CFPs: Enhancing CARIFORUM’s CSO Capacity to Participate in National & Regional Development Programming and Policymaking (Belize)

Deadline: 21-Jul-2024

The Caribbean Policy Development Centre (CPDC), with support from the European Union (EU) is implementing a project entitled “Enhancing CARIFORUM’s CSO Capacity to Participate in National and Regional Development Programming and Policymaking” to improve the effectiveness of the strategies and modalities for national and regional CARIFORUM Civil Society Organisations to deliver developmental services and representation that may influence CARIFORUM’s social and economic development programmes and policies for sustainable Caribbean development.

The project actions will strengthen NGO/CSO institutional structures, augment their human and financial resources, upgrade their technical capacity to address the new challenges brought about by COVID-19, and increase their capacity for evidence-based policy advocacy. The target groups will gain improved capacity to efficiently deliver services and to effectively represent themselves and other marginalised social sectors on critical national and regional developmental concerns.

The project will foster an enabling environment for enhanced civil society involvement in regional development through strengthening advocacy networking, skills capability, access to resources, and documenting and showcasing the sector’s important historical role in Caribbean development.

The priorities for these sub-grants include youth, children’s rights, LBGTI rights, indigenous people, and persons with HIV/AIDS. The country applicable for this activity is Belize.

Objectives

• The objective of this call for proposals is to improve the institutional capacity of NGOs within CARIFORUM to undertake policy advocacy actions on behalf of vulnerable groups through the provision of small-scale financial resources for national and regional policy initiatives.
• Specific Objectives
  • To increase the institutional capacity of civil society organizations to influence policy dialogues and advocacy via the use of traditional and online methodologies.
  • To foster positive social change in the lives of marginalised social sectors/groups through the formulation and implementation of advocacy strategies that respond to their development needs.
  • To undertake policy advocacy and service delivery initiatives that tackle a myriad of policy issues that respond to adverse impacts of COVID-19 on vulnerable groups.

Funding Information

• The overall indicative amount made available under this Call is USD $80,000. The Contracting Authority reserves the right not to award all available funds. Similarly, this amount could be increased should more funds become available. A minimum co-financing requirement of USD $1, 200 will be required from all grantees.
• Size of Grants 
  • Any grant requested under this Call for Proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum amounts (not inclusive of co-financing or in-kind):
    • Maximum amount: USD $20,000
    • Minimum amount: USD $15,000

Duration

• The period to execute the project may not be less than six months (6) months nor exceed twelve (12) months from signing the Grant Contract. No extensions will be granted to beneficiaries. All proposed project activities must be completed within the twelve-month period.

Expected Outcomes 

• Increased NGO capacity to deliver services and advocate in response to the needs of vulnerable groups
• Improved quality of services and advocacy outreach is undertaken on behalf of vulnerable groups
• Enhanced voice of vulnerable groups in policy spaces on national and regional policy matters, including those related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Increased research capacity and information that inform advocacy and lobbying efforts for vulnerable groups.

Eligibility Criteria

• To be eligible for a grant, the applicant must:
  • Be non-profit-making and
  • Be a legally registered organisation and
  • Be established in Belize and
  • Be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the project and
  • Have an operational presence including a current and registered bank account with two signatories, and
  • Have the demonstrated human resources to ensure the delivery of the project and
  • Be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the project and
  • Have a proven track record of at least three years working with the respective vulnerable group.
• International organisations are not eligible.

For more information, visit CPDC.