Deadline: 24 March 2020
Tetra Tech DPK (Tt DPK) is the implementing partner for USAID’s JUDICIAL REFORM IN UZBEKISTAN PROGRAM (JRUP), is currently inviting Uzbek non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to participate in a competitively – awarded small grants program.
Changes to the justice sector and the legal enabling environment for civil society are far reaching and there are new mechanisms for public input and oversight. If implemented, these reforms will impact all those involved; citizens, civil society, courts, prosecutors, lawyers and judges. JRUP is designed to support the justice sectors actors, citizens and civil society to further these reforms.
The overall objective of the JRUP Grants Program is to support legal reforms in Uzbekistan and increase access to justice for the most vulnerable populations. This objective can be achieved through developing and disseminating information on new laws, regulations and procedures relevant to civil society, support for free legal aid to citizens, trainings for legal professionals, and citizen oversight and public input mechanisms.
Funding Information
All grant budgets should be expressed in USD. Each grant budget may not exceed USD 150,000. Grant applicants must submit budgets within this limit.
Duration and Location
Grants will fund activities throughout Uzbekistan. Grant applications may propose activities in more than one region within Uzbekistan. Grant applications may propose activities up to 12 months in duration.
Eligible Activities
To achieve this objective JRUP will implement a grants program that is locally led and uses grants to support Uzbek NGOs to embark on citizen engagement and awareness campaigns. The organization’s work may include strengthening oversight and monitoring of delivery of justice at the local level, including outside Tashkent. They will give special attention under the grants program to organizations that provide gender equality and serve vulnerable populations, such as victims of violence, individuals with low income, persons with disabilities, migrants, orphans, among others.
Grants activities may include:
- Providing legal aid, including mobile legal aid clinics to rural populations and legal support to victims of violence (including domestic violence), persons with disabilities, vulnerable groups and individuals;
- Training programs for legal professionals that serve vulnerable populations;
- Training programs aimed at improving the quality of legal assistance including alternate dispute resolution;
- Public awareness campaigns on new laws and alternate dispute resolution;
- Non-government organization oversight and monitoring of legal reforms;
- Other innovative and cost-effective programs to address priority rule of law related challenges and to promote access to justice for vulnerable populations including gender equality; or
- Technical capacity building programs to support new and emerging civil society organizations and community groups in the rule of law sectors, exclusively in connection with activities in the above categories that support the overall program goals.
Eligibility Criteria
- To be eligible for grant funding an NGO should have:
- Past experience of working effectively to improve the rule of law, access to justice or protection of citizens’ rights in Uzbekistan;
- A reputation for integrity, non-discrimination, and political independence; and
- Sound financial and administrative procedures, and a clear commitment to further organizational development.
- Applying organizations should have at least 12 months experience. However, an exception may be made if the applicant can provide sufficient evidence that the organization’s Director(s) have adequate prior experience and the applicant organization is proposing to fill a gap or address legal needs of a community that has been underserved in the past.
- Interested organizations must attach a copy of their current Uzbekistan registration to the Concept Paper.
The following entities are not eligible for JRUP grant funding:
- Political parties and their subsidiaries or affiliates;
- Organizations that appear on the System for Award Management List, Specially Designated National and Blocked Persons List, or the UN Consolidated Sanctions List;
- Organizations that promote or engage in illegal activities or anti-democratic activities;
- Faith-based organizations whose objectives are for discriminatory and/or religious purposes, and whose main objective of the grant is of a religious nature;
- Host country governmental entities;
- International NGOs and
- Public International Organizations (PIOs).
In the event an organization affiliated with Tt applies for a grant, the employee(s) with the affiliation will recuse themselves from the application process.
Key Dates
- Concept Paper Evaluation deadline – March 31, 2020
- Applicant Workshop – April 6, 2020
- Application Deadline – May 6, 2020
- Application Assessment – May 18, 2020
- Evaluation Results – May 29, 2020
- Grant Award Signing – Approximately July 30, 2020
How to Apply
Applying organizations are required to submit a 5-page Concept Paper including an initial budget estimate according to Attachment 1. Each organization can submit more than one Concept Paper. The Concept Paper may be submitted in hard copy or electronically at the address given on the website. If in hard copy, they must be delivered by hand (in person or by courier service) in both hard and soft (electronically on CD) copies.
For more information, visit https://uz.usembassy.gov/judicial-reform-in-uzbekistan-project-grants-program-2/