U.S. Embassy seeking Proposals for Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Program – Cameroon

Deadline: 30 April 2020

The U.S. Embassy in Yaounde, Cameroon, Political and Economic Section, is seeking proposals for community projects that address the improvement of people’s conditions in all ten regions of Cameroon.

The Special Self-Help Fund (SSH) provides small-scale assistance to Cameroonian communities as part of the U.S. Government’s commitment to support development activities in Cameroon.

Categories

• Water Supply and Sanitation: Ensures broadly accessible, reliable and economically sustainable water and sanitation services to bolster healthy, secure, and prosperous communities.
  • Safe Water Access: Water pumps and distribution systems, well drilling, bore holes, spring capping.
  • Basic Sanitation: Toilets, sinks, etc. Innovative approaches to building demand for sanitation-related products and services are encouraged.
• Social Services 
  • Education and Training: Construction and/or equipment of schoolrooms, vocational training workshops/centers.
  • Health: Construction and/or equipment of health facilities.
  • Community Development: Foot bridges, community centers, solar energy, etc.
• Income Generating Activities: Food storage facilities, grinding mills, vocational training activities that produce employment and marketable skills.
• Environment/Agriculture: Financial or technical support for reforestation, and soil conservation including post-conflict or post-disaster settings, waste management, biodiversity conservation, and community agricultural projects.

Unacceptable Activities and Items

• Repair of existing facilities that are in poor shape as the result of neglect or lack of funds.
• Payment of recurring operating costs such as rent, salaries, administrative or operating costs, ongoing training/education needs, medications, fuel, animal feed, or seeds.
• Religious, political, or military activities, as well as those relating to police, prisons, or law enforcement.
• Revolving credit schemes.
• Office equipment and supplies such as computers, film projectors, stereos, pencils, paper, forms, folders, etc.
• Equipment or uniforms for national sport teams or national musical or dance groups.
• Land or buildings.
• Vehicles, luxury goods, gambling, or surveillance equipment.
• Abortion-related equipment and services.
• Pesticides, fungicides, or herbicides.

Basic Project Requirements

• Initiated by the community and benefits the community, vulnerable population, and minorities by increasing income or improving economic and living conditions;
• Benefits a large number of people;
• Involves a significant local contribution such as labor, materials, land, equipment, or money;
• Within the ability of the community to operate and maintain;
• Completed within one year without requiring further Self-Help Fund assistance; and
• Respects environmental norms.

Funding Information

The maximum support available for most projects is USD 10,000 (or about five million francs CFA).

Eligibility Criteria

• The Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Fund is limited to locally registered Community Based Organizations (CBOs), associations, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with at least two years of experience working in Cameroon.
• Recipients of two previous years’ Self-Help Fund grants are not eligible for the current year’s funds, which is the 3rd consecutive year. Organizations and entities with a prior history of poor performance of U.S. government grants are ineligible to apply for funding.

Selection Criteria

The program is highly competitive; historically, less than ten percent of the applications received each year are selected. If a project is chosen for consideration, someone from the U.S. Embassy will contact the applicant, verify the information, and visit the site. The stages in the selection and award process are:

• The SSH staff review all the applications and select a preliminary list of projects.
• The SSH committee reviews the preliminary list and selects the finalist projects.
• The SSH staff conduct site visits and work with potential grantees on suggested updates to the proposals. During this phase, the SSH coordinator makes the final recommendation to the committee and submits a final list of projects for the Ambassador’s approval.
• The Ambassador, the Grants Officer, and the organization’s representative sign the agreements.
• The grants are awarded.

For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=325058