Deadline: 03-Aug-20
The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs (EAP), Office of Multilateral Affairs (MLA), announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to a funding opportunity for an implementing partner to cultivate a network of individuals and community voices and actors having an impact throughout the Mekong by providing networks for engagement.
The implementing partner must develop a Mekong network to, 1) assure that Mekong development projects and engagements are designed in consultation with and for the benefit of local communities and regional connectivity, 2) identify and manage a network of small-grant awardees focused on governance and transparency projects in the Mekong (Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam), and 3) support a network of rising talent and the next generation of policy practitioners in the Mekong. The implementing partner should demonstrate proficiency working in multi-lateral contexts and showcase an ability to identify regional individuals and institutions having a measurable impact on priority challenges affecting the Mekong.
To support Mekong Policy Network Fellows, proposals must showcase a strong regional network within each Mekong country to provide local support for Fellows. The network will also promote rising voices and perspectives of early to mid-career professionals by providing targeted training activities and opportunities to publish their work regionally and beyond. A plan must be developed to amplify Fellows’ written products throughout the Mekong and abroad during their fellowship year.
The implementing partner must also provide a strong plan to incorporate and sustain an alumni network for continued engagement after the fellowship year has ended. Additionally, the implementing partner must demonstrate strong local connections to academic, press, and policy networks and must demonstrate a record of previous experience managing cohorts. At the end of each fellowship year, fellows will present their work at a regional symposium showcasing the interconnectedness of their work and collaboration over their fellowship year. A cohort of Fellows will be selected each year during the life of the project.
Project Objectives
- Create a network focused on governance and transparency projects from the perspectives of community actors;
- Enhance and develop regional networks to connect community perspectives to central policy debates in the Mekong and further support Mekong civic and policy leaders;
- Share global lessons learned and best practices on transboundary challenges in the region and beyond and propose concrete policy approaches to topics discussed.
Program Goals
- This project is designed to fund multiple smaller projects and a small cohort of early to midcareer professionals that align with Department of State priorities but are too small to be administered directly by DOS. The implementing organization will identify qualifying organizations and individuals and then administer small-grants and the Fellowship cohorts that enable recipients to continue or expand their work in the Mekong.
- This project seeks to strengthen civil society, especially in a cross-border context, by supporting local organizations that otherwise wouldn’t be able to successfully complete their work due to a lack of local resources or inability to connect with other organizations and individuals in the Mekong region. Small-grant awardees and Fellows must demonstrate measurable and significant impact throughout the Mekong on the identified key issue areas.
- A particular focus is building a regional network and sharing lessons learned. This is achieved through activities which support bringing together funding beneficiaries to share best practices, success stories, exchange ideas, and collaborate on messaging of successful project impact and implementation or policy solutions and proposals.
Project Requirements
- All subrecipient and Fellow activities must take place in one or more Mekong country with a strong preference for projects that support connectivity across the region;
- The implementer will regularly report back to EAP on successes and areas for improvement;
- Identify small-grant applicants that are financially and institutionally capable of responsibly managing the small-grant funds;
- The implementing organization will provide grant management support and capacity building to the small-grant awardees to increase their grant management capacity.
Funding Information
- EAP anticipates having approximately $888,888 of FY19 Economic Support Funds (ESF) available to support one successful application submitted in response to this NOFO, subject to the ability of funding. The authority for this funding opportunity is found in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (FAA).
- Applicants should include an anticipated start date no later than September 2020 and the period of performance should be between 3 to 4 years.
Eligibility Criteria
- U.S. Non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs) having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, or overseas-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations, and U.S. or overseas private/state institutions of higher education.
- For-profit and commercial firms are not eligible to apply in response to this NOFO.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=327505