British Embassy San Jose: Call for bids in Human Rights 2024-2025
The British Embassy in San Jose is now accepting project proposals in the area of human rights for the 2024-2025 period.
The British Embassy in Costa Rica, with responsibility for Nicaragua, aims to support short-term interventions valued at up to US$40,000 that focus on promoting and protecting human rights in Nicaragua.
We welcome proposals from legally constituted non-governmental, non-profit, charity and multilateral organisations. Unfortunately, we are unable to consider project proposals submitted by companies or for-profit organisations.
Thematic areas
Proposals may cover any of the following areas of work:
- Promotion and protection of human rights
- Reducing vulnerability to modern slavery and human trafficking
Kindly note that under this programme, we are unable to cover projects where the main focus is on gender and equalities issues like LGBTI+ rights, women’s rights and rights of persons with disabilities.
We are looking for projects that deliver real, measurable results in support of the abovementioned priority areas in Nicaragua and are particularly interested in proposals aimed at the following objectives:
- Protecting the rights of marginalised groups, including through the prevention of human rights violations;
- Strengthening of protections for vulnerable groups such as women and girls, indigenous communities and migrants;
- Providing support to human rights defenders, especially through capacity building;
- Supporting the human rights work of civil society organisations.
Funding exceptions
Please be aware that project funding cannot be used to finance the following:
- Communications-related services, such as communications strategies, campaigns, website creation and/or maintenance, video and audio production
- Paid marketing activity, e.g. advertisements in newspapers, on radio or on social media
- Cash cards, money transfers or seed capital
- Purchase of groceries and household supplies
- Purchase or maintenance of IT or capital equipment
Project bid guidance
- Projects will be funded for the period running from 1 May 2024 to 28 February 2025, with no expectation of continued funding beyond this period
- Project bid budgets should demonstrate 50% spend by 15 December 2024 and 100% spend by 28 February 2025
- Proposals must be submitted in United States Dollars (USD) currency
- Maximum project budget limit: $40,000
Project bids will be assessed against the following criteria:
- Alignment with the above-mentioned thematic priorities and outcomes
- Outcomes are achievable within the funding period (1 May 2024 to 28 February 2025
- Project design includes clear monitoring and evaluation procedures, as well as risk and financial accountability procedures
- Evidence of sustainability – demonstrating that project benefits continue after the funding ends
- Alignment with the Paris Agreement, demonstrating that a climate and environmental risk and impact evaluation was conducted and no environmental harm will be done
- Evidence that gender equality and inclusion of people with disability and protected characteristics have been considered
- Evidence that the organisation’s safeguarding policies ensure protection of beneficiaries
- Overall value for money
- Administration costs should not exceed 10% of the total project budget
Key dates
- 24 March 2024 (midnight, Central America time): Deadline for receipt of project proposals
- 5 April 2024: Implementers informed of bidding round outcome
- 1 May 2024: Project implementation begins
- 28 February 2025: Project implementers to complete all activities and submit draft project completion report and financial spend documentation
Bidding process
- Proposals must be submitted in English using the relevant Project proposal form and Activity Based Budget templates (provided below)
- All proposals must be received by midnight on 24 March 2024 (Central America time). Late proposals will not be considered
- Proposals must be submitted to Denise.Lewis@fcdo.gov.uk with the subject line “Call for bids (Human Rights) 2024/2025 – Organisation name – Project Title” and include a point of contact in the body of the email
- Successful bidders will be notified by 5 April 2024
Additional information and documentation
All implementers will be expected to sign a standard FCDO grant agreement or Memorandum of Understanding with the Embassy. The terms of the agreement or MOU are not negotiable.
All projects are expected to have achieved 50% spend by 1 December 2024. Activity Based Budgets must reflect this requirement.