FINISHED: Request for Applications No. P4767-2021-09

Date of holding: 2022-04-11 00:00

Finished

Rapid Response Grants

This is an open-ended competition. Pact will review applications on a rolling basis. No applications will be accepted after May 15, 2023.

Pact is a leader in building the capacity of non-government organizations, networks, and intermediary organizations. Pact’s mission is to help build strong communities globally that provide people with an opportunity to earn a dignified living, raise healthy families and participate in democratic life. Pact achieves this by strengthening the organizational and technical capacity of grassroots organizations, coalitions, and networks, and by forging linkages between government, business, and citizens to achieve social, economic, and environmental justices.

This Request for Applications (RFA) is part of the Enhance Non-Governmental Actors and Grassroots Engagement Activity funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented in Ukraine by Pact (USAID/ENGAGE). The purpose of USAID/ENGAGE is to increase citizen awareness of and engagement in civic activities at the national, regional, and local level. More detailed USAID/ENGAGE Activity description can be found here.

If you have questions, please submit them electronically to grants.engage@pactworld.org.

The email subject line should read “Questions on RFA P4767-2021-09 – name of organization submitting the question.”

We will answer at our first convinience.

Background

Today Ukraine is forced to fight simultaneously in two different directions. Externally, it deals with the ongoing violent conflict that erupted in 2014 in the aftermath of the EuroMaidan revolution as a result of Russian aggression and hybrid warfare. Internally, the fight against corruption, challenges of ongoing state finance, public administration, decentralization reforms remain on the top of the national agenda, both for government and civil society. In addition, the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated these trends and put unprecedented pressure on governments, businesses, and society as a whole.

Given that the development context demands constant caution and planning for prompt adaptation to unforeseen circumstances, USAID/ENGAGE, in line with Pact’s flexible and adaptive approach for responding to emerging threats and opportunities, will manage a rapid-response facility to support short-term initiatives with the key features of immediate need, which will address unanticipated shifts in the political and economic environments.

Goal of the Request for Applications

The goal of this RFA is to meet evolving civil society needs to fend off possible rollback on hard-fought gains in anti-corruption, rule of law, public health, education, electoral reforms, or other relevant areas that are important to citizens and CSOs.

Geographic Area

USAID/ENGAGE will provide support to national, regional, or local organizations and coalitions, including established CSOs, as well as unregistered groups and informal civic initiatives nationwide.

Thematic Priorities

In the framework of this RFA, the primary priority themes will include anti-corruption, rule of law, decentralization, government accountability and transparency, electoral process, inclusive development (of persons with disabilities, internally displaced persons (IDPs), lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) and other vulnerable groups); EU integration; and other topics that are important to citizens and CSOs.

Activities that will be supported under this subaward mechanism should be short-term with the key features of immediate need. They may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Advocacy and policy work, including addressing unforeseen issues in policy development;
Informal civic education activities, including development and piloting of innovative citizen engagement and civic education tools;
Cross-regional informal civic education exchanges;
Innovative citizen engagement, community initiatives and mobilization;
Development of local media content to support citizen engagement in local issues;
Development of information and communication technology;
Support to CSOs’ events, including conferences, workshops, press events;
Activities to push for greater inclusion of vulnerable groups;
Anti-corruption activities at local level;
Initiative in response to crises in the area of human rights;
Election-related activities;
CSO adaptation to the pandemic environment.

Expected Results

Upon completion of the grant, applicant organizations will have to demonstrate achievement of some or most of the following results:

Citizen participation in extracurricular civic education initiatives increased;
Citizen understanding of fundamental roles and responsibilities within a democratic society increased;
Citizen awareness of corruption increased;
Effective civic advocacy and oversight campaigns implemented;
Issues advocated for by civil society included in government policies and legislation;
Civic engagement in anti-corruption efforts increased;
CSOs and citizen feedback mechanisms institutionalized at national and local levels;
Civic engagement in national, regional, and local level coalitions and initiatives increased;
Citizen awareness and understanding of government reforms increased;
Citizen awareness of role and importance of civil society organizations increased;
Public trust in CSOs improved.

Performance Indicators

USAID/ENGAGE has identified several program monitoring indicators to inform achievement of the program results. Applicants should demonstrate how they will support the program’s capacity and activities.

Below is the list of indicators to which sub-awardees under this RFA will contribute. A proposed project’s development under this RFA may address some or most of the following indicators:

Percentage of project participants who have increased civic awareness and engagement in civil society and civic activism;
Number of policy changes positively influenced;
Percent of project participants engaged in anti-corruption efforts;
Number of adopted feedback mechanisms institutionalized at national and (or) local levels;
Percent of project participants who understand government reforms;
Percent of citizens reporting trust in and importance of CSOs.

Eligibility

Officially registered CSOs, unregistered groups and informal civic initiatives from all regions of Ukraine are eligible to apply.
As part of this competition, Pact cannot award grants to business organizations, political parties, government institutions, or individuals.
Applicants must have a DUNS* number (a nine-digit identification number required for all procurement-related activities).

Selection Criteria

Relevance to the stated goals of the RFA;
Demonstrated ability to emphasize and increase active citizen participation in democratic decision-making, turning more passive awareness into active engagement;
Clear intention not only to build on existing experiences and relationships but also to embark on unexplored paths to address unmet needs, especially by reaching vulnerable and marginalized constituencies;
Ability to leverage financial and in-kind contributions from the private sector, citizens, or, when practical and not presenting a conflict of interest, the government;
Availability of sustainability plans that articulate and evidence the legacy of activities after ENGAGE support ends;
Demonstrated with evidence opportunities for or prior-established public-private partnerships.

Tentative Duration of Grants: 1-9 months. Independent of their start date, all proposed projects must end before June 30, 2023.

Grant Amount: Average grant amount is up to $30,000. However, this amount is negotiable and depending on the actual need projects may receive bigger financial support, if they are reasonable and well-justified. The total pool for this RFA is $800,000.

The future agreements will be signed in Ukrainian currency, UAH, so applicants should submit their budgets in UAH.

Please note! Pact makes payments to its subawardees only via wire transfer, so unregistered groups and informal civic initiatives should apply for this competition in partnership/consortium with an officially registered CSO that agrees to administer the initiative’s funds.

Deadline for Submission of the Applications

None. This is an open-ended competition. Pact will review applications on a rolling basis. Applicants will receive a decision within two weeks of the date Pact receives a complete grant application package. However, no applications will be accepted after May 15, 2023.

Application Process

Submit completed applications by e-mail to grants.engage@pactworld.org with the subject: “Response to RFA P4767-2021-09.”

Important:

Applications must be submitted in Ukrainian or English.
A minimal acceptable application package should consist of the following documents: (1) application, (2) SRRA Snapshot FORM for Subrecipients (either in Ukrainian or in English); and (3) (a) for registered organizations: proof of legal status; (b) for unregistered groups or informal civic initiatives: MOUs, support letters, guarantee letters, or other documents between the applying group and their CSO partner.

The necessary templates should be downloaded by this link.

Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
Paper copies of the applications will not be accepted.
Applicants will be notified of the status of their application in writing via e-mail.

Review Process

Pact will establish technical review committees from representatives of various USAID/ENGAGE departments that will stand by for incoming applications. The committee composition will be changed regularly. All technical reviewers will be subjected to a screening process to eliminate any conflict of interest. Evaluation will be based on the criteria set forth above. Depending on availability of pending applications, selection of awards will be made on a weekly basis. The review panel will review applications and make funding recommendations to the program’s grants management unit. Applicants will receive a decision within two weeks of the date Pact receives a complete grant application package.

To facilitate the review of applications, please use the application format provided by Pact.

Terms and Conditions

Standard provisions: The Standard Provisions for Non-U.S. Non-Governmental Organizations as applicable will apply to these grants.

Permission for use and disclosure: By applying under this RFA, the applicant consents to the disclosure of the documents submitted by the applicant to the reviewers involved in the selection process. Please note that all reviewers are bound by non-disclosure agreements.

Disclaimers:

Pact may cancel the solicitation and not award any funds.
Pact may reject any or all applications received.
Issuance of solicitation does not constitute award commitment by Pact.
Pact reserves the right to disqualify any application based on applicant’s failure to follow solicitation instructions.
Pact will not compensate applicants for their response to the solicitation.
Pact reserves the right to issue an award based on initial evaluation of applications without further discussion.
Pact may choose to award only part of the activities in the solicitation or to issue multiple awards based on the solicitation activities.
Pact reserves the right to waive minor application deficiencies that can be corrected prior to award determination to promote competition.
Pact may contact applicants to confirm contact person, address, and that the application was submitted for this solicitation.
Pact may contact listed past performance references without notice to the applicant. Pact also reserves the right to contact other past performance information sources that the applicant did not list in the application.
By applying, the applicants confirm they understand these terms and conditions.

Questions?

If you have questions, please submit them electronically to grants.engage@pactworld.org.

The email subject line should read “Questions on RFA P4767-2021-09 – name of organization submitting the question.”

Questions to this RFA will be answered on a rolling basis. The Q&A document will be added to this RFA package and updated on a rolling basis.

*In line with the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA or Transparency Act) you are required to obtain an individual DUNS Number to be the recipient of a U.S. Government-funded subaward. A DUNS number may be obtained online via fedgov.dnb.com/webform. A DUNS number is not required for application, but will be required for receipt of award. If you need a detailed instruction on receiving the number, please write to grants.engage@pactworld.org.