The World Bank Country Office in Nigeria invites youth-oriented Civil Society Organizations (CSO), preferably youth-led, throughout Nigeria to submit innovative proposals for participation in its Civil Society Fund (CSF) small grants programme. This year the programme is devoted to fostering the engagement of youth in social and economic development. The deadline for submission is May 16, 2011.
Who can apply?
Youth-oriented civil society organizations that are
- Based in Nigeria, with clear legal standing as a CSO (please attached legal registration).
- Working on issues of youth participation and engagement in social and economic development and/or active in the areas of civic engagement in good governance, including voice and representation of marginalized and vulnerable youth in the planning, implementation and monitoring of projects, oversight in the execution of public resources and implementation of, of fiduciary processes;
- In good standing and have a record of achievement in the community. Organisations must have been in operation for more than 3 years and have a record of financial probity (please attach evidence);
- Priority will be given to organizations not supported by the Program in the last three years. Organizations are not eligible for more than 3grants from the Civil Society Fund within a 5 year period.
The Civil Society Fund is able to fund only a very small percentage of the requests it receives as demand far exceeds the funds available.
What sorts of activities are supported?
The CSF will support activities related to civic engagements such as strengthening the capacity of youth-oriented and/or led CSOs to voice their needs and advocate for specific reforms or development projects; fostering exchange and debates among youth on development challenges in Nigeria, in particular youth employment, conflict and policy responses; monitoring of public services; and the engagement of youth in development policy. These activities will create opportunities for youth involvement in development projects that specifically target them, at the project planning, monitoring and implementation stages. All activities to be supported should be linked with one specific challenge, indentify entry points for the engagement of youth and outline specific ways in which the engagement of youth is going to translate into improving their representation in the policy making process.
The activities proposed must be achievable within a year of the date the grant is awarded and be completed by June 2012. As part of the deliverable requirements, successful organizations will be responsible for attending a one day stakeholders meeting in July 2011 at the World Bank Country Office, Abuja, to share knowledge and discuss best practices from previous CSF small grants calls for proposals. This meeting will be before the implementation of proposed activity.
Proposals will be evaluated on the bases of (a) relevance of proposed activity to the grant objectives; (b) feasibility and sustainability of proposed activity and (c) clarity of the proposal.
Which activities are not supported?
CSF will not fund research programs; formal academic training programs; scholarships; fellowships; study programs; applications from individuals; infrastructure projects; direct service delivery; medical equipment; computer equipment and installation; overhead costs; workshops unless there is a primary civic engagement objective; meeting basic needs; full-time salaries; political or security activities.
What size of grants will be awarded this year?
Grants awarded will range from N450, 000 - N1, 050,000[*], with 80% disbursed at the beginning and 20% towards the end of the project. It is recommended that grantees contribute an amount equal to 50 % of the award towards the project, including cash and in-kind contributions such as staff time and office space.
Application Package
The following should be included in the application
- Organization’s name and mission statement, year of registration and name of the director of the organization, the contact person and title as well as the contact details and website (if available)
- Purpose of the funding request and how the activity relates to civic engagement
- The target population and the expected output indicators and outcomes of the activity.
- Amount of CSF request, the budget and the period this funding request will cover, as well as the funding counterpart’s budget
- Records of engagement activities that promote youth engagement in social and economic development and the achievements, as well as records of financial probity
- If your organization has received previous support from the World Bank, please list the year, amount, and describe for what purpose
How to apply
Interested organizations who meet the eligibility criteria may submit a proposal by hand delivery or courier to: Small Grants Program Coordinator, (Attention: Human Resource Officer) Plot 433, Yakubu Gowon Crescent, Opp. ECOWAS Secretariat, Asokoro District, Abuja.
The Civil Society Fund gives full consideration to all proposals. Given the very large number of requests, personal phone calls and visits to the World Bank Office by grantees are discouraged.
The deadline for recipient of applications is May 16, 2011. Applications received after the deadline will not be acknowledged or processed. Only shortlisted organizations will be contacted.
