Call for bids: capacity upgrading support for Romanian NGOs working on MSHT prevention and victim protection
British Embassy Bucharest is inviting project proposals to support the delivery of activities and support services to prevent Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking (MSHT) in Romania and support the reintegration of victims.
This project is part of a wider British Embassy portfolio of projects which seeks to support the Romanian Government and civil society in reducing the drivers of Serious and Organised Crime (SOC) and the ability of organised crime groups to exploit vulnerabilities and retraffic MSHT victims.
Addressing human trafficking and SOC requires international cooperation, as the nature of these crimes is transnational and criminal networks frequently operate across borders. This is a priority policy area for the British Government and the British Embassy Bucharest, as Romania is a source, transit and destination country for MSHT. In 2020 alone, the British referral mechanism registered 368 Romanian victims of trafficking.
The Romanian authorities are working on strategies to combat MSHT, but many activities of both prevention and support are carried out by Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and shelters. These organisations have been badly affected by the pandemic.
For these reasons, we acknowledge the urgent need to support those who provide invaluable help to those who require it most. NGOs in Romania do an incredible job at helping survivors escape modern slavery and reintegrate into society. We want to ease the burden represented by the volume of cases and the scale of the crime, which, despite best efforts, can be daunting for key actors that often rely exclusively on donations. We are therefore committed to supporting NGOs with capacity building, stakeholder engagement and accessing resources, so their ability to save lives is not hindered.
Objective
The main objective is to increase the capacity of NGOs working to prevent human trafficking and/or offer support to the victims.
Scope of work
We expect the project to have a limited reach and to include targeted interventions, with a clear indication of the impact of the grant funding on the activities of the NGO submitting the bid.
Activities
Main activity: capacity upgrading – funding expenditure for upgrading the facilities or for new equipment.
Facilities or equipment that could be financed under by this project could include*:
- upgrading shelter facilities (buying furniture, renovating a part of the shelter or facilities etc)
- providing IT support services and/or equipment (building platforms, buying tablets or other devices)
*This is not an exhaustive list and the British Embassy welcomes proposals from potential implementing partners which suggest additional or alternative activities to deliver the key objectives.
Project approach
Bidders are asked to submit a project proposal which will be approved by the British Embassy Bucharest and will form the basis for project planning. The proposal should set out how the implementing partner will deliver activities to support the objectives set out above with an implementation plan and supporting budget. The British Embassy Bucharest will oversee the project planning and provide the necessary contacts to the implementers.
The project implementer will manage project logistics, including travel plans, lodging, car hiring etc. and is expected to consider the pandemic context and its possible impact on the project implementation when submitting the bid.
How to Bid
Our process will consist of a one-stage full bid proposal.
Bids should be completed in English using the an should be submitted alongside it.
Please send all completed forms to rsvp.bucharest@fcdo.gov.uk and andrada.petrache@fcdo.gov.uk by 7 October 2021.
Please specify in the subject of the email: Name of implementing organisation and title of the project. Activity Based Budgets should list the activities needed to deliver the outcomes (results) of the project and all costs should be in Romanian Lei (RON).
Reporting
The reports to be produced during the course of this project are to be delivered in English:
- an Inception Note detailing approach and proposed activities. This should also set out key stakeholders who will be engaged, a proposed schedule of activities, risks, safeguarding approach and any additional details
- a draft report
- three-monthly financial reports
- after a facilitated process of commenting, the final report
Composition of the project teams:
A Project Director, from the part of BE Bucharest (Tanya Collingridge, Deputy Head of Mission) and a Project Manager, from BE Bucharest (Andrada Petrache, Senior Political Officer) will oversee the project delivery.
Project proposals should demonstrate that the implementing partner’s staffing levels are appropriate to delivery the project and that the staff have relevant expertise and experience in MSHT victim support, as well as detailed knowledge of the MSHT situation in Romania.
Timing and scope of input
The bidding round is an open and competitive process, assessed by the British Embassy in Bucharest. Results will be issued by early October. Once a bid is approved, a Grant Contract will be signed with the successful bidders. In the documents section you will find an example of a Grant Contract. Your organisation will be expected to sign the contract within one week of the funds being awarded. Failure to do so will result in the funds being re-allocated. The implementing organisation will be required to submit report updates and a final evaluation of the project.
There are no pre-payments. Reimbursements will be completed once activities have taken place and all receipts submitted. Implementing organisations will request repayments using an invoice (including receipts and a financial report of spend) and the repayments will be carried out during those dates agreed upon in the respective contract. The budget should be presented in Romanian Lei. All payments will be made in RON to a bank account held in Romania.
Please send any questions regarding the call for bids to rsvp.bucharest@fcdo.gov.uk and andrada.petrache@fcdo.gov.uk.
It is expected that the project will be carried out from October 2021 to February 2022.
The crucial milestones will be the submission of the Draft report (February 2022) and the Final report (March 2022).
Budget
Project proposals must include an estimated budget of up to RON 194,000. Depending on the quality of the proposals, the British Embassy reserves the right not to grant all or part of the available funds. The Embassy also reserves the right to award a grant of less than the amount requested by the applicants. In such a case, applicants will be asked to increase the amount that they co-finance, to propose other co-financing means or to decrease the total costs without altering the substance of the proposal.