[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.
- DRL’s goal is to increase women in the judiciary in Pakistan. Programs should seek to achieve the objectives:
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.
- Objective 1: The grantee performs community selection and readiness assessment for coalition development at the district council level.
- 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.
- Objective 1: The grantee replicates coalition development in eight targeted new union councils in Lahore district.
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.
CFAs: Teach For Pakistan’s Fellowship Program 2024
Deadline: 31 March 2024
The Teach For Pakistan is accepting applications for its Fellowship Program, a two-year, full-time opportunity for university graduates and young professionals from diverse fields to teach in under-resourced schools leadership capabilities in their students and themselves.
Funding Information
- The current Fellows receive a base salary of Rs. 65,000 per month with additional 3,000 stationery allowance and transport allowance ranging from Rs. 5,000- 8,000 per month.
- They also pay Rs. 12,000 monthly to the out-station Fellows.
Benefits
Fellows will receive:
- Intensive, six-week, pre-placement training focusing on pedagogical skills, leadership, community mobilization.
- On-going support during the Fellowship, including monthly lesson observations and one-on-one coaching conversations to help you meet your goals for your classroom, school/community and your own growth
- Monthly day-long training sessions based on needs jointly identified by Fellows and their coaches
- Mentoring through a network of expert teachers
- Connections with teachers across the world through participation in Teach For All virtual and/or in-person events.
Professional Benefits
- Leadership Training & Coaching in globally renowned models of pedagogy and leadership development.
- Project Management Training enabling you to design and manage a School/Community Partnership Initiative.
- Access to Teach For All Global Network of social innovators and leaders through networking and learning opportunities.
- Work Experience Recognition from top local and international graduate schools.
- Professional Development through a network of corporate & development sector professionals and the Alumni.
- Full-time, paid position for two years that challenges you to maximize your potential.
What to expect?
- Fellows will be placed in government schools in low-income communities on the outskirts of Islamabad & Karachi.
- The partner schools struggle with issues of poor infrastructure, teacher quantity / quality and large class sizes but want to work with others to improve their students’ learning experience and outcomes.
- Fellows will be assigned grades at primary or secondary level to help shape critical skills and dispositions in these formative years.
- Fellows will teach a combination of English, Urdu, Science, Maths and Social Studies. Fellows must be fluent in English & Urdu to best support student learning.
- 2-3 Fellows will be placed in each school for mutual support, learning and collaborative initiatives.
Eligibility Criteria
They encourage individuals from all academic and professional backgrounds to apply. The requirements include:
- Minimum 16 years of education completed by June 2024.
- At least a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university, completed by June 2024.
- Pakistani citizenship or a valid National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) or Pakistan Origin Card (POC).
- Fluency in Urdu and English.
- Successful completion of the pre-placement Training Institute in July and August 2024
- Two-year commitment to the Fellowship with placement in Islamabad and Karachi.
For more information, visit Teach For Pakistan.
Wilson Center Fellowship Program – Pakistan
Deadline: 1 February 2024
The Wilson Center has launched the Fellowship Program to focus on public policy issues in Pakistan and US-Pakistan relations.
The Wilson Center Pakistan Fellow may come from academia, journalism, the business or policy worlds, or any category of thought leader or public intellectual. The fellow will conduct research and write in her/his areas of interest (which must focus on public policy issues in Pakistan and/or US-Pakistan relations), publish research through the Wilson Center and beyond, and will have the opportunity to interact with policymakers and thought leaders in Washington.
The fellow will also contribute substantively to the Wilson Center’s Pakistan programming and research. Upon completion of the fellowship, the fellow will be expected to have finished a substantive research product resulting in a monograph, a series of articles, or a book.
Funding Information
- The Wilson Center will offer a monthly stipend of $9,000 for nine months, with a total payment of $81,000. Fellows are responsible for their own health insurance and research-related travel expenses. In addition to the stipend, the Wilson Center will provide a suitable work space and computer.
Length of Appointment
- Fellows are expected to be in residence for a nine-month period. This will typically be from September to May.
- However, dates may be subject to change depending on visa processing factors and other possible considerations.
- Even when there are exceptions on start and end dates, the fellowship will always have duration of nine months. Fellowships may not be deferred.
Expectations
- While at the Wilson Center, the Pakistan Fellow will be expected to carry out a full schedule of rigorous research and writing based on the topic outlined in the research proposal submitted at the time of application. They will also be expected to participate in workshops, seminars, conferences, and broadcasts organized by the Wilson Center’s Asia Program, and in other ways to participate in the intellectual life of the Wilson Center and the larger community of South Asia observers in Washington.
Eligibility Criteria
- This competition is open to people from, and based in, Pakistan. Applications will be accepted from individuals in academia, business, journalism, government, law, and related professions. Candidates must be currently pursuing research on key public policy issues facing Pakistan and/or US-Pakistan relations—research designed to bridge the gap between the academic and the policymaking worlds.
- The Wilson Center typically expects its visiting fellows to possess the terminal degree in their field. For academics, such as university professors, the terminal degree generally means a PhD but other professions have different terminal degrees; for journalists or businesspeople, it could well be a bachelor’s degree. In exceptional cases, the Wilson Center will waive the terminal degree requirement for highly qualified and unusually talented applicants.
- Applicants must also have at least eight years of professional or research experience. Preference will be given to applicants who have published scholarly books or substantial articles in academic or policy-related journals or newspapers, and whose work demonstrates original thinking on policy-oriented issues of interest to Pakistan and the United States.
- Applicants must be completely fluent in both written and spoken English.
Ineligible
- The Wilson Center will not accept:
- Applicants working on a graduate degree, a PhD, or JD degree (even if the degree is to be awarded prior to the proposed fellowship year).
- Proposals of a partisan or advocacy nature.
- Projects that are the rewriting of doctoral dissertations.
For more information, visit Wilson Center.
Durshal Incubation Program – Pakistan
Deadline: 29 January 2024
Seize the opportunity to be a part of KP’s largest tech incubation at Durshal and a chance to win PKR 14.4 Million seed funding! If you have a tech startup and a viable business idea, apply now for the Durshal Incubation Program.
Durshal CIL is KPITB’s flagship program for nurturing startup culture in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by setting up Pakistan’s largest network of incubation center and co-working spaces across KP.
Benefit
- Durshal is offering a stipend of PKR. 30,000/ per month for first 3 months to each member of a startup team.
Duration
- The incubatees would be placed for a period of six-months at Durshal Community Lab. After successful completion of incubation phase, a limited number of startups may be selected for the China Accelerator programs.
Eligibility Criteria
- At least one startup member shall be a graduate with 16 years of education or more in any ICT, Business Management/Administration or other related fields.
- Applicant startups shall be in early stages of business development. Small companies that require significant change in direction or are planning to launch a new product/service may also apply
- Applicant startups shall have a team that can handle both technical and management aspects of their business.
- Applicant startups must have the capacity to grow and provide economic value to the province by creating new job opportunities in their respective areas.
- Applicant startups should have an ICT based business idea that can be transformed into a full-fledged commercial product/service.
- Each startup team should be comprised of minimum 2 and maximum 4 members.
For more information, visit Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Technology Board.
Chat for Women’s Livelihoods Accelerator 2024
Deadline: 31 January 2024
Applications are now open for the Chat for Women’s Livelihoods Accelerator Program that supports organisations to use chat to empower women economically.