Deadline: 07-Oct-2026
The Santiago Network Secretariat is inviting eligible organizations, networks, and experts to submit proposals for technical assistance that strengthens the Dominican Republic’s national capacity to assess, collect, and report climate-related loss and damage. The grant provides up to USD 440,000 for a 10-month project focused on improving the national Damage and Loss Collection System (SIRED-RD), strengthening institutional capacity, and producing better data for climate resilience and disaster-risk decision-making.
What Is the Santiago Network Grant?
The Santiago Network was established under the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage to connect developing countries particularly vulnerable to climate change with technical assistance.
This opportunity focuses specifically on the Dominican Republic, where hurricanes, floods, drought, sea-level rise, and other climate-related hazards have caused significant economic and non-economic losses.
The proposed technical assistance will help establish a stronger national system for identifying, measuring, managing, and reporting loss and damage associated with climate change and disasters.
Why It Matters
Accurate loss and damage data are essential for governments to understand the full effects of climate-related disasters and design appropriate responses.
The project aims to:
- Improve national loss and damage data collection.
- Standardize assessment methodologies.
- Strengthen institutional coordination.
- Improve disaster and climate-risk reporting.
- Capture indirect economic losses.
- Document non-economic losses.
- Improve data interoperability.
- Strengthen national and territorial capacity.
- Support evidence-based climate resilience policies.
- Improve targeting of interventions for vulnerable populations.
The resulting information can help government institutions and local authorities identify where climate impacts are greatest and which communities require additional support.
Key Focus: Strengthening SIRED-RD
A central component of the project is the expansion and redesign of the Damage and Loss Collection System (SIRED-RD).
The technical assistance will assess the existing system and identify opportunities for improvement.
Expected improvements include:
- Reviewing existing loss and damage frameworks.
- Assessing current methodologies.
- Identifying data and institutional gaps.
- Developing a roadmap for system improvement.
- Redesigning SIRED-RD.
- Incorporating indirect losses.
- Incorporating non-economic losses.
- Improving interoperability with other national systems.
- Strengthening data collection and reporting processes.
- Developing training and support materials.
Alignment With International Frameworks
The project should align the Dominican Republic’s loss and damage assessment practices with relevant international frameworks and reporting requirements.
These include:
- Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
- UNFCCC transparency requirements.
- International approaches to climate-related loss and damage assessment.
- Relevant disaster-risk management and climate-adaptation frameworks.
Alignment with these frameworks can improve the consistency and usefulness of national data.
Expected Technical Assistance Activities
The selected applicant will be expected to address the full scope of the technical assistance.
Key activities include:
Assessment of Existing Systems
The project will review existing institutional frameworks, methodologies, databases, and procedures used to collect and assess disaster-related damage and losses.
Gap Analysis
The technical assistance should identify:
- Data gaps.
- Methodological gaps.
- Institutional coordination challenges.
- Technology limitations.
- Capacity constraints.
- Reporting weaknesses.
Development of a Roadmap
A practical roadmap should establish priorities for improving national loss and damage assessment and reporting.
SIRED-RD Redesign
The existing SIRED-RD platform will be redesigned to support more comprehensive loss and damage information.
The improved system should consider both:
- Economic losses, including direct and indirect impacts.
- Non-economic losses, such as social, cultural, environmental, and other impacts that are difficult to quantify financially.
Capacity Building
Training should be provided to relevant institutional and territorial stakeholders.
This may include:
- Government institutions.
- Local authorities.
- Technical personnel.
- Data managers.
- Disaster-risk management stakeholders.
- Other relevant territorial actors.
Training and support materials should be practical and adapted to users’ responsibilities.
Who Will Benefit?
The technical assistance is national in scope and is expected to benefit multiple groups.
Primary beneficiaries include:
- National government institutions.
- Local governments and authorities.
- Disaster-risk management institutions.
- Climate and environmental stakeholders.
- Data and information management institutions.
- Vulnerable communities.
The project particularly seeks to improve information about impacts affecting women, children, and youth, enabling more disaggregated and targeted policy responses.
Grant Amount and Project Duration
The maximum available budget is USD 440,000 per grant.
The expected technical assistance period is 10 months.
Key deliverables are expected by March 2027 so that the results can inform ongoing national resilience initiatives.
Applicants are encouraged to develop cost-effective proposals.
Co-financing and in-kind contributions may also be included where appropriate.
Audit Requirement
For grants exceeding USD 250,000, an independent audit is required.
Applicants should therefore include the anticipated audit cost in their project budget.
Who Is Eligible?
Eligible applicants can include a wide range of organizations with appropriate expertise and experience.
Potential applicants include:
- International NGOs.
- National NGOs.
- Community-based organizations.
- Academic institutions.
- Research institutions.
- Companies.
- United Nations entities.
- Intergovernmental organizations.
- Eligible networks and experts.
Applicants must meet the Santiago Network’s membership requirements.
Santiago Network Membership Requirement
Applicants must either:
- Be a Member of the Santiago Network, or
- Submit an Expression of Interest for Santiago Network membership before the proposal deadline.
Organizations should verify their membership status and complete any required membership process before submitting the proposal.
Experience Requirements
Applicants must demonstrate substantial relevant experience.
A key requirement is at least seven years of relevant experience in the Dominican Republic or the Caribbean.
Applicants should demonstrate expertise in areas such as:
- Loss and damage assessment.
- Disaster damage and loss data.
- Data management systems.
- Climate-risk information.
- Disaster-risk management.
- Institutional capacity building.
- Training and knowledge transfer.
- Climate adaptation and resilience.
Experience should be supported by evidence of relevant projects, partnerships, technical outputs, or institutional work.
How to Apply
Applicants should structure their proposal around the complete technical assistance requirements.
Step 1: Confirm Eligibility
Verify that your organization meets the applicant requirements and has the necessary Santiago Network membership or Expression of Interest.
Step 2: Demonstrate Relevant Experience
Prepare evidence showing at least seven years of relevant experience in the Dominican Republic or Caribbean region.
Highlight previous work involving:
- Loss and damage.
- Disaster data systems.
- Climate resilience.
- Capacity building.
- Government collaboration.
Step 3: Develop the Technical Approach
Explain how the project will:
- Review existing systems and methodologies.
- Identify gaps.
- Develop an improvement roadmap.
- Redesign SIRED-RD.
- Incorporate indirect and non-economic losses.
- Improve interoperability.
- Build institutional and territorial capacity.
- Develop training and support materials.
Step 4: Establish Deliverables and Milestones
Provide a realistic workplan covering the 10-month implementation period.
Clearly identify:
- Activities.
- Outputs.
- Responsible parties.
- Milestones.
- Expected results.
- Completion dates.
Ensure that critical deliverables can be completed by March 2027.
Step 5: Prepare the Budget
The total requested amount should not exceed USD 440,000.
Include realistic costs for:
- Technical experts.
- Data-system development.
- Consultations.
- Training.
- Workshops.
- Travel where necessary.
- Knowledge products.
- Project management.
- Independent audit, where applicable.
Step 6: Address Inclusion
Explain how the improved system will produce disaggregated information that can better capture impacts on vulnerable groups, including women, children, and youth.
Step 7: Submit the Proposal
Complete the required proposal and supporting documentation according to the Santiago Network Secretariat’s submission procedures and deadline.
Tips for a Strong Proposal
A competitive proposal should demonstrate a clear understanding of the Dominican Republic’s existing data and institutional landscape.
Applicants should:
- Build on existing national systems rather than duplicate them.
- Demonstrate strong knowledge of SIRED-RD.
- Provide a technically credible data-system redesign approach.
- Explain how different government databases can become interoperable.
- Include both economic and non-economic loss and damage.
- Provide a realistic capacity-building strategy.
- Demonstrate previous work in the Dominican Republic or Caribbean.
- Establish measurable outcomes.
- Include practical sustainability measures.
- Keep the budget cost-effective.
- Account for the independent audit requirement where applicable.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Applicants should avoid:
- Failing to meet the seven-year experience requirement.
- Submitting without Santiago Network membership or the required Expression of Interest.
- Providing only a general climate-adaptation proposal instead of focusing on loss and damage assessment.
- Ignoring non-economic losses.
- Failing to address indirect losses.
- Proposing a new data platform without considering existing national systems.
- Underestimating interoperability and institutional coordination requirements.
- Providing weak training and capacity-building plans.
- Submitting an unrealistic 10-month workplan.
- Exceeding the USD 440,000 budget ceiling.
- Omitting the independent audit cost for grants above USD 250,000.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this Santiago Network grant for?
It supports technical assistance to strengthen the Dominican Republic’s national system for assessing and reporting climate-related loss and damage, including improvements to the SIRED-RD platform.
How much funding is available?
The maximum grant amount is USD 440,000.
How long will the project last?
The expected duration is 10 months, with important deliverables expected by March 2027.
What is SIRED-RD?
SIRED-RD is the Dominican Republic’s Damage and Loss Collection System. The project will assess and redesign the system to improve national loss and damage data collection, integration, and reporting.
Who can apply?
Eligible applicants include international and national NGOs, community-based organizations, academic and research institutions, companies, UN entities, and intergovernmental organizations, provided they meet the programme’s eligibility requirements.
Is Santiago Network membership required?
Yes. Applicants must already be Santiago Network Members or submit an Expression of Interest for membership before the proposal deadline.
How much relevant experience must applicants have?
Applicants must demonstrate at least seven years of relevant experience in the Dominican Republic or the Caribbean, particularly in loss and damage assessment, data systems, and capacity building.
Conclusion
The Santiago Network Technical Assistance Grant for the Dominican Republic provides up to USD 440,000 to strengthen national capacity for climate-related loss and damage assessment, data management, and reporting.
The project is centered on improving SIRED-RD, incorporating indirect and non-economic losses, strengthening interoperability, and building the skills of national and territorial institutions. Organizations seeking to apply should demonstrate strong regional experience, technical expertise in loss and damage and data systems, Santiago Network eligibility, and a practical 10-month implementation plan capable of delivering results by March 2027.
For more information, visit UNOPS .
