Deadline: 28 February 2019
U.S. Embassy in Zambia is seeking applications for its U.S. Ambassador’s Special Self Help (SSH) small grant program.
The purpose of this grant program is to provide small-scale assistance to Zambian organizations as part of an ongoing commitment by the U.S. government to support Zambian-driven development activities at the local level. This program is highly competitive and funding is limited, therefore not all applications are awarded a grant.
Funding Information
- Project budgets must be reasonable; they generally range from $500 to a maximum of $15,000 and payments are denominated in ZMW. Requests for large-scale agriculture or construction projects or for expensive electronic equipment are less competitive.
- Funding is limited to one project, which, once started, must be completed within ten (10) months or less. Funding is on a one-time basis only.
Eligibility Criteria
To be considered, applicants/projects must adhere to the following:
- Must be a registered community-based organization (individuals and for-profit businesses are not eligible).
- The proposed project should be a single activity that helps to improve basic economic or social conditions at the local level. Projects should be sustainable, long-lived, and benefit the greatest number of people possible.
- Projects should respect the environmental norms for small projects and not adversely affect protected or other sensitive environmental areas, threatened or endangered species and their habitat.
- Grantee community must be able to plan, execute, and maintain the proposed project with the U.S. Embassy providing financial support only. (We do not provide training or materials.)
- Substantial community participation is required during the project. Contributions may include labor, materials, equipment, land, buildings, or money.
- Applicant organization and project manager must be contactable and financially responsible.
- They must be able to manage and account for grant funds including ensuring that all required permits are in place prior to the project start date.
- Project must not replace or supplement activities normally supplied by the Zambian government, such as building government schools or clinics, supplies for a district hospital.
- Successful applicants must have the ability to send one representative to Lusaka to attend the half-day grant signing ceremony and workshop.
Selection Process
A preliminary review is conducted, after which the Embassy’s inter-agency small grants selection committee makes the final selections.
- Upon approval by the committee and the SSH program office, grant recipients are then notified, and invited to Lusaka to attend a workshop and signing ceremony before commencing project implementation.
- Regrettably, the U.S. Embassy is unable to pay for travel costs for the one day workshop and grant signing.
How to Apply
Applicants should submit complete applications via email or by postal mail at the address given on the website.
For more information, please download the pdf U. S. Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Program.
Tips for Applying to The US Ambassador´s Special Self Help Program (SSH) in Zambia