Call for Expression of Interest
Small Grants in Community Engagement for ICM in Lesotho Project
- Background
Funded by the European Union and German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, the Support to Integrated Catchment Management (ICM) project aims to facilitate socio-economic development and adaptation to climate change in Lesotho. The project will contribute towards improving the environment and adapting to climate change, while furthering food security through sustainable water resources and utilizing opportunities of the green economy and building upon the ‘water-energy-food security’ nexus in Lesotho.
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) will contribute to the Support to ICM project objectives by implementing two main components of the project through its Community Engagement for ICM in Lesotho project:
- Community mobilization and capacity building for ICM prevention measures
- Livelihoods strengthening at the community level
CRS is implementing the Community Engagement project through three national NGOs, namely Caritas Lesotho, Rural Self-help Development Association (RSDA), and Care for Basotho Association (CBA) in the six priority sub-catchments (PSC). These sub-catchments are Likhetla, Senqunyane, Maletsunyane, Khubelu, Makhalaneng, and Hlotse.
The main goal of the small grants is to mobilize community-based organizations (CBOs) to implement specialized or niche watershed management activities in the six PSCs, so that they not only become the agent of change for sustaining ICM activities at the grassroots level but also support the scaling activities for transformational change at scale.
Lesotho Council of NGOs (LCN) is expected to play an important role of coordinating the implementation of small grants at the grassroots level in the six PSCs.
The two specific objectives (SOs)/outcomes of the small grants are:
SO1: CBOs and local organizations have increased skills and capacities to participated in Support to ICM project
SO2: CBOs and local organization supported the implementation of Community Watershed Teams (CWTs) ICM Plans
- Priority areas for small grants
Within the scope of CWT ICM plans the potential priority areas include (but not limited to):
- Soil and water conservation
- Climate-smart agriculture practices
- Innovative marketing approaches
- Alternative livelihood/income generating activities (IGAs)
- Rangeland management
- Wetland management
- Water quality
- Youth and women engagement in ICM
- Eligible Participants
CBOs and any local civil society organization (CSO) that is:
- Based in/around the target PSCs
- Registered under the law of the country
- Has demonstrable experience and skills in at least one of the priorities areas
- Grant Duration
The estimated duration of each grant will be between three to six months depending on the work undertaken.
- Grant Location
Small grants are expected to implement CWTs ICM plans in the selected PSCs: Likhetla, Senqunyane, Maletsunyane, Khubelu, Makhalaneng, and Hlotse.
- Grant size
The size of the grant will not exceed €5,000. It is expected that a maximum of 12 grants will issued.
- Outline/Format of the EOI:
CBOs can develop their EOI using the following format and providing the requested information under each section. Please observe the word limit for each of the answers.
- Section 1: CBO vision, mission statements and a brief on why the NGO is interested in this project.
- Section 2: Please list all the NRM/agriculture/livelihoods projects that your organization has implemented over the past 5-years specifying duration, number of direct and indirect beneficiaries targeted, donor, activities, budget, target districts, and key achievements. (1000 words)
- Section 3: Please describe the project idea you intend to implement in line with the identified priority areas; project location, main problem to be addressed by the project, goal and specific objectives, project activities to be implemented, monitoring framework, workplan and budget. (2000 words).
- Support to the CBO/CSOs
- CRS through LCN will provide training to the selected organizations on project management, finance, and specific topic that the organization is implementing in target communities.
- CRS will provide a fixed grant amount for the implementation of selected activities.
- CRS through LCN will establish a monitoring system for the small grants.
- CRS through LCN will support project start up and closeout as per CRS Compass guidelines.
8. Information Dissemination Meeting:
CRS will organize an information dissemination meeting from 09:00AM to 12:00PM on Thursday, March 17, 2022, at Victory Hall, Maseru. Interested CBOs will learn more about the project, their expected roles, and will get the opportunity to ask questions during this meeting.
9. Submission Deadline
The deadline for submission is 12:00PM March 31, 2022. Expressions of Interest can be submitted to CRS via email to [email protected] with the subject line “EOI – Small Grant 2022”
A response to this Request for Expression of Interest does not automatically ensure that you will be selected to participate in the project. CRS reserves the right to change or cancel the requirement at any time during the EOI and/or solicitation process. CRS also reserves the right to require compliance with additional conditions as and when issuing the final solicitation documents. Submitting a reply to a call for EOI does not automatically guarantee receipt of the solicitation documents when issued.
CRS Contact Information:
| Address: | P.O. Box 11471, Cathedral Area, Maseru Lesotho |
| Attention to: | Mr. Ehsan Rizvi |
| Telephone # | +266 2232750 |
| Email address: | [email protected] |