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Call for Bids: China Network’s International Programme (Open Societies) Fund 2024/25

The British Embassy in Beijing is pleased to open a call for bids to the China Network’s International Programme (Open Societies) for projects running between Summer 2024 (July onwards) and 28 February 2025.

From:
British Embassy Beijing
Published
12 April 2024
Last updated
30 April 2024 — See all updates
This was published under the 2022 to 2024 Sunak Conservative government

All projects should aim to support improvements to and/or increase understanding and awareness of contemporary human rights in China.  

We welcome bids on the below topics: 

  • Freedom of expression 
  • Religious and cultural rights, including for minority groups. 
  • Technology and human rights 
  • Criminal justice reform 

We also welcome bids that are Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) eligible on the topics of equalities issues (including Women’s Rights, rights of LGBT+ people, rights of persons with disabilities, etc), civil society resilience and media freedom.  

This bidding round will only fund projects running between Summer 2024 (July onwards) and 28 February 2025. All project outputs, including finalised research/analytical products, must be completed by 28 February 2025. 

If bidders see potential for their project to extend into a subsequent project beyond 31 March 2025, bidders are welcome to explain how this might be achieved in the project summary, but should note that a further bid would be required next year in order to secure funding. 

Selection Criteria 

Bids will be assessed against the following criteria: 

  • Project design: Feasibility of activities and outputs including the capacity of implementing organisation to deliver outcomes. 
  • Impact: Supporting identifiable, meaningful improvements to or deepened awareness and understanding of open societies and human rights issues in China. Working together with other diverse partners to enhance impact of the project. 
  • Alignment: Relevance of the project to HMG human rights priorities in China. 
  • Scalability: The potential for the project to act as a building block for subsequent expansion/work improving human rights. 
  • Viability and risks: Clear engagement/buy-in of key stakeholders. Robust analysis of key risks including a plan of action to manage and mitigate those risks. 
  • Value for money: Comparable and reasonable costs against the scale of achievable outcomes 

We draw your attention to the below key points: 

  • Proposals should be up to £80,000 
  • Proposals of £10,000 and under should be completed using Project Proposal Form (up to £10,000) 
  • Proposals over £10,000 and up to £80,000 should be completed using Project Proposal Form (up to £80,000) 
  • All funding must be activity-based, however the FCDO will reimburse an implementing partner the costs that are not directly associated with, but still necessary for, the delivery of a project. 

Process 

  1. Project proposals must be submitted by 23:59 (GMT) on Tuesday 21st  May 2024. Late proposals will not be considered. 

  2. Proposals must be submitted using the attached forms only (Project Proposal Form (up to £10,000), Project Proposal Form (up to £80,000) and Activity Based Budget), which must be completed in English. 

  3. Proposals must be submitted to: China.InternationalProgramme@fcdo.gov.uk 

Important Information to Note 

  • Project payments will be paid in arrears in three instalments, on a quarterly basis. Implementers must have enough resourcing to fund one third of the project costs at a time.  
  • Bidders should send the Activity based budget in the currency they wish to be paid in. Please reach out to the above-mentioned inbox for exchange rates. 
  • If the project involves work with children or vulnerable adults, implementing partners can reflect a proportion of safeguarding costs as legitimate overheads in their bid, or include programme-specific safeguarding budget lines. 
  • If the project is approved, implementers will be expected to sign a Grant Agreement with the British Embassy Beijing.

Attachments

Project Proposal Form (up to £10,000) (MS Word Document, 64.1 KB)

Project Proposal Form (up to £80,000) (MS Word Document, 70.9 KB)

Activity Based Budget Template (MS Excel Spreadsheet, 26.7 KB)

Guidance for Implementers (MS Word Document, 34.7 KB)

Updates to this page

Published 12 April 2024
Last updated 30 April 2024 + show all updates

  1. Uploaded 'Guidance for Implementers'

  2. First published.