Deadline: 05-Aug-2024
The U.S. Embassy Monrovia through its Political & Economic Section is soliciting proposals from U.S.-based and/or Liberian non-profit institutions, non-governmental organizations, or non-profit private or public academic institutions for funding to support programs Enhancing Domestic Capacity and Coordination to Advance Internationally Accepted Investment Standards.
Program Objectives
- It is well documented that many investments in Africa, including in Liberia, fail to meet internationally accepted standards. This trend continues in part because of host countries lack of awareness, capacity, and governance. This project aims to address these weaknesses by bringing together government, civil society, journalists, academics, and other key stakeholders to build Liberia’s internal capacity to ensure further investments and projects have improved standards and mechanisms in place to monitor and penalize non-compliance. The project will include components that offer stakeholders: investment best global practices; case studies involving how to advance transparency in negotiating large investment deals in Africa; training/advising government officials on developing legal and regulatory investment frameworks; mentoring on public awareness campaigns around investment standards; and seminars in investigating investment-related challenges and successes in the African context.
- Projects should target: Countering lending and investment projects that fail to adhere to internationally accepted investment practices and as a result put at risk Liberia’s sovereignty, socio-economic well-being, and biodiversity.
- Objective 1: To enable the Liberian government civil society, media, and local communities have the knowledge, skills, and ability to work together with foreign investors to ensure that business deals, most notably in Liberia’s extractive industries and large-scale infrastructure projects, comply with internationally accepted investment standards.
- Objective 2: To ensure that Liberians have the capacity and will to negotiate for internationally accepted investment standards, that international investment will create more socio-economic benefits for the people, mitigate environmental degradation risks, and reduce the chance of host government corruption.
- Objective 3: With better standards and increased transparency and knowledge, the media, civil society, and local communities will also expose bad deals and projects that do not meet international standards, thus reducing bad actors’ ability to act with impunity.
Funding Information
- Total available funding: $2,000,000
- Award amounts: Awards may range from a minimum of $250,000 to a maximum of $700,000.
- Length of performance period: 1 – 4.5 years
- Number of awards anticipated: Up to 5 awards (dependent on amounts)
- Anticipated program start date: September 15, 2024
Participants and Audiences
- The project should include seminars in Liberia by subject matter experts that offer: investment best global practices; case studies involving investments in Africa; training on developing public awareness campaigns around investment standards; and seminars in investigating/exposing investment-related challenges.
- A focused International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) on demand bringing together key Liberian stakeholders to meet with expert counterparts in the United States focused on internationally accepted investment standards and enforcement.
- Long-term training: several week-long events over the course of 2-3 years consisting of key government and civil society partners with U.S. and international experts in international investment standards. Along with the training, facilitators would embed with Liberian partners for several months to build capacity and ensure accountability.
- University partnership with Liberian independent media organizations. The goal of this line of effort would be to focus on investigative reporting with a focus on Liberia’s extractive industries. Journalism students and their teachers would have the opportunity to embed in Liberian media institutions. The result of these partnerships would be improved reporting and focus on where investments do not meet international standards.
- Bring together regional government officials and think take experts with Liberian legislators to exchange views on best practices and developing laws that are in line with internationally accepted investment standards.
Eligibility Criteria
- U.S. Embassy Monrovia encourages applications from the United States and Liberia, although all activities must take place in Liberia.
- The following organizations are eligible to apply:
- Not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations
- Public and private educational institutions
- For-profit organizations
- Individuals
- Public International Organizations and Governmental institutions
- Note: U.S. organizations should demonstrate in-country local expertise and coordinate with local experts to assist in project implementation.
For more information, visit U.S. Embassy in Liberia.