Pakistan: 2024 New Grant Opportunities for NGOs working in Any Sector

[January 2024]

Calling all change-makers and organizations committed to making a positive difference in Pakistan! Here’s your chance to create a lasting impact through development projects. Check out these open calls from impactful donors who are eager to fund initiatives that uplift communities and drive progress.

Call for Applications: Direct Aid Program (Pakistan)

Deadline: 18-Feb-24

Applications are now open for the Direct Aid Program to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable development consistent with Australia’s national interest.

The Direct Aid Program (DAP) is a small grants program funded from Australia’s aid budget. It sits alongside Australia’s longer-term country and multilateral development strategies and with its wide geographical reach plays an important role in supporting local community efforts towards poverty reduction across the globe.

Funding Information

• There is no minimum amount that a single DAP project can receive but the maximum is AUD 60,000 over the life of the project. Projects of a lower value (up to AUD 40,000) are highly encouraged. DAP partners are encouraged to contribute to at least 25 per cent of the total project cost. Activities can run up to a maximum of two years.

Activities

• DAP activities should achieve practical and tangible outcomes of high development impact. DAP is able to fund activities that have a direct, practical and immediate impact. Preference will be given to projects:
  • where applicants and their communities make a contribution to the success of the project (e.g. labour, materials, transport or cash);
  • that enhance educational and cultural exchanges and people-to-people links;
  • that are achievable and have sustainable outcomes; and
  • that provide educational or occupational/skills training.

Eligibility Criteria

• Funding is available on a not-for-profit basis to community groups, NGOs and other entities registered in Pakistan.
• DAP projects engage a wide range of partners including community groups, non-government organisations, educational institutions and local governments.

Ineligible

• They will generally not fund the following:
  • cash grants or micro-credit schemes or projects that involve the return of money;
  • start-up enterprises/commercial ventures;
  • purchases of major assets: vehicles, tractors, refrigerators, photocopiers;
  • purchases of computers and other items which are easily stolen (cameras, laptops);
  • Australian or overseas study tours;
  • international travel (except for capacity building by experts, on a case-by-case basis);
  • sponsorship of major sporting tournaments or cultural displays that do not have a clear developmental benefit; and
  • staff salaries and other routine, recurring running costs and administrative expenses including office rental and utility costs, spare parts and routine maintenance

For more information, visit Australian High Commission in Islamabad.

Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) in Pakistan

Deadline: Ongoing Opportunity

As part of the official development assistance (ODA) to developing countries, the government of Japan, offers a programme to support non-government organizations (NGOs), community based organizations (CBOs), Local Governments (LGs) and other non-profit organizations, that are working specifically for Basic Human Needs (BHN) in the socio-economic development sectors.

Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Project (GGP) was known as for Grassroots Assistance Programme (GRA). This change reflects the Government of Japan’s policy to highlight the concept of human security, a concept developed through a UN special commission.

GGP provides flexible and timely support to small scale development projects, which aim to improve the social well being of the people at the grassroots level.

Priority Sectors

Priority is given to the following sectors:

• Basic education (pre-school to class eight, and adult literacy)
• Primary health (includes population welfare / reproductive health)
• Vocational training/Skill development
• Special education (education/training for Handicapped, Orphanages, etc.)
• Agriculture (irrigation system.)
• Public welfare/Basic Infrastructure (drinking water supply, sanitation, road, bridges, electricity, etc.)
• Environment

Please note that Priority would be given to WID projects (i.e. projects that specifically target women as direct beneficiaries).

Notice: The GGP does not provide support to religious activities, research projects, legal assistance, and high-tech medical projects.

Funding Information

• GGP funds one project up to ten million yen (or about 11 million Rupees).However, if the project falls within the program’s high priority and the proponent has good track record(e.g. past GGP recipient with good performance), requests of more than the said amount can be approved.
• Must use the grants within one year.

Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants are all non-profit organizations implementing social development projects at grassroots level. It includes local/international NGOs, CBOs, Local Governments (LGs), non-profit institutions, schools, hospitals, etc. Applicants must have more than two years experience.

Notice: GGP does not provide support to federal and provincial government bodies, universities, private institutions and industrial corporations (factories, business, farms, etc.).

Selection Criteria

In order to identify good projects and to assure accountability, the following are the GGP’s conditions and criteria in screening the submitted proposals:

• Capability of the recipient organization (track record, financial management capacity, implementation capability and monitoring system).
• Necessity, urgency, appropriateness, feasibility, impact and sustainability of the proposed project.
• Appropriateness and cost-effectiveness of requested amount.
• Within priority/target areas of the Embassy.

For more information, visit Embassy of Japan in Pakistan.

DRL Supporting Disability Rights and Empowering Women in the Judiciary – Pakistan

Deadline: 4-Mar-24

The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) announces an open competition for organizations interested in submitting applications in response to the following solicitation.

U.S. human rights and democracy assistance will contribute to a stable Pakistan by promoting governance based on democratic principles and respect for human rights. It will also provide for the protection of, and advocacy for, the rights of the most vulnerable, including youth, women, and religious and ethnic minorities, as well as mitigate the impact of conflict on Pakistani communities.

Areas

• Supporting Disability Rights ($1,250,000-1,500,000 for 2 years):
  • DRL’s goal is to empower local organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) to address the gaps in implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) compliant legislation such as the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act passed in 2020.
  • The objectives for this program are to:
    • strengthen advocacy capabilities of a coordinated civil society to hold the government accountable for the implementation and enforcement of disability laws and policies;
    • advocate for government structures to provide proper resources to the disability community; and
    • increase access to resources and protections for persons with disabilities provided under law.
  • Program outcomes should include:
    • Disability rights groups, civil society, and government officials improve their understanding and actions towards the legal rights and responsibilities included in laws and policies.
    • All stakeholders work collaboratively to improve implementation practices and document gaps of compliance.
  • Additionally, strong proposals in this category should be guided by the following cross-cutting values:
    • Collective Action:  Advocacy efforts should be designed by and for persons with disabilities to encourage civil society to take collective action around shared concerns for the protection of human rights and the dignity of all people. While proposals should not focus primarily on preventing and responding to violence, safety and security should be integrated throughout all activities in the project.
    • Locally led: “Nothing about them without them.”  Projects should be led by or have strong design and participation by local organizations and communities. They should focus on activities at the local and community level and regrant funding to local organizations where possible.
• Supporting Women in the Pakistan Judiciary ($1,500,000-$1,750,000 for 2 years):
  • DRL’s goal is to increase women in the judiciary in Pakistan. Programs should seek to achieve the objectives:
    • The justice system ensures protections of fundamental freedoms for all citizens and communities.
    • All citizens and communities have equal access to justice.
  • Program outcomes should include:
    • Justice sector actors and institutions embrace principles of equality, inclusivity, and
    • non-discrimination. Barriers facing women that prevent their access to judicial professions are reduced.
    • Women legal actors are better prepared to advance within the Pakistani legal system; the pipeline for skilled women activists to advance is strengthened to create a greater pool to have increased women judges; and women are more interested in exploring and choosing legal professions.
  • Programs should support locally driven efforts to build diverse coalitions, including with representatives of diverse religious and ethnic communities within Pakistani civil society, where possible, to aggregate and more effectively vocalize citizen concerns.

Funding Information

• Total Funding Ceiling: $1,750,000
• Total Funding Floor: $1,250,000
• Period of Performance: 24 months
• Anticipated Number of Awards: 2
• Anticipated Time to Award, Pending Availability of Funds: 5-7 months

Eligibility Criteria

• DRL welcomes applications from U.S.-based and foreign-based non-profit organizations/nongovernmental organizations (NGO) and public international organizations; private, public, or state institutions of higher education; and for-profit organizations or businesses.  DRL’s preference is to work with non-profit entities; however, there may be some occasions when a for-profit entity is best suited.
• Applications submitted by for-profit entities may be subject to additional review following the panel selection process. Additionally, the Department of State prohibits profit to for-profit or commercial organizations under its assistance awards.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.

Bureau of INL announces Drug Prevention and Awareness Programming in Pakistan

Deadline: 11-Mar-24

The State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) partners with the government of Pakistan (GOP), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), international organizations, and communities has announced the Drug Prevention and Awareness Programming in Pakistan to support supply and demand counternarcotics efforts.

Project Purpose

• The purpose of this award is to support the establishment of an anti-drug coalition network in Lahore, Pakistan with the skills, knowledge, and resources needed to fight illegal drugs and associated crime. The offeror shall work with INL-Pakistan to identify and prioritize union councils within Lahore District for setting up coalition activities based on their level of need in addressing community problems such as drug sales and consumption, crime, and gang activity. Additional union councils may be added depending on timeline and funding availability.

INL seeks proposals that will accomplish the following four (4) priorities:

• Strengthen community resilience through evidence-based drug prevention and awareness activities that include local government, civil society, religious and community leaders, youth, and women.
• Build, manage, and coordinate a coalition dedicated to the promotion of scientific, evidence-based information on addiction and substance abuse aimed at preventing substance use disorders among those under 35 years of age.
• Encourage the use of innovative community-based programs to educate youth populations on substance abuse and provide essential life skills to help populations under 35 years of age overcome the effects of poverty, conflict, and other risk factors so that they can create better futures and drive social change in their communities.
• Promote awareness of evidence-based drug rehabilitation services that include vocational and life skills training programs.

Goals, Objectives, and Activities

• Goal 1: The grantee will establish a network of anti-drug coalitions of concerned stakeholders including provincial ministries, education, health sector, local government, civil society and local communities etc., in four targeted union councils with the skills, knowledge, and resources needed to fight illegal drugs and associated crime. At least 3,000 youth from within these four union councils will benefit from this program.
  • Objective 1: The grantee performs community selection and readiness assessment for coalition development at the district council level.
    • Activity 1.1: Conduct a community readiness assessment tailored to the Lahore district by collecting local data following defined and improved community selection criteria and protocols to select four (4) union councils for coalition development.
    • Activity 1.2: Identify 12 community sector representatives from each union council in Lahore District. Secure commitments for their active participation and form dedicated leadership teams. Develop comprehensive rosters of individuals and teams to be trained per union council on coalition in the Lahore District.
  • Objective 2: The grantee delivers coalition development trainings, provides technical assistance, and offers ongoing support to new and existing coalitions with respect to knowledge of substance abuse and awareness of addiction as disease.
    • Activity 2.1: Provide coalition development training, incorporating training curriculum. modules to both new and existing coalitions, with special consideration for the specific characteristics of Lahore district.
    • Activity 2.2: Furnish technical assistance to new and existing coalitions that is attuned to the particular processes and products necessary for coalition development within the context of Lahore District, in alignment with the training curriculum and lesson plans.
• Goal 2: The grantee supports establishment of a stakeholder coalition to replicate and expand the success of developed strategies to up to eight new union councils in Lahore district.
  • Objective 1: The grantee replicates coalition development in eight targeted new union councils in Lahore district.
    • Activity 1.1: Conduct a community readiness assessment tailored to Lahore district by collecting local data following community selection criteria specific to the union councils within Lahore district.
    • Activity 1.2: Identify 12 community sector representatives within each targeted union council, secure commitments for participation, form leadership teams, and develop comprehensive rosters of individuals and teams to be trained per union council on coalition development, ensuring the unique needs of Lahore district are addressed.
  • Objective 2: The grantee delivers comprehensive coalition development training, providing technical assistance and ongoing support.
    • Activity 2.1: Provide coalition development training based on training curriculum modules to both new and existing coalitions within Lahore district.
    • Activity 2.2: Furnish technical assistance to new and existing coalitions within Lahore district, tailored to their specific needs for each union council in alignment with the training curriculum and lesson plans.
  • Objective 3: The grantee supports youth engagement and integration in existing coalitions and reaches at least 3,000 youth in the local communities within the targeted union councils.
    • Activity 3.1: Identify and engage youth within the union councils in Lahore district that have established coalitions and developed dedicated youth groups who will actively participate in a youth leadership Initiative training course, focusing on their specific needs and potential contributions to coalition development in their respective union councils.
    • Activity 3.2: Deliver comprehensive youth leadership initiative key essentials training to the identified youth groups and their adult advisors, ensuring they are equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively engage and contribute to the existing coalitions within Lahore district.
  • Objective 4: The grantee enables communities to continue the coalition approach after INL-provided assistance ends, and maintains the human, social, financial, and material resources needed to achieve long-term goals for community change.
    • Activity 4.1: Emphasize sustainability throughout training curricula and activities.
    • Activity 4.2: Support coalitions and other stakeholders in the development of sustainability plans, and guide coalition-building and international best practices on drug prevention.

Funding Information

• Total available funding: $600,000
• Length of performance period: 36 months
• Anticipated program start date: May 2024
• Number of awards anticipated: One award

Eligibility Criteria

• The following organizations are eligible to apply:
  • U.S.-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations;
  • U.S.-based educational institutions subject to section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. tax code or section 26 US 115 of the U.S. tax code;
  • Foreign-based non-profits/non-governmental organizations (NGOs);
  • Foreign-based educational institutions.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.