governmental organizations, community groups, village associations, women’s groups, or any other group that can show that they are a recognized group or entity and have a bank account in the name of the group.
The following types of projects are not eligible for funding:
- Remodeling or renovating an existing facility that is in disrepair as a result of neglect or lack of money (purchasing paint to repaint a school).
- Activities with unmitigated and negative environmental consequences, such as dams, roads through relatively pristine forest lands; activities that contribute to commercial deforestation or conversion of land-use from forest to livestock; actions that are likely to jeopardize, threaten, or endanger species and/or their habitat, and actions that are likely to degrade protected areas significantly, such as introduction of exotic plants or animals.
- Sports equipment or uniforms for a national sports team.
- Musical instruments or uniforms for a national orchestra or dance company.
- Salaries.
- Ongoing needs for education/training.
- Office supplies such as pencils, paper, forms and folders.
- Private commercial enterprises.
- Payments for pesticides, herbicides.
- Scholarships, workshops or seminars (except training as part of implementation of specific projects).
- Construction projects, though certain projects, such as rehabilitation of canteens, community centers, or other buildings that involve minimum construction and risks could qualify.
Eligibility Criteria
Embassy Conakry encourages applications from:
- Registered not-for-profit organizations, including village associations, women’s groups and civil society/non-governmental organizations with programming experience.
- For-profit or commercial entities are not eligible to apply.
How to Apply
- Applications may be submitted for consideration at any time before the closing date.
- All application materials must be submitted via email at the address given on the website.
For more information, visit https://gn.usembassy.gov/education-culture/special-self-help-fund/