Grants to prevent Violent Extremism – Kenya

Deadline: 9-Aug-23

The Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF) is seeking applications to provide grants to CSOs, either directly or in consortia, to implement initiatives aimed at preventing violent extremism.

The Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF) was established in 2014 to support efforts to prevent violent extremism (PVE). GCERF is a global fund, hosted by Switzerland, that supports local, community-level initiatives that address the drivers of violent extremism and strengthen resilience against violent extremist agendas.

As per GCERF’s Investment Strategy for Kenya and in support of the Kenya’s National Strategy to Counter Violent Extremism (NSCVE), the focus of the funding will be as follows.

• What
  • Facilitate community-security dialogues in target counties (listed below) to strengthen relationships and build trust. Trust between community members and state security actors is crucial to the maintenance of the social contract – and even more so in contexts where there are risks posed by violent extremist organisations (VEOs).
  • They intend to support a project that will:
    • Improve buy-in and commitment from community and state security actors’ leadership to increase trust between their members;
    • Create and sustain safe spaces for dialogue between young people, police officers and station commanders;
    • Use approaches that allow both sides to address issues and concerns raised;
    • Result in positive action/ change as a result of the dialogue.
• Who
  • Applicants’ proposals should seek to engage with:
    • Community members including young people, women’s groups, elders and communal, political and religious leaders;
    • State security actors, including the County Commissioner’s Office and other National Government Administrators, Kenya Police Service, Kenya Defence Forces and other relevant security institutions.
  • Applicants should show an understanding of local dynamics in their proposed approach to community engagement.
  • Proposals should demonstrate how engaging individuals will also bring about broader community or institutional benefit or change – i.e. how your proposed activities with direct programme beneficiaries will also result in wider changes amongst indirect beneficiaries within the specific geographic location, for example, changes in behaviour or perceptions.
• Where
  • Urban, peri-urban and rural areas of Garissa, Isiolo, Mandera, Tana River and/or Wajir counties.

Funding Information and Duration

• They intend to issue one grant for up to 500,000 USD over the duration of the grant period.
• This amount may increase, subject to grantee performance and availability of funds.
• Proposed projects should cover a time period of between 2 and 3 years (24 to 36 months).

Criteria

• Grantee
  • Priority will be given to organisations who are based in Garissa, Isiolo, Mandera, Tana River or Wajir. Organisations without direct previous experience of working on issues relevant to the objectives of this programme in these counties need not apply.
• Prerequisites
  • Appropriate legal registration.
  • Willingness to accept and fulfil the role of a Principal Recipient if applying in consortium.
• Required Capabilities
  • Established relationships and credibility with communities and population groups identified in the proposed geographical locations.
  • Previous experience and current capacity in project design and management.
  • Previous experience and current capacity to manage and account for international donor funding.
  • Previous experience and current capacity to work within a consortium and/or managing sub-recipients – for those choosing to form a consortium.
  • Previous experience and current capacity to deliver community-level initiatives that address the local drivers and strengthen resilience against violent extremism.

For more information, visit Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF).