Deadline: 12-Jul-24
The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) announces an open competition for organizations interested in submitting applications for a project that supports the meaningful political and civic participation of youth in the Solomon Islands.
All programs should aim to have impact that leads to reforms and have the potential for sustainability beyond DRL resources. DRL’s preference is to avoid duplicating past efforts by supporting new and creative approaches. This does not exclude from consideration projects that improve upon or expand existing successful projects in a new and complementary way.
DRL is committed to advancing equity and support for underserved and underrepresented communities. In accordance with the Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Underserved Communities, programs should implement strategies for integration and inclusion of individuals/organizations/beneficiaries that can bring perspectives based on their religion, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, sex characteristics, national origin, age, genetic information, marital status, parental status, pregnancy, political affiliation, or veteran’s status. Programs should be demand-driven and locally led to the extent possible.
DRL requires all programs to be non-discriminatory and expects implementers to include strategies for nondiscrimination of individuals/organizations/beneficiaries based on race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sex characteristics, sexual orientation, pregnancy, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, marital status, parental status, political affiliation, or veteran’s status.
Objectives
- To foster an enabling environment for the growing youth population, in all its diversity, to be integrated within society as equal actors and key contributors to civic and political processes in Solomon Islands, DRL seeks applications for a program that achieves the following objectives:
- Increased leadership skills and strengthened networks allow youth and youth-led organizations to engage more meaningfully in decision-making processes that impact youth and their communities.
Funding Information
- Total Funding Ceiling: $1,000,000
- Total Funding Floor: $1,000,000
- Period of Performance: 18 – 24 months
- Anticipated Time to Award, Pending Availability of Funds: 4 – 5 months
- Anticipated Number of Awards: 1
Activities
- Illustrative project activities could include:
- Addressing traditional barriers that exclude youth from decision-making processes and structures to allow increased engagement in addressing challenges facing youth and their communities. These barriers could include biases around young men as conflict risks and gender stereotypes of women and girls.
- Increasing youth leadership skills and their understanding of their civic and political rights and decision-making structures at the national and local levels.
- Fostering trust and sustainable engagement between youth, their communities, and established decision-makers. This could include supporting youth-led community service activities and promoting intergenerational dialogue.
- Supporting youth advocacy and public awareness raising campaigns on the important role they serve in contributing to communities’ positive transformation.
- Providing opportunities for youth to engage with community decision-makers and elected representatives at the local and national levels to inform them of youth priorities and needs.
- Strengthening youth skills in effective communication; coalition building; public fiscal management, procurement, and budget research; negotiation; policy analysis, advocacy, youth-led research for advocacy efforts; and conflict resolution.
- Advocating to national and local decision-makers to ensure policies are responsive to youth needs. This may include the Solomon Islands National Youth Policy (2017 – 2030).
- Facilitating national youth dialogues or convenings to promote the exchange of knowledge, experiences, best practices, and other resources.
- Reforming and energizing extant structures within civil society and Faith Based Organizations, such as the National Youth Congress.
Where appropriate, competitive proposals may include:
- Opportunities for beneficiaries to apply their new knowledge and skills in practical efforts;
- Solicitation of feedback and suggestions from beneficiaries when developing activities in order to strengthen the sustainability of programs and participant ownership of project outcomes;
- Input from participants on sustainability plans and systematic review of the plans throughout the life of the project, with adjustments made as necessary;
- Inclusion of vulnerable populations;
- Joint identification and definition of key concepts with relevant stakeholders and stakeholder input into project activities;
- Systematic follow up with beneficiaries at specific intervals after the completion of activities to track how beneficiaries are retaining new knowledge as well as applying their new skills.
Eligibility Criteria
- DRL welcomes applications from U.S.-based and foreign-based non-profit organizations/nongovernmental organizations (NGO) and public international organizations; private, public, or state institutions of higher education; and for-profit organizations or businesses. DRL’s preference is to work with non-profit entities; however, there may be some occasions when a for-profit entity is best suited.
- Applications submitted by for-profit entities may be subject to additional review following the panel selection process. Additionally, the Department of State prohibits profit to for-profit or commercial organizations under its assistance awards.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.