Deadline: 18 November 2019

The Civil Society Team (CST) is currently inviting CSOs from Africa to apply for the sixth round of small grants which aims to encourage the engagement of civil society with the private sector on anti-corruption matter.

The CST, with support from the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), aim to help develop (or complement) innovative projects or ideas for approaching small and medium-sized enterprises in order to promote anti-corruption activities and the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) implementation.

Objectives

The main objective of this Grants programme is:

• To encourage African CSOs to work with the private sector (SMEs in particular) and promote the implementation of UNCAC and its review mechanism.

Thematic Focus and Priority Issues

This Call for Proposals seeks to provide funding for African CSOs in particular NGOs, at national, local and/or community level, working in the area of anti-corruption.

In the light of the fact, there are fewer opportunities for SMEs to be trained on UNCAC and its review mechanism in the local context, this small grant scheme presents an opportunity for CSOs to engage with SMEs in the prevention and fight against corruption in line with UNCAC. The small grant scheme will also encourage the participation of women and youth.

The grant scheme targets African CSOs, with the focus on Ethiopia, Mozambique, Burkina Faso, and Uganda.

African CSOs previously trained by UNODC are strongly encouraged to apply.

Grant funding under this Call for Proposals shall be provided to projects that:

• Raise awareness about UNCAC and the prevention of corruption; and
• Provide knowledge and build the capacity of SMEs to work on the implementation of the UNCAC.

Indicative activities could include:

• Workshops aimed at increasing cooperation between civil society and the private sector on UNCAC and its implementation;
• Trainings for SMEs on anti-corruption;
• Development of compliance framework and codes of conduct;
• Development of guidelines for cooperation between civil society, the private sector and, governments;

The list of the above-mentioned activities is not exhaustive. Innovative ideas are welcome with this call for proposals.

Award Information

• Proposals with budgets of USD 4,000 – 5,000 will be considered for the award. Please note that value for money will be assessed as a part of the rating criteria.
• As a general rule, the UNOV/UNODC grant awards should not exceed a monetary limit of 25% of the organization’s annual income. This limit will be checked when making the final decision.

Duration

All activities financed by this Grants programme must be implemented by 30 April 2020.

Fundamental Principles

Grant applicants are expected to consider the following fundamental principles/guidelines in designing their grant project proposals:

• Partnership/collaboration/cooperation between civil society, the private sector and SMEs;
• Project design with the potential for replication;
• Parameters of the project activities: costs/budget, scope, time frame, benefits/impact, risks, and stainability;
• An inclusive approach that values diversity among women and men;
• Initiatives that are innovative;
• Taking into consideration the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);

Eligibility Criteria

In order to be eligible for a grant, applicants must:

• Be an African civil society organization registered under the relevant country laws;
• Have been registered not less than two (2) years before the date of the application;
• Be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the project, i.e. not acting as an intermediary;
• Have a bank account;

Eligibility of Projects

Only projects aimed at achieving the objectives, focusing on the priority issues and meeting all other requirements are eligible for funding under this Call for Proposals.

The following types of project proposals are not eligible for funding:

• Project proposals concerned only or mainly with individual sponsorships for participation in workshops, seminars, conferences, congresses;
• Project proposals concerned only or mainly with individual scholarships for studies or training courses;
• Credit or loan schemes;
• Debts and provisions for losses or debts;
• Project proposals which consist exclusively or primarily of capital expenditure e.g. land, buildings, equipment, vehicles, etc.
• Project proposals which do not demonstrate equal treatment for individuals or groups of people on grounds of their gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, or lack of them, or their ethnic origin;
• Cash donations;
• Political parties or religious activities;
• Project proposals that support activities that are not in line with the values of the UN or that provide funding for any criminal activities including but not limited to terrorism.

No applicant will receive more than one grant.

How to Apply

• The completed application form and the budget document must be submitted in Word, Excel or PDF.
• Applications must be submitted by email at the address given on the website with the subject “UNODC Africa Grants Scheme”.
• The following documents must be submitted as part of the application:
  • Project proposal application form (template provided);
  • Project budget (template provided);
  • Registration certificate as evidence for legal credentials of the organization;
  • Audited financial statements for the last two fiscal years (in the absence of audited statements, any other official document demonstrating the annual income of the previous years will be accepted)
  • Further documentation may be required. These may be communicated to provisionally selected applicants.

For more information, please visit https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/ngos/call-for-proposals_-africa-grants-scheme-for-csos-to-work-with-the-private-sector-on-uncac.html