Сall for project proposals under FCO Bilateral Programme 2018-19
The British Embassy Kyiv announces a call for proposals for project work in support of local initiatives and human rights in Ukraine.
The British Embassy Kyiv invites proposals for project work through civil society organisations alongside with government bodies in all regions of Ukraine, to support local initiatives and human rights.
All project work under this Fund should commence on 1 June 2018 and finish by 15 March 2019.
The deadline for submitting proposals is 5pm (Kyiv time) on 1 May 2018.
Programme
In 2018-19, we will prioritise work through civil society organisations alongside with working with government bodies, in all regions of Ukraine. The programme will focus at the following areas:
Support to local initiatives
Outcome: successful roll-out of the decentralisation process in Ukraine in line with international standards of transparent and accountable budgeting process, capable local self-government and active communities, effective communication between government and society, and civil society’s ability to form effective networks and coalitions.
Indicators:
- Building on earlier Embassy-funded projects, to ensure continuation of the successful roll-out of the decentralisation reform across Ukraine, working in close communication with other donors and the government, including on effective, transparent and open local budget management in line with Ukrainian law, with wide engagement of local communities, including internally displaced persons (IDPs), promoting public participation for effective and accountable self-government, at the same time enhancing level of communications and cooperation between local self-government and active citizens and strengthening the network of local civil society organisations and coalitions
Human rights
Outcome: Ukraine successfully implements its National Human Rights Strategy, increasing respect for equality and non-discrimination for all members of society, in particular, LGBT people and people with disabilities, supporting human rights defenders in Crimea and strengthening human rights monitoring mechanisms in the illegally occupied Crimea.
Indicators:
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Building on the earlier Magna Carta-funded projects, support Ukraine in longer-term implementation of the National Human Rights Strategy, working with the government, running targeted advocacy activities which would result in improved institutional protection against discrimination; non-discriminatory legislation, policies and practices in place, reduced harassment based on discrimination; improved debate on human rights and minorities, including LGBT and people with disabilities (successful targeted information campaign has a positive impact on wider population’s perception of social role of people with disabilities), better access of LGBT communities to legal advice and protection, improved rights of people with disabilities in Ukraine, their employment, education, better access to public space
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Continue supporting human rights defenders and journalists in Crimea in a sustainable manner, highlighting the human rights situation, supporting Ukrainian government in providing services to the residents of Crimea; Crimean Tatars and IDPs equipped with better knowledge on legal protection of their rights; human rights monitoring mechanisms in the illegally occupied Crimea strengthened, particularly, in relation to the Crimean Tatar community in Crimea; the issue of illegal annexation of Crimea on agenda of international community, including project input in the OSCE and Council of Europe
General requirements
In this call for proposals, we will prioritise bids that come from or work through civil society organisations but bids working with government bodies may also be approved where there is a strong case. We welcome proposals for work in all regions of Ukraine.
Successful projects should have sustainable outcomes and should clearly identify the change that will be brought about. They may also build on projects by other organisations, complementing their efforts.
The maximum funding for projects under Support to Local Initiatives is £20,000; and £70,000 for projects under Human Rights. This may be in addition to co-funding and self-funding contributions, which will be considered a merit. Our funding is for the UK financial year 2018/19 only (projects must be implemented and all payments made by 15 March 2019).
Administrative costs (office rent, project management and book-keeper rates, utilities, communications, stationery, bank charges etc) must not exceed 8% of the total project budget.
Please note that we are unable to fund academic courses or research, English language courses, the purchase of IT or other equipment under this Fund.
Bidding process
Bidders should fill in the standard and include a breakdown of project costs in the . We will not consider proposals submitted in other formats.
Budgets must be in the Activity Based Budget (ABB) format, all costs should be budgeted in GBP (not Ukrainian Hryvna). Please refer to further guidance: on filling in the project proposals and .
Successful bids must demonstrate strong strategic relevance to the areas of programme focus and have a clear focus on delivering change and sustainability.
Successful implementers should be able to receive project funding in GBP and open a GBP bank account for the project. 85% of project funds should be spent before the end of December 2018.
Proposals should be sent to the British Embassy Kyiv at Kyiv.Projects@fco.gov.uk by 5pm (Kyiv time) on 1 May 2018. Please indicate the area you are bidding for and the name of the bidder in the subject line.
We aim to evaluate proposals by the end of May. Approved projects will commence in June.
Evaluation criteria
Proposals will be evaluated against the following criteria:
- fit to programme objectives – the extent to which the proposal addresses the issues
- quality of project – how well-defined and relevant the outcome is and how outputs will deliver this change
- value for money – the value of the expected project outcomes, the level of funding requested and institutional contribution
- previous experience of the project team – evidence of the project team’s understanding the issue and of its regional activities, ability to manage and deliver a successful project, through work done to date in the area or in related fields
- bids that contribute to the Embassy’s public diplomacy efforts are especially welcome
Notes
The British Embassy Kyiv reserves the right to carry out due diligence of potential grantees, including seeking references, as part of the selection process.
Bidding is competitive and only selected projects will receive funding.
The Embassy reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids without incurring any obligation to inform the affected applicant(s) of the grounds of such decisions.
Due to the high volume of bids expected, we will not be able to provide feedback on unsuccessful bids.