Deadline: 28-Oct-20
The Counterpart International, funded through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United Kingdom Agency for International Development (UKaid), is seeking concept papers first, then full applications from prospective applicants for its Annual Program Statement: Collaborative Advocacy Projects for Community-based Issues (CPI/PAR) that strengthen the enabling environment for civil society institutions and to advance democratic governance and citizen participation in Bangladesh.
The program broadly contributes to the U.S. Government’s Indo Pacific Transparency Initiative (IPTI) in promoting civil society as a cornerstone of democratic governance and stability in restrictive and closing environments and advances efforts to increase civil society engagement in policymaking.
Objectives
Applicants must demonstrate success in managing cultural and political considerations in the proposed focus country or region as well as success in addressing CPI/PAR’s development objectives, which include:
- Objective 1: Strengthen Civil Society Capacity to Effectively Advocate for Improved Democratic Governance;
- Objective 3: Establish Cross-Sectoral Partnerships to Improve Government Responsiveness to Citizen Needs.
Funding Information
- Under this APS, each grant will be estimated at approximately $ 298,333 for a period of up to twenty-four months.
Program Issue Area
- Issue Area 1: Environmental Pollution, Dhaka District Only;
- Under Issue Area 1, CPI/PAR intends to award funds to a consortium of organizations seeking to address environmental pollution issues in their community through advocacy interventions.
Activities
Concept papers should include activities which:
- Address community-based issues that cut across geographic locations, horizontally as well as vertically, culminating in addressing issues at the Upazila, regional or national level, using multiple methods of intervention at each appropriate level;
- Address community-based issues exclusive to one or more aspects of the priority advocacy issue that are common across several sectors. Select a specific range of problems to be addressed and identify key points of engagement.
Eligibility Criteria
- Registered non-U.S. non-governmental organizations and for-profit organizations willing to forego profit may apply.
- This APS is issued as a public notice to ensure that all interested and qualified organizations have a fair opportunity to submit applications for funding.
- Eligible organizations could include, for example, foundations, non-governmental organizations, faith-based organizations (FBOs), community-based organizations (CBOs), host country organizations, private organizations affiliated with public academic institutions, and international non-governmental organizations, private companies, professional associations, and consortiums of the above. CPI/PAR encourages an approach that establishes partnerships with several partner organizations and builds them into legacy institutions capable of sustaining development projects in the future.
- In order to be eligible, applicants must not have been debarred from receiving USG funding and/or listed in the USG Excluded Parties List and the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List.
- Awards to U.S. organizations will be administered in accordance with 2 CFR 200, 2 CFR 700, USAID Standard Provisions for U.S. Nongovernmental Organizations.
- For non-U.S. organizations, USAID Standard Provisions for non-U.S. Non-Governmental Organizations would apply.
Application Process
- If a concept paper is approved, CPI/PAR will contact applicants and provide instructions and templates to complete an application.
- Do not submit a full proposal unless requested by CPI/PAR. Only upon receipt of positive feedback on the concept paper is the applicant requested to put together a full proposal for CPI/PAR’s consideration, based on instructions provided by CPI/PAR.
Evaluation Criteria
- The concept papers will be evaluated with specific consideration of the following areas: SMART objectives, the rationale of approach, organizational capacity, and experience, methodology, proposed key activities, anticipated results, and total estimated budget and cost-share amount.
- CPI/PAR will select the qualified concept notes first and then, will seek full proposals from selected applicants. After completion of the evaluation of the full proposals, the co-creation process will be initiated and again, the revised proposal will be solicited from the selected applicant.
- Concept papers will be reviewed in terms of responsiveness to the APS, appropriateness of subject matter, appropriateness of named NGOs to the consortium, and innovation. Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate how their proposed work will contribute to:
- Addressing community-based issues that cut across locations, horizontally as well as culminating in an Upazila, regional, or national issue, to use multiple methods of intervention at the appropriate level. In doing so, consider sector-specific issues that would allow for a specific problem to be addressed, and identify the key points of entry.
- Identify activities that are possible within Bangladesh’s current national or legal framework.
For more information, visit https://www.counterpart.org/business-opportunities/par-annual-program-statement/