Deadline: 1 February 2017
The Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) program in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, Office of Assistance Coordination (NEA/AC) announces a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to bolster and support existing organizations focused on gender in Lebanon. Programs should strengthen the relationship between existing civil society organizations and elected officials to increase government accountability and impact reform on gender related issues.
NEA/AC’s MEPI program seeks proposals that will bolster the influence and ability of civil society organizations focused on gender, to engage elected municipal and parliamentary leaders on issues impacting their communities. Programs should strengthen the relationship between existing civil society organizations and elected officials to increase government accountability and impact reform on gender related issues.
Funding Information
Contingent on the availability of funds, approximately $1,500,000 in Economic Support Fund will support approximately one cooperative agreement will be awarded through this announcement.
- Estimated Award Ceiling: $1,500,000
- Estimated Award Floor: $750,000
- Length of Project Period: Up to 2 years
Proposal Priorities
Projects must include:
- Beneficiaries that include women from an array of religious communities in Lebanon who live in governorates in the north, east, and/or south Lebanon, and from urban and rural communities;
- Mechanisms to build effective communication between elected party officials and civil society. These mechanisms should be enduring; and
- A rigorous results monitoring plan with demonstrable feedback loops to show tangible outcomes of the project.
Activities could include:
- Creating space for elected officials and civil society organizations to communicate issues of concern through in-person roundtables, town halls, and/or other mechanisms for party-citizen communication and representation;
- Using media platforms to create opportunities for civil society to communicate their message to the broader public, to include the diaspora community;
- Building the capacity of reputable women’s networks and/or organizations to create momentum behind drafted legislation that would lead to reform; and
- Expanding education efforts to encourage civic efficacy and could result in reform on gender related issues
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligible applicants include U.S. or foreign non-profit organizations; for-profit organizations; public international organizations; and small businesses with function and regional experience in the areas of civil society, laws and legislation drafting, and gender movements in the MENA region.
- Eligible applicants must also have experience working in complex, multi-religious environments.
- NEA/AC strongly encourages applications from civil society organizations headquartered in the Middle East and North Africa region.
- Applications from organizations that have experience working with legislation in the Middle East and North Africa region are strongly encouraged.
- International non-governmental organizations with principal bases of operations outside the Middle East and North Africa are also encouraged to apply, but the percentage of total budget actually spent in the region through local partners will be among the elements of evaluation for this competition.
- NEA/AC is committed to an anti-discrimination policy in all of its programs and activities.
- NEA/AC welcomes applications irrespective of an applicant’s race, ethnicity, color, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability. It encourage applications from organizations working with underserved communities, including women, people with disabilities, and youth.
How to Apply
Interested applicants can download the application packages via given website.
For more information, please visit Encouraging Marginalized Voices.