Deadline: 29 February 2020
The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), with support from the Government of Sweden, is driving an initiative that supports regional environmental and sustainable development events under a programme called the Strategic Collaborative Fund.
SEI’s Strategic Collaborative Fund Phase 2 (SCF2) welcomes concept notes for regional strategic events in Asia that aim at advancing environmentally sustainable development and poverty reduction. SCF2 emphasizes collaborative partnerships that integrate gender and social equality and human rights-based approaches.
This programme aims to promote informed policy dialogue, allowing different groups and stakeholders to share knowledge through provisions of grant support for regional forums and other strategic events with the goal of helping to shape public policy to advance sustainable and inclusive development and poverty alleviation in Asia towards the achievement of SDGs.
Aware of the challenges in gender equality, human rights and poverty in regard to bringing underserved communities into consideration within the policy dialogue, the Strategic Collaborative Fund seeks to target these communities and integrate them into its work. Under this initiative, organizations across Asia, or those addressing issues in the region, are invited to submit concept notes for convening regional environmental policy forums.
In addition to grant support to regional events, the programme also provides institutional capacity building to grantees and partner organisations consisting of online learning facilities (MOOCs) and coaching on gender and social equality and rights-based approaches. Technical support on each theme will be provided, in addition to advice on policy strategies in relation to the relevant SDGs.
Funding Information
- SEI will support 7 themes in 2020 and aim to cover one grant per theme. A total of SEK 450,000 (approximately USD 45,000) will be awarded per grant. The awards can fund one or more events in their entirety or provide supplemental funding to already confirmed co-funded event(s).
- The delivery period of event organization and impact monitoring must be within the timeframe of one year, April 2020 – February 2021.
What SEI Seek?
- SEI welcomes concept notes for regional strategic events in Asia, in particular South and Southeast Asia, that focus on advancing environmentally sustainable development with integration of gender and social equality and rights-based approaches, in addition to poverty reduction, into the themes and design of these events;
- The events should include a mix of representatives from government, private sector, civil society, research or academic institutions and development partners that ensure active exchanges between participants;
- The Strategic Collaborative Fund seeks to change mindsets and everyday practices to ultimately benefit the citizens of the region, with particular attention to marginalized groups including, but not limited to, those living in poverty, women, youth, children, ethnic minorities and other environmentally vulnerable groups, based on their specific contexts.
Themes
- Climate change adaptation (CCA): Platforms for the inclusion of non-normative genders and sexualities (NNGS) in CCA policy and action;
- Climate Finance: Aligning finance flows with the Paris Agreement;
- Disaster Risk Reduction: Inclusion and empowerment for transformative DRR- Children and youth;
- Urban: Inclusive approachesto addressing urban pollution;
- Gender: Women environmental defenders: Empowerment for transformative change;
- Water: Water, landscapes and ecosystems: Contributing to human development for Asia;
- Agriculture: Smallholder farming in Asia – pathway to food security and sustainable agriculture.
Eligibility Criteria
- Recipient organizations should generally be based in Asia, but if they are based outside the region, the proposed event should address issues relevant to Asia and engage stakeholders in Asia.
- Organizations that are currently Sida’s grantees are not eligible to apply as the lead organization but can be part of the consortium.
- Recipients are expected to be mainly nonprofit organizations or networks with experience in providing platforms for policy dialogue to enable engagement of different groups and stakeholders. Participants should be able to share knowledge and experience primarily in environmentally sustainable development while addressing related gender equality, environmental rights-based approach and poverty reduction issues in Asia.
- SEI encourages participation from the private sector, and applications from business forums or networks will be considered if they also seek to engage with the public sector and/or civil society organizations with whom they are not currently interacting.
- Funding cannot be used for covering private sector actors’ participation in the supported event (related travel and accommodation expenses). It should, however, be used to increase participation of other stakeholders such as civil society and the public sector. A cost-sharing option for micro and small enterprises with resource constraints can be considered.
Note: Applications for any of the SCF2 themes should consider the possible implications for human rights of topics addressed, including any gender-related aspects. Broad rights-based approaches, such as participation and accountability, should also be considered in the implementation of events. SEI and partners (the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law) will provide support during the preparation and/or implementation of events, as agreed with grantees, to help elaborate these perspectives.
Selection Criteria
The following criteria will be used during concept note review and selection:
- Provides evidence of regional-level outreach and scope in the Asia region (South and Southeast Asia), as opposed to a country-level event;
- Addresses the thematic focus and relevance to environmentally sustainable and inclusive development;
- Demonstrates how the event leads to positive impact on gender equality, rights-based approaches and poverty reduction;
- Demonstrates how the event would target and benefit the citizens of the region, with particular attention to the poor, women and other marginalized groups;
- Ensures diverse participation including the public sector, private sector, civil society organizations, research and academic institutions and development partners;
- Uses innovative methods and technologies to enhance participation and active discussion among participants;
- Shows proponents’ institutional capacity for organizing regional events.
How to Apply
- Please download the concept note template available on the given website.
- Kindly complete your concept note by using the template and upload your concept note through the online application form.
For more information, visit https://www.sei.org/projects-and-tools/projects/strategic-collaborative-fund-phase-2/#call-for-concept-notes—regional-event-support
