Request for Applications for Souk Takamol III
Program: USAID Takamol, funded by USAID and implemented by IREX
Application deadline: 5 February 2018
Last date to receive and answer inquiries: 29 January 2018
Announcement of successful applicants: 20 February 2018
1. Background
USAID Takamol Gender Program is a five-year program focusing on mainstreaming gender at the policy, national, and community levels. The objectives of the Program are to expand social dialogue on gender equality and strengthen enforcement and advocacy for female empowerment. USAID Takamol delivers support mechanisms, in-kind assistance, training, and/or grants to build the capacity of national and grassroots organizations including civil society actors, media, and government, as well as supports USAID Implementing Partners to achieve gender equity and female empowerment. The Program is funded by USAID and implemented by IREX, an international nonprofit organization that builds a more just, prosperous, and inclusive world.
2. What is “Souk Takamol”?
Souk Takamol is an innovative small grants program that allows civil society organizations to design initiatives that mobilize men, women, and youth in local communities to promote awareness on and advocate for local gender priorities. Currently, USAID Takamol is organizing Souk Takamol’s third call for proposals of community initiatives. This Souk Takamol round aims to support the advancement of gender priorities through advocacy at community levels and monitoring the performance of elected officials and entities at governorate, municipal, and national levels.
For more information about Souk Takamol, please visit the following links:
- Souk Takamol: https://www.facebook.com/SoukTakamol
- Takamol Jordan: https://www.facebook.com/TakamolJordan
3. Themes of the Proposed Initiatives
USAID Takamol encourages legally-registered Community Based Organizations (CBOs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) working in Jordanian communities to propose creative community initiatives that promote, advocate for, and monitor the implementation of local gender priorities. Proposed initiatives should engage communities, including key decision makers and entities, in order to advance gender issues and priorities among elected officials and local entities. Through community outreach, dialogue, and mobilization, proposed initiatives should advance women’s issues and services on the agenda of local officials and relevant entities.
Gender priorities may include, but not be limited to, the political and economic empowerment of women, access to services, gender-based violence, and the protection of women’s rights. Applicants proposing to advance a specific gender priority should describe within their proposal how the gender priority was identified and the underlying factors influencing the issue. Applicants may also propose activities to identify and analyze gender needs within their communities before conducting advocacy on the priorities that emerge from their community engagement.
Target gender priorities must be addressed through the creative use of community mobilization and advocacy tools that include engagement with key decision makers and local officials. Proposed activities should include awareness efforts and advocacy campaigns that build relationships with community networks and activities to create grassroots support to push for change on gender priorities at the community level. As part of advocacy efforts, initiatives must engage public officials and monitor their responsiveness on gender priorities.
Proposals may include activities that include engagement with and monitoring of national representatives and national-level policymaking. However, proposals must be rooted within community-level gender priority campaigns. Because Souk Takamol is designed to support the advancement of gender priorities at grassroots levels, coalition-building across community-level campaigns is encouraged but nationwide campaigns are not the target of this grant opportunity.
4. Information About the Grants
Souk Takamol III will provide Jordanian CBOs and CSOs with grants up to JD 5000 per initiative. These grants will be issued using a fixed amount award and may be implemented for up to a period of nine months, with all activities of the initiatives ending before the end of December 2018.
USAID Takamol anticipates funding approximately 25 fixed amount awards and retains the full right to fund or not fund any of the initiatives in the submitted applications in line with USAID rules and regulations and approval to proposals submitted.
5. Organizations’ Qualifications and Criteria
In order to qualify as an organization to receive the grant, the following criteria must be met:
1. To be a legally registered non-profit organization or organization that will not receive profit under the proposed grant.
2. The organization has conducted at least one at advocacy effort in their community and/or across target groups.
3. The organization is able and willing to work with members of USAID Takamol’s women, men, and youth leaders’ networks.
Qualified civil society organizations must complete the paperwork and submit the requested information before signing the grant’s agreement and must cooperate with USAID Takamol to complete the grant budget and activities. Technical support will be provided by USAID Takamol to all grantees on gender mainstreaming, monitoring and evaluation as well as training on reaching civil society. The participation of grantees in all training workshops and orientation sessions is part of the grant’s requirements.
6. Application Process
Applicants who wish to apply for the grant must use the application forms available through the following link:
https://www.irex.org/project/usaid-takamol-jordan-gender-program
Applications must be sent to no later than 5 February 2018. USAID Takamol will answer any related question sent on Souk Takamol’s Facebook page or on the email indicated above before 29 January 2018. Questions and answers will be shared on Souk Takamol’s Facebook page.
7. Criteria for Evaluating Proposed Initiatives
a. Complete Application and aapplicant background (25 pts): The submitted application includes all the required items specified in the application form. Shown strength of the applicant’s past experience working with their community to advocate on an issue relevant to their community priorities. The organization has the demonstrated ability to manage, implement, and sustain the proposed initiative technically, financially, and administratively. Special consideration may also be given to organizations who have not received USAID-support before or who will be working in communities or on gender priorities of particular interest.
b. Proposed Activities (40 pts): The proposal presents activities that have a clear impact on the target groups and serve clear objectives under the Souk Takamol theme with a focus on highlighting a specific gender issue. The applicant has provided a clear vision for the implementation of the proposed initiative. The proposed initiative is feasible and cost-appropriate. Special consideration will be given to proposals with activities that showcase collaboration steps with members of USAID Takamol’s youth, men, and women leaders’ networks – in their geographic location or across geographies on a singular issue - to incorporate their competencies into the design and implementation of the proposed initiatives.
c. Creativity of Proposed Activities and Outreach (35 pts): The quality of creative activities for engaging elected officials on key gender priorities of the applicant’s community and stimulate social dialogue and or awareness and or advocacy efforts on the proposed theme. Demonstration of the ability to use community-based communication tools and channels including media, networking, and social media for advocacy purposes in support of the implementation the initiative.
8. Timeline
29 January 2018 / Last date to receive inquiries5 February 2018 / Deadline for receiving applications
5 February- 19 February / USAID Takamol reviews and evaluates applications
20 February 2018 / Announcement of grant finalists
Pg No 1