The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has issued a call for proposals from Guyanese civil society and non-government organizations to fund innovative community based projects, starting from US$300,000 to a maximum of US$750,000.
“Project proposals should (focus) on highly innovative solutions that will solve community problems and support community-based development,” the bank said in a statement, while noting that organisations will have the opportunity to pitch and present “their most innovative solutions” to the IDB, and the winners will get the IDB´s support to incubate, develop or scale up those solutions.
According to the statement, this year’s call for proposals places emphasis on the “IDB Strategy for Social Innovation” in the two categories: Financing Productive Development of Microenterprises and Strengthening Prevention Against Community Violence. “Project solutions must focus on innovative approaches that will (target) poverty reduction and social development activities that respond directly to the needs of socially and economically disadvantaged people, stimulate wide-spread civil society stakeholder group participation at the community level and pilot partnerships with [Civil Society Organisations] as implementing agencies to reach groups currently not being reached by other programs,” it added.
The bank identified those eligible to apply as local and international civil society organizations that are legally constituted and registered in Guyana, with a minimum of five years since legal constitution and registration under either the Friendly Societies Act, Companies Act or Trust Deed and with the ability to prove their financial soundness by evidence of the latest EXTERNAL audit report of the financial statements, no later than 2011.
It has posted call for documents on its website and started accepting questions for clarifications from May 15th through May 28th.
The IDB said it will start a competitive process to accept innovative project concepts from June 10th and will only accept proposals received until 11.59 p.m. (Guyana time) June 24th, 2014 or the day it reaches 500 received concept solutions.
In addition, the IDB Guyana Country Office will host briefing sessions in Georgetown, Berbice and Linden between May 27th and June 6th open only to organisations that meet the minimum of five years legal constitution and registration to clarify the submission process, eligibility requirements, assessment criteria and proposal writing tips. Eligible organisations interested in participating in the briefing session are advised to contact the IDB at 47 High Street, Kingston, Georgetown, via email at 1dbguyana@iadb.org or by phone at 592-225-7950-3.
Access the full Call for Proposals information and guidelines at: http://www.iadb.org/en/topics/civil-society/call-for-proposals-civil-society-jpo/home,4216.html.
