Positive Action MSM & Transgender Programme Small Grants: Application Guidance Notes Contents Page Introduction 1 Our Strategy & Approach Mission Priority countries Focus areas Funding available Before You Apply: Eligible organisations Expectations of grantees & projects 1 1 2 3 4 6 6 7 Insights from our Community Review Board 8 How to Apply: Online application system: section-by-section guide 9 9 Next Steps & Our Review Process 12 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 13 Introduction The Positive Action MSM & Transgender Programme is a five year, 10million commitment made by ViiV Healthcare in 2015 to support men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender people affected by HIV and AIDS. This document sets out our approach, describes which organisations may be eligible for funding and provides guidance on how to apply. Our Strategy & Approach Mission The Positive Action MSM & Transgender Programme aims to improve the health and wellbeing of men who have sex with men and transgender people, strengthen their support networks, and encourage inclusive communities and institutions. To achieve this, we support community-led human rights-based approaches to: Reduce HIV incidence, AIDS-related mortality and the prevalence of STIs more broadly Counter specific socioeconomic drivers and consequences of HIV and AIDS Promote social justice 1
Priority countries We prioritise projects from resource-limited settings and environments hostile to MSM and transgender people (Figure 1). However, we accept applications for projects based in any country with the exception of the United States. US-based organisations may be eligible to apply for funding for projects located outside of the US if 85% or more of their funding request will be spent in the project country. Figure 1 Priority countries for the Positive Action MSM & Transgender Programme Afghanistan Albania Algeria Angola Antigua & Barbuda Argentina Armenia Azerbaijan Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia & Herz. Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Cape Verde C.A.R Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Congo Costa Rica Cote D Ivoire Cuba Djibouti DRC Dominica Dom. Repub. Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Eq. Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia Fiji Gabon Gambia, The Georgia Ghana Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras India Indonesia Iran Iraq Jamaica Jordon Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, North Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Lithuania Macedonia Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Marshall Isl. Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia Moldova Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Mozambique Namibia Nepal Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Oman Pakistan Palau Panama P. New Guin. Palestinian Terr. Paraguay Peru Philippines Qatar Romania Russia Rwanda Samoa Sao Tome & P. Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Soloman Isl. Somalia South Africa South Sudan Sri Lanka St. Lucia St. Kitts & Nev. St. V. & the Gr. Sudan Suriname Swaziland Syria Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tonga Tr. & Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Tuvalu UAE Uganda Ukraine Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam W. Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe 2
Focus areas We support organisations that focus on one or more of the following topics. 1) Prevention and testing of HIV and STIs 2) Access, early linkage to and/or sustained retention in culturally competent care 3) Adherence to HIV and AIDS medications 4) Social justice: stigma, discrimination, violence and other human rights violations related to HIV status and/or homophobia, biphobia, transphobia or other prejudice based on sexuality or gender. Projects may: Support MSM or transgender people who face rejection or marginalisation Address institutional stigma (e.g. in healthcare settings, medical/nursing schools, law enforcement or the media) Address broader societal stigma Counter criminalisation or inadequate recognition of MSM or transgender people 5) Sustainable capacity building. To support organisation and mobilisation of grassroots initiatives, successful projects may: Develop individuals who are actively engaged in the policy, advocacy or programmatic response to HIV and AIDS specific to MSM and transgender people Support specific organisational development needs for MSM or transgenderled groups to strengthen the community systems available to MSM and transgender people 6) Collaborations to address socioeconomic drivers of HIV The wider socioeconomic contexts for MSM and transgender people are often acknowledged by community-based organisations in resource-limited settings but cannot always be addressed. Therefore this year, for the first time, we are also inviting collaborative proposals to address specific socioeconomic drivers of HIV. Specifically, we are inviting CBOs working with MSM and/or transgender people to collaborate with other organisations that address (1) poverty, (2) education, employment and training opportunities, (3) inadequate shelter or (4) food insecurity. 3
Funding available 1 2 3 4 5 6 For collaborative projects: Prevention & Testing Access, Early Linkage & Retention Adherence Social Justice Capacity Building Socioeconomic Drivers Poverty Education/employment/training Shelter Food security Two options are available: Option A Apply for a project addressing topics 1-5 Applications from CBOs for projects led by MSM or transgender people may apply for up to 50,000 divided over two years, with no more than 30,000 (60%) in any one year. Option B Work with another organisation to address topics 1-5 and topic 6 Two organisations can submit one joint application in which the lead organisation addresses elements of topics 1-5 & the second organisation addresses elements of topic 6. Applicants may apply for up to 70,000 divided over two years, with no more than 42,000 (60%) in one year. In practice, these collaborations could include: A joint project LGBTI lead organisation working jointly with a socioeconomic organisation to address sexual health/human rights and socioeconomic topic(s) Referrals Strengthening referral mechanisms from LGBTI lead organisation to services/projects delivered by socioeconomic organisation Sharing guidance and expertise Socioeconomic organisation building the capacity of LBGTI lead organisation to address socioeconomic topics or LGBTI lead organisation building the capacity of socioeconomic organisations to reach and engage with LGBTI people in a culturally competent way For more information on projects that may be in scope, click here for our FAQs section. 4
How many topics do most applicants address in their project? We strongly advise that applicants do not address all topics. Focused applications addressing a small number of topic areas are more likely to be successful. How much funding is available for one year projects? A maximum of 25,000. Please be aware that two year projects are preferred. Can our organisation collaborate with other CBOs if we plan to address topics 1-5? Yes, we encourage applications between CBOs to address any topic. However, the higher funding amount is only available to applicants who select Option B. For more information on our onward granting rules, please see the FAQs section. How do we select Option A or B in the online application system? We determine your selection of Option A or B by looking at your answer to: Which of the following topic areas are most relevant to your proposed project? For Option B, please ensure you scroll to the bottom of the topic areas list and select one of the Socioeconomic drivers topics. 5
Before You Apply Before applying, please ensure that your organisation and project are eligible based on the information below. Applications that do not meet these criteria will not be accepted. Eligible organisations Eligible organisations must be non-governmental and not-for-profit/charitable or have a social purpose. Community-based organisations (CBOs), nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), registered charitable/not-for-profit organisations and (in specific circumstances) social enterprises may apply. Given the importance of community leadership in sexual health and human rights programming, applications from organisations led by MSM or transgender people are particularly welcome. Organisations that are not led by MSM or transgender people may still apply however if the proposed project has a high degree of leadership by MSM and transgender people or if they are addressing socioeconomic drivers of HIV in collaboration with a community-led organisation. Our primary focus is on community-based organisations and projects. The following areas are not eligible for funding: individuals, medical research, conferences or any retrospective funding. Additionally, we will not under any circumstances provide funding for antiretroviral (ARV) treatment of HIV patients, or purchase or prescribing of HIV prescription medication. We do not provide grants of more than 25% of an organisation s total revenue (income) during any given calendar year. For US-based organisations, we do not provide more than 10% of an organisation s total revenue during the same period. As our application window is open in mid-2017, we use an organisation s 2016 revenue for the initial 25% calculation. For example, if your organisation had an income of 75,000 in 2016, you would be eligible to apply for 25,000. 85% of the requested budget for your proposed project must be spent in the country in which the project is implemented. No more than 15% (and ideally less than 15%) should be allocated for indirect costs/overheads. These are defined as costs for general operations which cannot be directly attributed to your Positive Action project. Salaries for those directly involved in the project can be included in direct costs; employees with general roles not specific to this project should be included in indirect costs. Unfortunately, we only accept applications in English at this time. Organisations must also have the capacity to converse in English throughout the project duration. 6
Expectations of grantees & projects Projects should be: Relevant to local epidemiology (based on a know your epidemic, know your response approach) Tailored to the local community s needs Accepted by the community Effective (outcomes driven, delivering tangible and replicable change) Aligned to global best practices and guidance Complementary to other initiatives Integrated with existing activities wherever possible Sustainable Based on evidence and evidence-generating Able to make use of culturally-relevant technology where applicable Led by the community. Projects must be led by the community; organisations will ideally be led by MSM or transgender people. Positive. A focus on positivity, empowerment and ensuring holistic sexual health and wellbeing is preferable to messaging exclusively related to risk. Have effective, culturally appropriate youth engagement strategies Maximise opportunities to engage with those who are HIV negative. Opportunities to engage with MSM or transgender people in terms of their health should not be lost if an individual tests negative for HIV. Engagement should extend above and beyond testing towards risk reduction counselling and other services. 7
Insights from our Community Review Board Applications are screened for their eligibility and alignment with our Programme s strategy. Shortlisted applications are then reviewed by our external Community Review Board. Below, in their own words, are some of the aspects of proposals our Review Board most value. Some of the best applications are those from grassroots organisations which acknowledge individual-level impact, summarise the positive difference which the project funding could make to a community, outline how this funding could complement other funding sources already secured and how this project complements other work underway in the community by the applicant and others. I greatly appreciate applications that show how MSM, transgender women or transgender men are involved top to bottom in an organisation s management and activities. Clarity in expressing what an organisation wants to do, why, how they will achieve their purpose, who their direct beneficiaries are, the benefits they expect to provide through their activities, the outcomes they envisage and clear indicators. Evidence of a rapid self-assessment at the start of the project or earlier to consider the capacities an applicant needs to have or to strengthen in order to be sustainable and effective. Applicants should include: (1) a description of their organisation, particularly whether they are community-led (i.e. led by MSM or transgender people); (2) evidence of clear innovation in the proposal how an idea meets the local needs in an innovative way; (3) measurable and realistic goals and objectives; (4) clear budgets and justification for them (including relevant core costs such as salaries, rent, etc); (5) a clear understanding of how this funding would complement existing activities. I value proposals in which the community knows what the gaps are in the current projects they are implementing and clearly explains how a grant from the MSM & Transgender Programme can fill the gaps. I also like new approaches based on what they have learnt from previous work or in response to the changing to the needs of the community. The applicants should be sure to include information on their other projects. Transgender people are often portrayed as a homogenous community, which does not reflect the multiple layers of their identities and experiences and therefore the different forms of discrimination they face. It is extremely important to make sure that diverse perspectives (e.g. race, class, disabilities, etc) are being heard and incorporated into the project, to have a bottom-up approach, and to involve those who have less access to rights and resources at every stage of the project. 8
Project Details Organisation Details How to Apply You can access our online application system here. Please note: Applications submitted in any other format will not be accepted. We are only able to accept applications in English. Organisations must also have the capacity to converse in English throughout the project duration. Our online application system: section-by-section guide The table below provides additional context and guidance on some key questions from our application form. Our expectations for those questions not listed below are clear from the application form. Question Organisation Name Organisation Address, Website, Facebook page & Twitter handle Lead Contact Project Duration Project Location(s) What are specific unmet needs related to HIV/AIDS, sexual health and human rights for MSM or transgender people in your community that your project aims to address? Guidance If you are applying for a collaborative project that addresses socioeconomic driver(s) of HIV: The organisation focused on sexual health and/or human rights should be considered the lead applicant organisation. The second organisation focused on one of the four socioeconomic topics should then be clearly referred to throughout the application (i.e. not just in Question 4, Proposed Project Details). If you are applying for a collaborative project focused on our other topic areas: The organisation with greater responsibility for budget accountability, project management, delivery, communication and reporting of the project should be listed as the lead applicant. Other organisations should be clearly referred to throughout the application (i.e. not just in Question 4, Proposed Project Details). This information will be treated as confidential for all applicants. If your application is successful, we will discuss your confidentiality requirements and respect them throughout your project s duration. The lead contact should be the person responsible for delivery of the project in-country. If your application is successful, we will clarify the appropriate person to be named on your grant agreement (e.g. Executive Director). There is therefore no need to list your organisation s senior leader(s) as the lead contact here. Applicants can request funding for either one or two years. Please be aware that priority is often given to two year projects. Please outline the specific areas in which your proposed project will operate as well as county/region. Whilst reference to national level policies and epidemiology is welcome, answers must be refined to a local context. Please ensure that you articulate the specific needs of the communities which your organisation intends to serve in a clear, concise way. We strongly recommend answering the optional, creative question at the end of the application form to support your answer to this question (click here). 9
Project Funding Project Details (ctnd) Which of the following topic areas is most relevant to your proposed project? Outline how you will ensure that MSM/transgender people lead on project design and implementation. How will you build the capacity of MSM/transgender people involved in the project? If relevant, what is your strategy to ensure your project is impactful with young people? If you are applying for a collaborative project that addresses socioeconomic driver(s) of HIV: Ensure that you select one or more of the Socioeconomic drivers of HIV topic areas by scrolling to the bottom of the list. Collaborative projects addressing socioeconomic drivers are eligible to apply for 70,000 over two years; other projects are eligible to apply for 50,000 over two years. If the correct topic areas are not selected, we may assume your project is not addressing socioeconomic drivers and reject your application due what appears to be an excessive budget request. Organisational leadership by the LGBTI community is our preference; project leadership by the LGBTI community is mandatory for projects funded by the Positive Action MSM & Transgender Programme. Clearly outline the specific way in which you intend to engage with young people in an impactful way and involve them throughout the project to ensure acceptability of your proposed intervention. Are other partners involved in this project? If relevant, which international and/or national framework(s)/guidance documents is this project aligned with? How is your project aligned? Be sure to describe each organisation, their respective roles and responsibilities and which (if any) of the partners will receive funding. All partners benefitting from funding if your application is successful may have to undergo a screening process and must have the necessary documentation in place (click here). Examples may include the documents below, other internationally recognised guidance and key populationsspecific frameworks published by national governments. Implementing Comprehensive HIV & STI with men who have sex with men to access Authors: UNFPA, The Global Forum on MSM and HIV, UNDP, UNAIDS, WHO, USAID, PEPFAR Implementing Comprehensive HIV & STI Programmes with Transgender People to access Authors: UNDP, IRGT, UN Population Fund, UCSF Centre of Excellence for All questions Please only enter numeric values (i.e. no currency symbols such as or $). 10
Attachments [Optional] Additional Project Content. Upload additional media or documents that provide insight on the challenges that your project addresses. We are keen to better understand the particular HIV/AIDS, sexual health and human rights challenges faced by key populations in your community by hearing directly from the individuals your organisation serves. Please upload content that provides an individual level insight on these challenges. Whilst this question is optional, we strongly recommend providing an answer as the insights provided will be invaluable to our Community Review Board when determining the specific unmet needs of the communities your organisation serves. Before doing so, please carefully review the examples of content that we accept and guidance related to this question. All content will be treated confidentially. 11
Next Steps & Our Review Process Application submitted Closing date: Wednesday 21 st June 2017. Applications submitted after this time will not be accepted. Internal review Rejected* Application passed for review by our Community Review Board Application conditionally approved Application rejected* Due diligence checks Application approved* Contracting & payment process * We aim to make all applicants aware of the outcome of their application by the end of September 2017 at the latest. 12
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) The application process Which populations does the Positive Action MSM & Transgender Programme support? Do you support key populations more broadly? Our Programme is focused on all men who have sex with men (independent of whether they identity as gay, bisexual, heterosexual or otherwise), transgender women, transgender men, and those people who identify as having no gender, multiple genders or alternative genders. We accept applications focused on other key populations (e.g. sex workers, injecting drug users and prisoners) where the proposed project is targeting MSM and transgender people primarily. Given our focus on socioeconomic topics, support for MSM and transgender people engaging in transactional sex is an important area. We are particularly interested in those community-led projects which aim to support those who individuals who are hardest to reach i.e. those members of the communities listed above that are most marginalised, excluded and unable to access the sexual health and human rights services they require. What types of project are in scope for the socioeconomic drivers of HIV topic? For the first time this year, we are accepting collaborative proposals aligned to one of four socioeconomic topics. Whilst these topics are broad, we are seeking targeted interventions that address the socioeconomic drivers at the micro level and in a sustainable, appropriate way. Our Community Review Board will make decisions on the appropriateness of collaborations; the table below illustrates the types of project activities which may be in scope. Socioeconomic driver Poverty Education, employment & training Examples of potential activities considered in scope - Making microfinance services available to members of the LGBTI community - Support in accessing social benefits - A small scale, time-bound, community-level study of the impact of modest conditional cash transfers - Sustainable income-generating activities for products/services for which there is clear demand - Initiatives to promote attendance at school for young MSM or transgender people - Further education and training - Other support to help MSM and transgender people into work Examples of potential activities considered out of scope - A cash transfer programme that is unsustainable once the small grant concludes - School fees or other associated costs Shelter - Support in accessing social benefits - Subsidising rent costs - Increasing awareness of how nutrition can reduce Food security vulnerability to HIV and resilience to AIDS; adding - Unsustainable food nutritional counselling onto existing sexual health provision services, inc. community outreach - Improving access to food assistance programmes 13
Our organisation is located in the United States. Can we apply? Organisations located in the US can apply but only if their proposed project is based outside of the US and 85% or more of the budget request will be spent in the project country. Projects based in the US are not eligible for funding. Please note that we prioritise projects from organisations based in resource-limited settings and environments hostile to MSM and transgender people. Can we collaborate with other organisations? We encourage collaboration between organisations both to address socioeconomic drivers of HIV and to address our other topic areas. Please ensure your collaborative partner is referenced throughout the application, including their role and responsibilities in terms of project delivery and budget management. Are onward disbursements permitted? Projects proposing to disburse funds onward to other community-based organisations are permitted. Please note that these organisations are likely to have to undergo a screening ( validation ) process. We disburse payment via CAF, the Charities Aid Foundation. It is essential that onward grant recipients have a number of documents in place in order to quickly conclude CAF s screening ( validation ) process. Each must be in English and certified by a public notary. Documents include: Your organisation s constitution/governance document, which must include a dissolution clause Audited accounts for the previous financial year Your organisation s most recent annual report A list of your organisation s Board of Directors/senior leadership team, including addresses and dates of birth Proof of your organisation s charitable status Indian organisations only: FCRA and 80g documentation All information will be treated as strictly confidential by ViiV Healthcare and CAF. Can we apply for part or co-funding? Yes. Please ensure that you provide full details of the current funding arrangements in your application. Who should we designate as the lead contact? The lead contact should be the person responsible for delivery of the project incountry. If your application is successful, we will contact you to clarify the named person on your grant agreement (e.g. your organisation s Executive Director). There is therefore no need to list your organisation s senior leader(s) as the lead contact. 14
What happens after we submit our application? You will receive an automatically generated email from our online application system to confirm receipt of your application. Can we apply if we have received funding from the Positive Action MSM & Transgender Programme previously? We only accept applications from existing MSM & Transgender Programme small grantees when: (a) the proposed project is located in one of our priority countries (click here) (b) the current grant concludes by the end of 2017 Which currency should we use? We are only able to contract in British Pounds (GBP; ). Applicants may choose to factor in modest and reasonable currency fluctuations when determining your proposed project s budget as we are unable to provide additional funding at a later stage. The online application system is not working correctly. What shall we do? Please email us (positiveaction.msmt@viivhealthcare.com) outlining the specific problem you are having and a screenshot of the SalesForce system. Can we submit a proposal outside this process? We do not accept small grants applications outside of the calls for proposals window. What do you mean by a community-led human rights-based approach? Community-led refers to projects led by members of the LGBTI community. (Organisations focused on socioeconomic topics who are working in collaboration with LGBTI-led projects do not necessarily need to be led by LGBTI individuals but should, at a minimum, be culturally sensitive and open to learning best practices for impactful engagement from the LGBTI lead organisation.) A human rights-based approach ensures human rights standards and principles are put into practice in projects with a focus on those who are most marginalised, excluded or discriminated against. In this approach, LGBTI people are integral to improving their health and wellbeing rather than exclusively being recipients of interventions or services from others. Local ownership, a reduction in disparities and empowerment of those left behind are essential. 1 1 Adapted from United Nations Population Fund. The Human Rights-Based Approach. Available online: www.unfpa.org/human-rights-based-approach 15
The review, contracting and payment processes Who will review our application? Your application will be reviewed internally and, if approved, it will then be shortlisted for assessment by our Community Review Board. When will we be told the outcome of our application? We aim to let all applicants know of the outcome of their application as soon as possible and by the end of September 2017 at the latest. Can we receive feedback on our application? We are unable to provide specific feedback on applications but aim to make unsuccessful applicants aware of general feedback from our review process, including comments from our Community Review Board. If our application is successful, what are the next steps? We will write to you to outline the contracting and payments process. Please ensure that you have the documents required by CAF (see below). How is payment disbursed? We disburse payment via CAF, the Charities Aid Foundation. It is essential that you have a number of documents in place in order to quickly conclude CAF s screening ( validation ) process. Each must be in English and certified by a public notary. Documents include: Your organisation s constitution/governance document, which must include a dissolution clause Audited accounts for the previous financial year Your organisation s most recent annual report A list of your organisation s Board of Directors/senior leadership team, including addresses and dates of birth Proof of your organisation s charitable status Indian organisations only: FCRA and 80g documentation Please note: All information will be treated as strictly confidential by ViiV Healthcare and CAF. Other organisations with which you are collaborating may also need to undergo the CAF validation process. Please ensure that they have the relevant documentation in place before applying. 16
What are the Positive Action MSM & Transgender Programme s reporting requirements? To ensure the grants disbursed by the Positive Action MSM & Transgender Programme are as impactful as possible, we expect grantees to report via: Telephone calls every two months with your dedicated grant manager (MSM & Transgender Programme Associate) A short written report after six months that provides a summary of programmes and activities A Year 1 Report. This is required before Year 2 payment is disbursed and should detail: (a) your project s progress in qualitative and quantitative terms with reference to your Timeline & Logical Framework; (b) the current project budget. A short written report after 18 months that provides a summary of programmes and activities A Final Project Report. This should be submitted within two months of the end of your project. Reporting templates are available on request. We do not have a specific template for budget reporting however; please use your preferred format. Can our project budget be audited? We reserve the right to audit a project at any time. If sufficient evidence cannot be provided to show that funding is being used for the charitable purposes stated in your proposal, we may terminate funding. Will we be able to apply for an extension? We will write to you in the closing stages of your project to inform you as to whether there will be an opportunity to apply for an extension. Your project proposal should not anticipate any extension. Can we apply to other Positive Action programmes in the future? Yes, if your organisation continues receive no more than 25% of its funding from ViiV Healthcare in any calendar year (10% if your organisation is based in the US). Where should we direct further questions? For questions not addressed in this document, you can email the Positive Action MSM & Transgender Programme team: positiveaction.msmt@viivhealthcare.com * * * Thank you for your interest in the Positive Action MSM & Transgender Programme and good luck with your application! 17