UNESCO/RFP:  Youth-led Initiatives Grant

Ref no. RAM/2018/NMY/RS/232                                              

UNESCO: Request for Proposals:  Youth-led Initiatives Grant in Palestine

Deadline: 7 June 2018

Assignment finalization period: 17 June - 31 August 2018

The UNESCO Ramallah Office is requesting a written proposal for the assignment described below, to engage experienced youth organization to select and implement Youth-led Initiatives Grant in Palestine, in the context of the NET-MED Youth Project, funded by the European Union and implemented by UNESCO.

Introduction

The objective of the NET-MED Youth Project (www.netmedyouth.org) is to contribute to the creation of an enabling environment for young women and men to develop their competencies, exercise their rights and meaningfully engage as active citizens, particularly in decision-making relating to political, social, economic, educational and cultural policy and planning processes. In order to contribute to the above, NET-MED Youth is launching a process to enable the implementation of small youth empowering initiatives. The initiatives will support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals 5 (Gender), 8 (Decent work and economic growth and 16 (Peace, justice and strong institutions).

This call for proposals represents the first phase in the above mentioned youth-led initiatives grant, and aims to select one youth organization that will be contracted to support UNESCO in the implementation of the process.

 Objectives

The overall objective of the youth-led initiatives grant is reinforce and sustain the public participation and active involvement of youth to advance rights-based, peaceful, inclusive and stable societies. In addition, to empower young men and women create their own initiatives, implement them on the ground and build on them, in order to

• Strengthen the participation of young women and men within existing youth organizations on the local level;
• Design innovative initiatives, focusing on youth empowerment and participation that have the potential for catalytic effects;
• Enhance support to youth civil society organizations, and facilitate their inclusion and engagement with their communities;

Thematic focus

The youth-led initiative grants will support ideas whose main objective is youth empowerment and young people’s effective participation. Initiatives should focus on facilitating young people’s access to decision-making bodies, innovative ways to integrate youth in their community and young people’s role in preventing violent extremism.

 Initiatives should:

• Be strategic: must be of direct and immediate relevance to youth issues and interests, and fall within the priority thematic area of the NET-MED Youth project, which is effective youth participation.
• Leverage commitments and action on youth issues and concerns, serving their local community
• Support gender equality, respect for human rights and the inclusion of people with disabilities as a crosscutting dimension.

Eligibility

This request for proposals is open to youth organizations in East Jerusalem, from 24 May to 7 June 2018. One youth organization will be chosen, who will be contracted by UNESCO to in turn distribute smaller grants to selected individuals or groups to implement four youth-led initiatives.

For this purpose, the youth organization to first be selected by UNESCO shall be assessed as:

1. Technically and financially sound –capable of undertaking the tasks foreseen in this document;
2. Capable of inviting young women and men (individuals or groups) to submit proposals for the small grants, selecting (in consultation with UNESCO) the recipients of these grants and overseeing the implementation of their proposed initiatives.

Application process and timeline

The people\organizations who would be eligible to apply for the youth-led initiatives.   

1. Young leaders (civil society activists, advocates, university students) including those representing youth organizations, networks and coalitions supported by NET-MED Youth.
2. Selected civil society organizations, cultural institutions, local communities and other social interlocutors actively engaged in the prevention of violent extremism.  

UNESCO Ramallah’s Support:

1. Host an orientation meeting with the selected youth organization to be contracted, organization to provide guidelines on the process and suggestions on approaches for the development of the next steps;
2. Regularly monitor content and the effective and timely implementation of the contract tasks;
3. Provide technical support, as needed, in regards to the development and implementation of the actions foreseen.
4. Each of the four selected youth led initiative will receive from the NET-MED Youth Project,  a maximum budget for each initiative up to $ 2000 (four initiatives * 2000= $8000) with operational expenses of $ 1000 for the selected lead organization. Each initiative should not exceed two weeks.

Youth lead Organization responsibility:

1. Provide a report of the activities implemented, outputs produced, and challenges faced and supporting receipts for implementation at the end of each initiative.
2. Provide documentation, at least 50 high-resolution photos of each initiative, to promote their visibility and that of the NET-MED Youth project, UNESCO and the European Union.
3. The four selected youth led-initiatives are supposed to implement the activities during the stated period, and this can be at the same time for the four different initiatives.

Youth organization selection criteria:

1. 1. Interested in youth issues and concerns.
   2. Located in East Jerusalem.
   3. Preference will be given to proposals clearly showing how the planned activities will influence the social, cultural, political and economic reality of youth.
   4. A clear description of their own work modality of initiatives and work plan.
   5. Innovative: Particular consideration will be given to projects that attempt to try out new, creative initiatives and approaches to address a particular problem.  Initiatives should focus on facilitating young people’s access to decision-making bodies, innovative ways to integrate youth in their community, young people’s role in preventing violent extremism, including social media activities.
   6. Experience: the selected youth organization should have excellent experience in managing and implementing initiatives
   7. Value for money/Cost Effectiveness: Their proposals should demonstrate a focus on achieving value for money through its management and accountability mechanisms. Proposals should contain clear statements or budget explanations of why it is cost-effective or measures that will be taken to ensure cost-effectiveness. 

How to apply

By the deadline date of 7 June 2018, please submit ALL of the following

Via the link:

www.unesco.org/vacancies

Including the subject: Proposal for Youth Initiatives Grant in Palestine - UNESCO’s NET-MED Youth Project

• A proposal (2-3 pages) that includes a short description of youth organizations’ proposed work modality and work plan.

• A report of prior interventions of managing a youth led initiative activity.

• A description /profile of the organization/party interested in undertaking the assignment as the lead organization.

Missing, unclear or incomplete information or documentation and evidence of experience as requested above, may exclude you from further consideration.