Small Grants Application Kit

Transcription

1 Training for Pakistan Project Small Grants Application Kit Funded by the United States Agency for International Development The USAID Training for Pakistan Project is implemented by World Learning.

2 Table of Contents SMALL GRANTS PROGRAM OVERVIEW... 3 PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES... 3 ELIGIBILITY... 3 RESTRICTIONS... 4 APPLICATION PROCEDURES... 4 SMALL GRANT FUND LEVELS... 4 IMPLEMENTATION OF SMALL GRANT ACTIVITIES... 5 SMALL GRANT PROPOSAL SUBMISSION DEADLINE AND AWARD DATES... 5 PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES... 5 OVERVIEW... 5 GRANT ACTIVITY GOAL & OBJECTIVES... 6 TIMEFRAME FOR IMPLEMENTATION... 6 FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS... 6 GRANT PROPOSAL

3 SMALL GRANTS PROGRAM OVERVIEW PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES The USAID Training for Pakistan Project (TFP) provides participant training and exchange services to USAID. The project focus areas include stabilization and governance, education, energy, economic growth, and health. The project is positioned to deliver demand-driven trainings that harness the full range of participant training resources that contribute towards the capacity development of partners across the Mission s portfolio. In addition, TFP includes a Small Grants Program component that supports USAID participants in implementing or expanding upon the action plans that they develop during and after their training programs, thereby increasing the number of beneficiaries of training and contribution to the overall achievement of USAID/Pakistan s strategic objectives including Stabilization and Governance, Education, Health, Energy and Economic Growth and Agriculture. The Small Grants Program is intended to: Support the application of newly acquired knowledge, skills and attitudes within an organization; Support the new and innovative ideas of alumni/participants in their fields as a trendsetter. Disseminate newly acquired knowledge, skills and attitudes to colleagues/communities/peers who can benefit; Facilitate the re-integration of the participant into their working environment; Enable professional, personal and institutional networking. ELIGIBILITY Participants who complete a USAID funded training program of five days or longer in a third country, in the U.S. or in Pakistan are eligible to apply for a Small Grant. The participant is expected to be responsible for coordination and implementation of the grant activity. Alumni who are Government employees must obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from their office before the implementation of the grant; however at the time of application submission no NOC is required. 3

4 RESTRICTIONS The following restrictions apply to the award of Small Grants through the TFP: The grant activity must be implemented entirely in Pakistan. The implementation of the grant activity must be completed within 12 months starting from the date of signing of the grant agreement. The small grant may not be used to fund travel out of country. The small grant may not be used for any kind of ethnic or religious activity. The small grant may not be used for election campaign or to influence the results of elections. APPLICATION PROCEDURES This Application Kit for the Small Grant Program can be obtained through or can be downloaded from the TFP website at The Application Kit includes information on the purpose and objectives of the Small Grants Program; Small Grant Application Forms; Guidelines, Grant Budget Form; Evaluation and Selection Criteria. The program application process is based on a review and approval of program application materials by the Small Grants Selection Committee. Applicants are required to submit the following documents with the grant application. 1. Small Grants Check List 2. Completed Small Grants Cover Sheet 3. Technical Proposal based on Application Guidelines 4. Grant Activity Budget Summary 5. Grant Activity Budget Details 6. Grant Activity Budget Notes 7. Grant Activity Implementation Timeline Note: Prior to approval by the Small Grants Selection Committee, relevant USAID implementing partners may be asked to review the proposal for appropriateness and to avoid duplication of efforts. SMALL GRANT FUND LEVELS Small grants will be awarded in Pakistani Rupees with a maximum ceiling of PKR. 1,000,000. Grant activity budgets must be carefully developed based on the needs of the proposed activities to achieve the goals outlined in the proposed project. All costs must be directly linked to 4

5 implementation of the proposed activities. The budget will be reviewed to ensure that it is fair and reasonable. The small grant is not meant for international travel, to purchase high cost goods and/or services or for infrastructure development. IMPLEMENTATION OF SMALL GRANT ACTIVITIES Successful applicants will receive a Grant Agreement letter from TFP for the signature of the person responsible to oversee the implementation of a grant. Once the recipient signs the Grant Agreement, TFP will disburse the funding in small installments according to the work plan of the project. TFP will also monitor the progress of the grant activity throughout the implementation period. Upon completion of the grant activity, the grantee will be responsible to submit narrative and financial reports on the prescribed format as per the reporting schedule in the grant agreement. TFP however reserves the right to request for interim or impromptu reports from the grantee, as and when required. SMALL GRANT PROPOSAL SUBMISSION DEADLINE AND AWARD DATES Applications may be submitted on a rolling basis. TFP will send a letter to eligible participants to make them aware of the opportunity. Once completed applications are submitted to TFP, TFP generally takes eight weeks to review and accept or deny applications. If incomplete applications are submitted to TFP, the review and selection process will take longer. All applications must be submitted directly to TFP, through at smallgrants@trainingforpakistan.org. Applications must be in ENGLISH. If the English version is a translation, a copy of the original application must be attached. Following notification of awards, TFP will sign Small Grant Agreements with grantees. In addition, TFP will conduct workshops on regular basis for alumni on proposal writing, grant management, monitoring, reporting, communication and financial requirements etc. PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES PLEASE READ THE GUIDELINES BELOW IN THEIR ENTIRETY BEFORE DRAFTING YOUR TECHNICAL PROPOSAL OVERVIEW Consideration for award of a small grant is contingent upon the development of a detailed 5

6 proposal. The grant proposal is a systematic presentation of ideas, intentions, and planned actions for the successful completion of the project. The goal of the proposal is to acquaint the selection committee with the technical and financial aspects of the proposed grant activity. A good proposal provides all of the information that is required. GRANT ACTIVITY GOAL & OBJECTIVES At the outset, you should clearly state the goal and objectives you are planning to achieve. The objectives should be realistic and attainable given the financial resources available. Please remember that you are applying for a SMALL grant and that your financing will be rather limited. You will be required to identify how your goal relates to the achievement or augmentation of your original Action Plan or the training/courses you attended and supports USAID/Pakistan s strategic objectives, i.e. Stabilization and Governance, Education, Health, Energy and Economic Growth and Agriculture. Make certain that the goal and objectives outlined in your proposal stem from the training/course you attended. It is imperative that you show a clear connection between your proposed project and Action Plan you have already done. TIMEFRAME FOR IMPLEMENTATION The project must be completed within 12 months from the date of signing. You will need to develop a detailed work plan of the various project activities/stages and set deadlines for their completion. Your ability to achieve timelines and, more importantly, to set realistic and attainable deadlines will be evaluated by the selection committee. A work plan format is also included in the proposal format. FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS While drafting the proposal, please remember that grant activities must be translated into a Project Budget. The project budget is an integral part of the proposal. A clearly demonstrated connection between your proposal and budget will greatly enhance the competitiveness of your proposal. GRANT PROPOSAL Please adhere to the outline provided below to draft your grant proposal. Please address each section individually and make sure to answer all questions fully. Your proposal will be evaluated based on the completeness of responses to the following sections. Executive Summary a) Explain in a few sentences the overall idea of the project including what you want to 6

7 achieve, why, where and how? b) Try to link the project with the technical/sectorial focus of USAID. c) Describe a little about the innovation of idea and how you the project will involve other alumni in the activities. Applicants Information a) The applicant may apply for grant in his/her organizational or personal capacity. However the Government employees are required to submit the NOC before the implementation of the project. If the applicant wants to apply through an organization, please provide organizational mission, objectives, structure, past experience with other donors and yearly budget. Problem Statement a) What is/are the problem(s) your grant activity will address, in context with the geographical coverage? Also explain a little about the targeted area (Union Council, City, District, Province etc.) b) Who else is working on the issues your grant activity will address? c) How do your proposed activities differ from the work already being done? Statement of Goal and Objectives a) What is the overall goal of your proposed grant activity? b) What are the specific objectives of your proposed grant activity including the type and number of direct and indirect beneficiaries? c) How will the objectives of the proposed grant activity further support the program you attended? d) Establish a link among the program you attended, the proposed project and the USAID objectives. Proposed Project Activities: a) List the activities that you want to execute in the project period; you may also cluster activities in phases. b) Who will directly benefit from your activities, especially how female will be benefited? c) Who will implement the activities? d) What will be the outcome or results of the activities? Capacity Statement a) What was your training program under the USAID? Please include the program dates. b) What activities from your Action Plan or otherwise have you conducted since your program completion? 7

8 c) How will you ensure the participation of other alumni or beneficiaries in your project? d) Please describe your capacity or your organization s capacity to manage financial resources should you be awarded a grant. e) Describe the role of the implementers of the project. Attach CV s for individuals or a concise description of the institutions involved (the applicant s CV is also required). Monitoring & Evaluation a) How do you propose to monitor the activity during the course of implementation? b) How will you determine if your activities have been successful? Sustainability, Outputs and Outcomes a) List expected accomplishments of the grant activity. Be specific about what will improve as a result of the activity. These should be given in tangible numbers and outreach. b) What will be the accomplishments of the activity and how it will it positively affect the lives of the beneficiaries in the next 5 years? c) How you ensure the sustainability of the project? How the idea will carryover after the completion of the project period? Budget a) Please develop a comprehensive budget (format attached) of the proposed project this should include the following: i. Item-wise detail budget ii. Summary of the Budget iii. iv. Budget Notes Include other financial or in-kind resources or organizational contributions available for the proposed project 8