Deadline: 3-Jun-25
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has launched a call for proposals to empower Young People through Life Skilling, Entrepreneurship, and Meaningful Engagement to promote Automated Renewable Energy-Integration in Water Systems in Erbil Governorate.
Objectives
- Provide hands-on training in solar installation and maintenance for young girls and boys, including impact analysis and reporting on clean energy and carbon reduction.
- Establish and operationalize integrated Water Monitoring and Reporting Hubs, in collaboration with the Directorate of Erbil surrounding Water (DESW), Directorate of Water (DOW), and General Directorate of Water and Sewage (GDOWS), aimed at enabling real-time monitoring of water system performance, conducting regular water quality assessments, and strengthening data-driven management and accountability in the water sector.
- Empower adolescents and young women, men, girls and boys (ages 10–24) with green skilling, and digital skills for green jobs.
- Establish a digitized Innovation Lab module and green technology hubs that facilitate hands-on training, capacity development, and active engagement of young people in climate-smart solutions, green entrepreneurship, and digital innovation.
- Develop a programme plan for action to implement the UP-Shift6 module. The objective of the plan is enabling young people to generate human-centered solutions to designing and implementing digital, social, and civic engagement and advocacy initiatives.
- Present a model of multilateral partnership involving UNICEF, implementing partners, universities, and government entities (e.g., General Directorate of Youth) to promote co-creation with and for women and men, young people, aimed at enhancing positive engagement through real-time evidence generation on topics related to project planned results framework.
Sectors and Areas of Specialization
- Cross Sectoral Areas
- Gender equality and women empowerment
- Training, capacity building and capacity development
- Youth leadership and participation
- WASH and Environment
- Energy
- Natural resources, environmental pollution and climate action
- Water
Key Intervention Areas
- Establish two water monitoring and reporting Hubs, one at the DESW and the other at the DOW taking responsibility for monitoring water levels, system efficiency, and overall maintenance. These groups will use data from real-time monitoring systems to generate reports and alert authorities to any issues. These groups will be linked with the team in GDOWS and do regular monitoring of the existing real-time motoring system by providing feedback and suggestions for improvement. And any similar projects in the future will be under the responsibility of these Hubs according to the geographical location in the Erbil governorate.
- Water Quality Monitoring: Equip technical teams and young people with comprehensive training on impact assessment, water management, Data analysis, and how to monitor, report, and address issues such as contamination or turbidity in borehole water.
- Green skill training by Provide young people with hands-on training in solar technology, including installation, routine maintenance, and troubleshooting for solar-powered boreholes.
- The trained young people will be supported and guided to analyze the impact of using clean energy and carbon reduction on the area and generate a report/case study on the impact of the UNICEF installed systems in Erbil.
- Young people Solar Ambassadors: Trained young people to act as ambassadors, raising awareness about renewable energy, water conservation, and sustainable water management. These young people ambassadors will lead educational workshops in schools, youth centers, women forums, community centers, and through social media campaigns.
- Community Outreach and promoting learning and behavior change Campaigns: Selected youth and sport center will be key entry points for organizing young people-led community centric social mobilization campaigns, gender-responsive, and environmental education activities that promote renewable energy, water conservation, and sustainable resource management. Also, trained young people will develop case studies and generate evidence on the impact of the reliance on green energy and carbon reduction in the community.
- Inclusive Youth Participation & Leadership: Ensure the active and meaningful participation of young people by addressing gender-specific barriers to engagement, leadership, and entrepreneurship, with a focus on green economy opportunities.
- Innovation Lab Model: Supporting establishment of safe, inclusive, and gender-responsive youth-friendly spaces that provide training in green entrepreneurship, leadership, life skills, and employability, ensuring equitable access for all genders.
- Advanced Trainings & Mentorship: Provide seed funding and mentorship to support youth-led green and social enterprises, with tailored assistance for both young women and men to enhance their business sustainability and growth.
- Civic & Digital Engagement: Promote young people participation in digital advocacy, campaigns, and policy influence through platforms like U-Report, ensuring gender balance and community-driven approaches in addressing issues such as climate action and gender equality.
- Private Sector & Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration: Foster partnerships with the private sector and sister UN agencies to facilitate job placements, on-the-job training, and develop joint mechanisms that support the transition of trained adolescents into the labor market, particularly in the green economy.
Duration
- 6 months
Geographic Focus
- Iraq
- Kurdistan
Expected Results
- 100 young people (50% girls) (100 will receive LSCE training through receiving learning pathways will be assigned to key training thematic areas including (Integrated water management, data collection and analysis, trained on green skills, entrepreneurial, and life skills). (Enrolled young people in the LSCE will be categorized based on project training tracks (e.g. 30 for water management, impact assessment, and solar green energy) with technical background))
- 20 young people (40% girls) supported green social enterprises.
- Young people Advisory Group established with equal gender representation (10 young people)
- 1,000 people reached through young people-led gender-sensitive advocacy and SBC campaigns and provide feedback on UNICEF interventions.
- 1 Impact assessment and 1 case study led by young people on solar and greywater systems and impact, with gender-disaggregated data. The case study will include a component for gender-specific analysis and highlighting the unique impacts of solar and greywater systems on women and men
- 1 innovation lab is established in the youth center and functional.
Impact
- This integrated intervention is expected to generate transformative impact at both individual and community levels. By equipping young people with green, digital, and entrepreneurial skills, the initiative will not only enhance their employability but also foster a generation of environmentally conscious leaders. Communities will benefit from improved access to sustainable water sources through solar-powered and automated systems, leading to increased water security, reduced carbon emissions, and strengthened climate resilience. The establishment of young people-led innovation labs and monitoring hubs will promote local ownership, drive behavioral change, and embed sustainability into community practices.
- Overall, the program lays the foundation for a green economy by turning climate challenges into opportunities for young people empowerment, community resilience, and sustainable development.
Criteria
- The evaluation of submitted concept notes will be evaluated using the following criteria:
- Sector expertise and experience (CSO to demonstrate experience in WASH, ADAP, SBC and Gender programmes)
- Innovative approaches, develop innovative responses and implement solutions to empower the programme
- Sustainability of interventions, emphasize on the sustainability approach proposed by CSO 6-1 Local experience and presence, preference will be given to organizations with a demonstrated presence and experience in working in the proposed geographic locations 6-2 Cost-effectiveness, proposals demonstrating a low cost per beneficiary while maintaining the programmes
- Contribution of resources, emphasize the importance of contributions, whether financial or non-financial from the CSO.
For more information, visit UN Partner Portal.