Deadline: 30-Sep-20
USAID’s VukaNow: Combating Wildlife Crime in Southern Africa Activity, implemented by Chemonics International, is seeking concept papers for implementation of activities designed to address a multi-faceted program that aims to significantly reduce the level of poaching and illegal trade in wildlife through innovative approaches to: enhancing law enforcement capacity, enhancing judiciary systems, minimizing wildlife crimes and illegal trade, enforcing the law more effectively, and reducing the root causes and enablers of wildlife crime.
The grants will be awarded and implemented in accordance with USAID and U.S. Government regulations governing grants under contracts and USAID’s VukaNow internal grant management policies. The funding from this grant shall not provide any direct benefits to the Government of Zimbabwe (GoZ) or any department, ministry, or organ of the GoZ, including entities or parastatals owned in whole or part by the GoZ unless specifically approved, in advance, in writing by USAID.
Objectives
- USAID’s VukaNow is awarding grants to local, or regional, or international not-for-profit and for-profit NGOs, associations, and private sector firms legally registered and recognized under the laws of a South African Development Community (SADC) member country. Preference will be given to NGOs, associations, and firms that have experience working in the geographic footprint of the VukaNow Activity.
- The objective of grant activities awarded through this APS is to contribute to coordination of learning from multiple landscape-based combating wildlife crime activities awarded by USAID and to support strategic regional activities that are necessary to address the wildlife crime challenges that fall outside any discreet landscape. USAID’s VukaNow is a four-year activity financed by USAID and implemented by Chemonics International. The activity started in March 2018 and is currently anticipated to end in March 2022.
- The goal of the project is to dramatically decrease wildlife crime across Southern Africa. To achieve this purpose, UVN has two main objectives:
- Catalyze learning and sharing for improved results to combat wildlife crime
- Increase collaborative action to reduce wildlife crime in targeted areas
Focus Areas
The LEAP strategy objectives are focused on the following areas:
- Enhancing judiciary systems
- Minimizing wildlife crimes and illegal trade
- Enforcing the law more effectively
- Promoting sustainable trade and use of natural resources;
- Reducing the root causes and enablers of wildlife crime.
Geographic Focus
UVN specifically focuses on coordinating learning from other USAID supported efforts with relevant partners in four priority landscapes:
- the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA);
- the north western regions of Namibia;
- Malawi-Zambia Transfrontier Conservation Area;
- the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area, which includes areas in South Africa, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe.
Themes
The following themes are open for grant application:
- Innovative approaches to disrupting wildlife crime (poaching and trafficking)
- The focus of this theme is to identify tools, methods, technologies, etc. which can be used by different actors such as protected areas managers, civil society organizations, or government counterparts to assist their work.
- Mitigating political, economic, and social drivers of wildlife crime
- The focus of this theme is to implement activites which serve to influence the dynamics which enable and sustain the commission and perpetuation of wildlife crime
- Robust investigative reporting on wildlife crime.
- The focus of this theme is to support media actors such as journalists and editors, to expand and enhance reporting to be a more strategic, accurate, holistic and coordinated view of poaching including connection to broader social and economic issues. Under this theme, applicants must demonstrate that media actor engagement will contribute to improved synergy and networking in media efforts in a way that is different from other crimes.
- Novel approaches for communities to derive benefits from combatting wildlife crime taking in to account application of current legislation and mechanisms.
- The focus of this theme is to identify, test, adapt novel approaches to community benefit mechanisms for combating wildlife crimes while ensuring accountability. While a focus here is to identify how existing mechanisms can be applied, VukaNow also notes that there may not be specific legislation on community benefits which should not preclude applications, but applicants should identify any applicable legislation/policy. While community engagement and awareness is part of this effort, the focus of this theme is beyond basic awareness and education, but rather to operationalize mechanisms of support for wildlife crime deterrence. Applicants must indicate the primary theme to which they are applying and describe how the proposed grant activity fulfills the theme.
Funding Information
- USAID’s VukaNow anticipates that each grant award may range from between the local currency equivalent of USD 30,000 – USD 150,000, but the final amount will be dependent upon grant activities and final negotiation and may be lower or higher than that range.
Duration
- The duration of any grant award under this solicitation is expected to be no more than 18 months.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants must be local, regional, or international not-for-profit and for-profit NGOs, associations, private sector firms and any firms legally registered under the laws of a SADC member country. Applicants must formally constituted, recognized by and in good standing with appropriate authorities, and compliant with all applicable civil and fiscal regulations.
- Applicants must be able to demonstrate successful past performance in implementation of programs related to the priority areas of USAID’s VukaNow.
- Applicants with minimal USG funding exposure are also encouraged to apply.
- Applicants must display sound management in the form of financial, administrative, and technical policies and procedures and present a system of internal controls that safeguard assets; protect against fraud, waste, and abuse; and support the achievement of program goals and objectives. USAID’s VukaNow will assess this capability prior to awarding a grant.
- Additionally, grantees must sign the required certifications prior to receiving a grant.
- For any grant award(s) resulting from this solicitation that is other than in-kind and equivalent to $25,000 USD or more, grantees will be required to provide a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number at the time of award. If the applicant already has a DUNS number, it should be included in their application. Otherwise, applicants will be expected to get a DUNS number before an award is made. USAID’s Vuka Now will assist successful applicants with this process.
- The project will work with the successful grantee to draft a marking and branding plan which will be annexed to the grant agreement.
- Faith-based and community groups will receive equal opportunity for funding in accordance with the mandated guidelines laid out in ADS 303.3.28, except for faith-based organizations whose objectives are for discriminatory and religious purposes, and whose main objective of the grant is of a religious nature.
- Applicants will also be required to provide a list of their current USG funding sources.
For more information, visit https://bw.usembassy.gov/combating-wildlife-crime-in-southern-africa-activity/