Open Call: Building Opportunities for Refugee and Host Community Self-Reliance (Kenya)

Deadline: 28-Mar-23

The European Commission (EC) is seeking proposals to contribute an asylum space in which displacement-affected communities (asylum seekers, refugees, and the host community) participate in fostering their common socio-economic inclusion and self-reliance.

Objectives

The specific objective of this call for proposals is: to enhance displacement affected communities’ access to decent employment in Garissa County.

Priorities

• The priorities of this call for proposals are:
  • To support refugees and host communities to receive access to skills development opportunities, such as TVET training and other forms of training and or education;
  • To work with Garissa County and other key stakeholders in promoting market-driven entrepreneurship and business development culture in and around Dadaab.

Cross-cutting Elements

• Environmental Protection & Climate Change: Garissa County is located in the northeast of Kenya, which is vulnerable to climate change. Unpredictable weather patterns, such as long periods of drought followed by heavy rainfall, are leading to less predictable conditions, including on food and water security. It is also recognised that the impact of large number of refugees within the camp settings has contributed to environmental degradation and de-forestation, due to firewood being used as the main cooking fuel. Hence the proposed activities must consider environmentally friendly strategies and adaptability to climate change.
• Gender equality and empowerment of women and girls: Gender equality is considered a deliberate objective throughout the programme, hence all activities must actively apply specific targeting and gender sensitive inclusion. This is in line with the EU Gender Action Plan – GAP III, notably area 3: ‘towards a gender-equal world’. Overall, the project is expected to draw attention to female-headed households and women’s empowerment through sustainable livelihoods interventions provided.
• Disability: Acknowledging that refugees with disabilities are at higher risk of marginalisation, discrimination and abuse, the project should aim to ensure that activities are inclusive and accessible to persons with disabilities. It will seek to challenge negative stereotypes about disability and to promote positive contributions of persons with disabilities to their communities.
• Conflict sensitivity, peace and resilience: Conflict sensitivity and peace are elements that must be reflected through the proposed project. While not classified as severe, conflict exists between refugee and host communities, as well as within each group. In addition, it is key to ensure all activities are presented and discussed with community leaders from both communities, to ensure no misconceptions arise, especially with regard to access to resources, considered as a key driver of conflict.

Funding Information

• The overall indicative amount made available under this call for proposals is EUR 3,500,000.
• Any grant requested under this call for proposals must not exceed the below minimum and maximum amounts:
  • Minimum amount: EUR 3,000,000
  • Maximum amount: EUR 3,500,000

Eligible Activites

• Offer Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) training, including life-skills and follow-up counselling based on market-needs surveys;
• Link trainees with employers;
• Provide start-up kits to TVET graduates;
• Support access to existing training colleges and centres in Garissa County;
• Provide start-up funding and training to MSMEs;
• Link businesses with credit facilities;
• Facilitate information sessions on business regulations and start-up options;
• Support County to review and implement business-friendly policies.

Eligibility Criteria

• Lead Applicant(s)
  • In order to be eligible for a grant, the lead applicant must:
    • be a legal person and
    • be non-profit-making and
    • be a non-governmental organisation, an international (inter-governmental) organisation as defined by Article 156 of the EU Financial Regulation, an economic operator and
    • be established in  a Member State of the European Union or as stipulated in the MFF 2021-2027 Instrument for External Action for Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI – Global Europe),
    • be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action with the co-applicant(s) and affiliated entity(ies), not acting as an intermediary
    • The lead applicant may act individually or with co-applicant(s), as specified hereafter:
      • If the lead applicant is a local organisation established in Kenya, it may act individually or with co-applicant(s) of any nationality.
      • If the lead applicant is not a local organisation established in Kenya, it must act with minimum one co-applicant established in Kenya.
• Co-applicant(s)
  • Co-applicants participate in designing and implementing the action, and the costs they incur are eligible in the same way as those incurred by the lead applicant.
  • Co-applicants must satisfy the eligibility criteria as applicable to the lead applicant himself.
  • Co-applicants must sign the mandate.
  • If awarded the grant contract, the co-applicant(s) (if any) will become beneficiary(ies) in the action (together with the coordinator)
• Affiliated Entities
  • The lead applicant and its co-applicant(s) may act with affiliated entity(ies).
  • Only the following entities may be considered as affiliated entities to the lead applicant and/or to co-applicant(s):
    • Only entities having a structural link with the applicants (i.e. the lead applicant or a co-applicant), in particular a legal or capital link.
  • This structural link encompasses mainly two notions:
    • Control, as defined in Directive 2013/34/EU on the annual financial statements, consolidated financial statements and related reports of certain types of undertakings:
      • Entities affiliated to an applicant may hence be:
        • Entities directly or indirectly controlled by the applicant (daughter companies or first-tier subsidiaries). They may also be entities controlled by an entity controlled by the applicant (granddaughter companies or second-tier subsidiaries) and the same applies to further tiers of control;
        • Entities directly or indirectly controlling the applicant (parent companies). Likewise, they may be entities controlling an entity controlling the applicant;
        • Entities under the same direct or indirect control as the applicant (sister companies).
    • Membership, i.e. the applicant is legally defined as a e.g. network, federation, association in which the proposed affiliated entities also participate or the applicant participates in the same entity (e.g. network, federation, association,…) as the proposed affiliated entities.

For more information, visit European Commission.