Call for Bid: Advancing Gender Equality and Inclusion in the OPTs
British Consulate General Jerusalem is accepting proposals for a two and a half-year project October 2022 to March 2025 with a total budget of £1.77m
1. Introduction:
The United Kingdom, including through its Conflict Security Stability Fund Programme (CSSF), supports progress towards gender equality and inclusiveness in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). Due to its impact on peace building, economic and security objectives the evidence shows that increased levels of gender equality links to reduced levels of internal and external conflict.
The British Consulate General Jerusalem (BCG) is accepting proposals for a two and a half-year project October 2022 to March 2025 with a total budget of £1.77m under its Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF). The overall aim of the project is to promote gender equality and inclusion in the OPTs, with a focus on women’s political and social empowerment and tackling and preventing gender-based violence (GBV). BCG is anticipating an evidence-based novel and innovative approach to protect and promote gender equality and inclusiveness in OPTs rather than replication of past interventions.
Deadline for submitting applications: 30 August 2022.
2. Project Objective:
The objective of the project can be achieved through three complimentary focus areas (proposals can focus on one, two or all three areas):
2.1. Enabling of women’s political and social participation and empowerment:
- Setting positive precedents, overcoming social norms and tackling structural and institutional barriers that limit women’s ability to achieve leadership positions within the Palestinian political and social sphere;
- Provision of technical assistance to CSOs and Palestinian Authority institutions and ministries that support inclusiveness and help set positive precedents of women in leadership; and
- Increasing equitable participation of women in democratic processes and civic life, particularly for young and marginalized women and those with multiple intersecting forms of deprivation.
- Design and implement interventions to prevent, mitigate and respond to violence against women in politics, community engagement and leadership positions including online harassment and incitement, against women potential leaders.
2.2. Tackle Gender Based Violence (GBV):
- Vulnerable women and men, girls and boys, including those facing intersecting and multiple forms of deprivations, have better access to adequate and appropriate support and protection and multi-sectorial services (economic, medical, psychosocial, security and shelter, case management, legal aid, etc.);
- Working to prevent GBV and strengthening the GBV service delivery capacity of Palestinian CSOs and public institutions;
- The contribution should also enable actors to move from project-based planning to longer term and more strategic sustainable models, e.g providing sustainable exit plans for victims of GBV such as economic empowerment/independence through training opportunities; (thought this should not be the primary focus of the proposal).
2.3. Social Norms work
- Engaging men and women, religious leaders, media outlets, private sector and public institutions and other community members in issues of gender equality targeting, inclusion and challenging pervasive social norms
- Tackling harmful beliefs and social norms that perpetuate violence against women and girls and other minorities. This can include perceptions survey to identify those groups within society most susceptible to change their view on diversity and inclusion, in particular on women’s roles in society, politics and the workplace”
3. Summary of requirements:
- The call for bid is open to all types of organisations, including commercial, not for profit, international and local, partner government or multilateral. Any proposals from for-profit organisations for grant funding can only be considered if an officially registered non-profit making arm or division of the for-profit organisation will deliver the project.
- Bidders should have presence and previous experience working in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs), with in-depth knowledge of the local context, including HMG political sensitivities.
- Bidders should consider sub-contracting with local CSOs, using appropriate selection criteria.
- Technical know-how and organisational capacity to deliver such a project. Bidders should have previously received a direct fund of at least $200.000 for a one year spend.
- Suppliers should pay particular attention to relevant UK legislation on aid divergence. All activities must be conducted in accordance with UK values, standards and HMG policy.
4. Required Submissions
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Bidders should submit the and the Template for the entire project period. We will not consider proposals submitted in other formats
- Budget must be Activity Based Budgets (ABB), including monthly breakdown, of a maximum ceiling of £1.77m under CSSF programme over three years divided as follow:
- FY October/November 2022/to March 2023: £177k
- FY April 2023/ March 2024 £0.8.k
- FY April 2024/ March2025 £0.8K
- All costs should be listed in GBP (not ILS).
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The budget should be detailed for the first year, and contain a general estimate of the costs for the following year(s).
- Bidders are required to differentiate in the Annual Budget between their (a) Administrative Costs (e.g: general administration and support costs; office maintenance, repair and running costs; accountants, HR, and senior managers; other cross-cutting staff costs not directly attributable to a single project and are shared across the implementer’s business platform and any mandatory operational or legal costs incurred by an implementer in order to operate in a given location administrative staff salaries, office maintenance, repair and running costs), and (b) Project Costs which should include all project associated costs including implementing staff costs, travel, M&E costs.
- Please explain clearly, what you have included in each category. Administrative costs must stay within the limit of 10% of the total project budget.
- 2-pages summary of resume of key personnel who are proposed for the project. (Do not submit full resumes of staff please)
- Official registration of the organization
5. Bidding process
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Proposals should be sent to dalya.abuomar@fcdo.gov.uk by 30 August 2022 Opts Time. In subject line please indicate the name of the bidder and title of the bid ‘Gender Equality and Inclusion in OPTs’’ Proposals should not be more than 13 pages, with minimum font size 11 Arial. If you have not received a confirmation email within 24 hours, please get in touch with us. (we recommend limit the size of submissions to 10MB to avoid technical issues or send in two separated emails).
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The British Consulate reserves the right to carry out due diligence of potential grantees as part of the selection process. Due to the volume of bids expected, we will not be able to provide feedback on unsuccessful bids.
6. Evaluation criteria
Successful bids must demonstrate strong strategic relevance to the project outcome and objective, and have a clear focus on delivering change and sustainability. Proposals will be evaluated against the following criteria:
- Strategic fit to project objective – to what extent the proposal is clear, coherent, realistic and how appropriate is the work plan of activities in order to achieve expected results.
- Quality of project – the strength of the Theory of Change, and the monitoring and evaluation framework.
- Value for money – what measures (effectiveness, efficiency, economy and equity) have been optimized and how.
- Expertise- Evidence of understanding of the context; ability to manage and deliver a successful project that includes dissemination activities and engagement across society, and an existing network of relevant connections. If staff members and sub-contractors possess sufficient knowledge and experience of the project area.
- Gender-sensitive approach – If gender implications of the project have been identified and how the project will take account of gender-related differences; ensuring the project does no harm to any particular gender group or gender context.
- Potential of scaling up and sustainability- how the project outcomes will continue to have impact beyond the lifetime of the project
- Risk management – the extent to which the proposal identifies serious risks, together with a management strategy.