Qatar call for bids: Gulf Strategy Fund 2023 to 2025
The British Embassy in Doha is inviting project proposals under the Gulf Strategy Fund in the range of £50,000 to £80,000.
Projects can be for up to 2 years, beginning with the new financial year on 1 April 2023 and ending in March 2025. Recognising the short timeframe and to accommodate projects in different stages of development, projects should not be scheduled to start before 1 July 2023.
British Embassy Doha is keen to receive proposals in the following areas:
- culture
- climate action
- institutional capacity building including justice and security
- women and youth leadership projects
- technology-based solutions, particularly those that draw on artificial intelligence; quantum technologies; engineering biotechnology; future telecoms; or semiconductors
Applications are open to organisations based anywhere in the world, however, priority will be given to those with strong, existing links to (and a track record of successful delivery in) Qatar and/or the GCC and the UK. We are only accepting applications from not-for-profit entities at this point.
How to apply
If you would like to discuss your project ideas with the British Embassy, contact us with a draft concept note outlining your project ideas.
The British Embassy is keen to receive proposals that are complete, demonstrate strategic project design, and tailored and specific to the Qatar context, and above all contribute to the overarching strategic aims of the British Embassy in Qatar.
If you wish to submit a proposal:
- inform the GSF Programmes Team, Qatar.Programmes@fcdo.gov.uk of your intention to submit as early as possible, and at least one week in advance of the due date
- complete and submit the following by the due date:
- project proposal form (PPF) – this template is similar to the previous year’s GSF template, except the budget, output, and activities sections have been adapted for multi-year projects.
- Activity Based Budget (ABB) – this template must clearly indicate the planned expenditure, including delivery, administrative, and staffing costs itemised
This template has been adapted to accommodate projects for up to 3 years duration. For the first year, partners need to calculate budget on a monthly basis. Subsequent years are budgeted on a quarterly basis initially, and will be refined and re-approved in advance of each financial year.
Projects proposals for 1-year projects should be completed by March 2024, and March 2025 for 2-year projects.
Submit the relevant FCDO contract, Grant Agreement (GA) or Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) template for your organisation’s internal review. British Embassy Doha will not enter into negotiation on these beyond the limited areas that we are authorised to approve at Post.
The deadline for full applications (with Project Proposal Form, and ABB) is 30 April 2023.
Scope and purpose
The Gulf Strategy Fund (GSF) is a UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) fund by the FCDO’s International Programme. It supports Qatar’s ambitious ‘National Vision 2030’ agenda for modernisation, economic diversification and climate action, while enhancing mutual prosperity by promoting inward investment and creating opportunities for UK companies, especially in the education, climate, culture, tourism, sport and finance sectors.
GSF Programme in Qatar in year 2022-2023 was instrumental in sustaining and enhancing bilateral collaboration between the State of Qatar, and the UK in areas of high strategic priority, such as transnational precision healthcare research, food security, aquatic disease management, and support to VAT implementation in Qatar. Most recently, GSF contributed to the successful delivery of a safe and secure 2022 World Cup, in particular, the provision of UK expertise, to support Qatar’s football policing capability and youth sports programmes.
This call for proposals runs in parallel with the Qatar Country Business Plan development process, and projects will be expected to align with strategic direction. GSF funding is not intended to support isolated activities, such as a single visit or trade mission. Projects must makes a clear contribution to strategic objectives and have a clear outcome, such as unlocking wider progress and moving the UK-Qatar partnership forward in a substantive way. All projects must demonstrate value for money. FCDO defines ‘value-for-money’ as, ‘making the best possible use of our all resources to maximise our impact’. In programme work, maximising impact includes having a robust, evidence-based theory of change demonstrating the causal pathway between the intervention and outcomes that support FCDO strategic priorities.
Proposals in the areas of culture, climate action, and institutional capacity building including justice and security, and women and youth leadership projects, and technology will be prioritised in this round.
We recommend considering how proposed projects can support UK and Qatar climate ambitions and targets. We also draw your attention to the MENAD Gender Charter pledge released in September 2021, which calls on Posts to carry out specific and targeted work on gender equality and inclusion, and to ensure gender equality and inclusion is mainstreamed in any programme design and delivery.
British Embassy Doha recognises the challenges of working in a rapidly changing environment, reliant on the schedules and priorities of external actors. This particularly impacts the scheduling of activities and becomes difficult when planning a multi-year programme. We therefore embrace flexible and adaptive approaches as a key component of project effectiveness and value for money.
Multi-year projects
Note that there is no facility to carry funds forward from one financial year to the next. While we will commit to multi-year projects, funding commitments will be made on a year-by-year basis, with budget for subsequent years considered indicative. Funding commitment for subsequent years will be made on submission of a fresh ABB for each subsequent year of implementation. This process provides an opportunity for Partners to review and adjust their projects and the timing of activities and response to changing circumstances.
FCDO assistance in proposal development
Although we are not able to write proposals on a Partner’s behalf, British Embassy Doha and FCDO staff may be available to provide support as you develop proposals. Contact the Programme team if you require contact details.
Parameters for assessment
In awarding and overseeing programme funds, BED is obliged to comply with all Cabinet Office and FCDO rules and guidance, including but not limited to those set out in the FCDO Programme Operating Framework (PrOF). Partners should take note of the following requirements:
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all project proposals must have a single lead implementer, which holds full accountability for the full project budget. A lead Implementer may in some cases sub-contract project activity to a third party
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FCDO can only pay for costs that are incurred after signature and between the start and end date stated in a funding arrangement or contract. Project start-dates must post-date signature on the relevant MoU, Grant Agreement (GA) or Contract, and no costs may be incurred by projects prior to signing by both parties
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no payment can be made in advance of need. British Embassy Doha will not consider any request from an implementing partner for advance payments
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all new programmes and the projects must align with the Paris Agreement and assess climate and environmental impact and risks, taking steps to ensure that no environmental harm is done
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all programmes must consider and demonstrate how their interventions will impact gender equality, disability inclusion and those with protected characteristics
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all projects involving paid-for communications activity must receive clearance from the Professional Communications Assurance (PCA) team prior to signing a GA / MoU / Contract
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all approved projects will be expected to comply with FCDO mandated reporting requirements using templates provided, including: (i) Monthly ABB forecasts; (ii) Quarterly Monitoring Reports and (iii) Project closure report
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all projects activities must be completed within the financial year for which the funding is approved. Projects should plan to complete activities by February or very-early March to allow for financial processing to be concluded before the end of each financial year
Process
Proposals will be appraised according to the appraisal criteria below, and submitted to the Qatar Country Programme Board for consideration. British Embassy Doha will expedite the approval process to the extent possible, but cannot approve projects until formal funding allocation is confirmed by FCDO.
Appraisal criteria
| Criteria | Explanation | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Strategic fit | Alignment with relevant MENA Business Plan and Qatar Country Business Plan objectives | 25% |
| Value for Money | FCDO defines ‘value-for-money’ as, ‘making the best possible use of our all resources to maximise our impact’. In programme work, maximising impact includes having a robust, evidence-based theory of change demonstrating the causal pathway between the intervention and outcomes that support FCDO strategic priorities. | 25% |
| Feasibility | Are project objectives realistic in the timeframe? Are stakeholders (Especially within Qatar Government) supportive? | 15% |
| Risk | Is the risk assessment comprehensive and realistic? Are mitigation measures viable? Are any risks (reputational, financial) to FCDO and UK Government within an acceptable range? | 15% |
| Consideration of cross-cutting issues | Are cross-cutting issues, especially gender, climate and disability inclusion, dealt with adequately? Proactively? | 10% |
| Capability of the implementing organisation | Does the organisation have a proven record of performance delivering in this context or similar contexts? | 10% |
Contact
Adlah Alkurdi
Programme Manager, Gulf Strategy Fund
British Embassy, Doha
Qatar.Programmes@fcdo.gov.uk
Documents
- project proposal form (ODT, 61.1 KB)
- Activity Based Budget template (ODS, 9.91 KB)
- concept note (ODT, 8.71 KB)
- Memorandum of Understanding (ODT, 61.2 KB)
- Grant Agreement (ODT, 86.2 KB)