Deadline: 31-May-22
The U.S. Embassy Niamey / Bureau of African Affairs of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications for the Ambassador’s Special Self-Help (SSH) to carry out a program to support the Socio-Economic development of communities in Niger.
The Ambassadors’ Special Self-Help (SSH) program is a grass-roots assistance program that allows U.S. embassies to respond quickly to local requests for small community-based development projects. Special Self-Help projects are community-based, initiated locally, administered at the local level, and include significant community contributions in cash, labor, or materials. The Special Self-Help program is structured to encourage communities to be self-reliant and undertake similar activities on their own in the future.
Objectives:
- Despite significant strides made by Niger over the past decade, the country’s extreme poverty rate remained high at 42.9% in 2020, affecting more than 10 million people.
- Niger’s economy depends primarily on subsistence agriculture and hence faces multiple development issues.
- The most crucial is rapid population growth (a fertility rate of over seven live births per woman) contrasted with low economic growth.
- Consequently, population growth outpaces the government’s ability to offer sustained basic services. In such situations, community members often organize themselves for community development and improvement.
- The Self-Help fund provides small, short-term grants to community groups that are working to improve the basic economic and social conditions of their communities.
- In other words, the fund provides groups with resources to implement projects that improve living and social conditions in their communities.
- The Niger 2022 Ambassadors’ Special Self-Help (SSH) program aims at improving basic economic or social conditions at the local community or village level.
- Specific results could include the following:
- Improved educational facilities
- Improved health facilities
Funding Information
- Length of performance period: 03 to 12 months
- Number of awards anticipated: 5 to 10 awards (dependent on amounts)
- Award amounts: awards may range from a minimum of $3000 to a maximum of $10000
- Type of Funding: FY2021 Economic Support Funds under the Foreign Assistance Act
Priority Region: Applicants can submit project proposals to be implemented in any area of the eight regions of the Niger Program
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligible Applicants An SSH project must be submitted by an organized group that is motivated has identified a real need and has already successfully implemented projects in the community.
- The project should be feasible and based on the socio-economic context of the local community.
- All applicants must be registered with Non-Profit Organizations.
- They welcome proposals from Community and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) that work directly with communities.
- Organizations must be able to demonstrate that they have adequate internal controls and financial systems in place.
- Local Community Involvement
- All Special Self-Help projects are community-based, initiated locally, administered at the local level, and include significant community contributions in cash, labor, or materials.
- Substantial community participation in the activity is required.
- Contributions may include labor, materials (bricks, sand, gravel, seeds, etc.), land, buildings, or money to ensure the success of the project.
- Local involvement of the organization or group must be at least 10% in cash or kind of the total project costs.
- The personal contribution of funding may be crucial to choose between two viable requestors.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=339608