Call for Proposals: Fostering Conservation of Biodiversity, Sustainable Livelihoods and an Empowered Civil Society in Lao PDR

Purpose:

This call for proposals, which is financed by The McConnell Foundation and implemented by IUCN, will support local NGOs and CSOs in Lao PDR in the areas of biodiversity conservation and sustainable natural resource management.  The programme is based on the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) model and makes use of CEPF systems and processes that are already in place. IUCN implements the CEPF in the Indo-Burma Hotspot, which includes Lao PDR.

Eligible NGOs and CSOs are invited to submit proposals, preferably in English language, however, Lao language applications will also be considered.  An applicant can submit more than one proposal but an applicant can only receive one grant at a time.  Applicants must use the prescribed application and budget templates, found in the following links:

Download the Application Template (English) here.

Download the Budget Template (English) here.

Download the Application Template (Lao) here.

Download the Budget Template (Lao) here. 

Eligibility:

NGOs and CSOs that are registered and have headquarters in Lao PDR are eligible to apply. NGOs and CSOs that are registered and have headquarters abroad are also eligible to apply, so long as they work only in Lao PDR and do not have activities in other countries. No geographical restrictions apply as long as the project is implemented within Lao PDR.

Funding levels:

Applicants can apply for up to US$20,000 per proposal. All activities must be completed within 12 months.

Thematic areas:

Proposals should address the themes of biodiversity conservation, sustainable livelihoods, waste management, and/or the strengthening of civil society organisations working in these thematic areas.  Illustrative project activities include, but are not restricted to the following:

• Biodiversity Conservation: Species conservation; community managed protected areas; participatory management of protected areas; environmental education; and awareness raising.
• Sustainable Livelihoods: Non-timber forest product management and marketing; community fisheries; and ecotourism.
• Waste Management: Pollution control; clean water initiatives; and solid waste management.
• Strengthening civil society: Media training and capacity building of civil society organisations (project design, proposal preparation, project management, communications, financial management, etc.) working on biodiversity conservation, sustainable livelihoods and/or waste management.

How to apply:

Applicants can apply in English or Lao language using the offline template available here. Applicants are advised to prepare proposals for projects that are up to 12 months in duration with an estimated start date of 1 September 2022.  Completed proposals should be sent via an e-mail attachment to Mr. Lee Xiong, Lee.Xiong@iucn.org.  The file name of the proposal submitted should be as follows: Organisation acronym_LESGP Proposal. For example, SSA_LESGP Proposal. Receipt of the application will be acknowledged by e-mail. Applicants will be contacted thereafter as to how to proceed. Questions or concerns during this process can be sent to Mr. Lee Xiong.  

IUCN will organize a Q&A session on 21 April 2022 at 9:00 - 12:00 PM at the IUCN Lao office.  If you wish to attend, please email Mr. Lee Xiong or call the IUCN Lao Office +856 (21) 417455, 020 5535 4289 to confirm.  It is recommended that you attend in order to clearly understand the application process. 

Deadline:

All applicants must submit their proposals by 11:59 PM Indochina Time (ICT) on 08 May 2022. Proposals received after this time will be rejected. No modification or editing of applications will be accepted after the deadline.

Selection process:

Preference will be given to projects that address the following criteria: (i) alignment with the Thematic Areas; (ii) have a high likelihood of achieving their stated objectives and contribute strongly to sustainable conservation outcomes; (iii) build upon past initiatives and complement ongoing initiatives; (iv) represent good value for money; and (v) demonstrate the institutional capacity and experience necessary to carry out the work. IUCN welcomes applications from current and past grantees, as well as organizations that have not previously received IUCN funding.

All proposals submitted will first be screened to confirm their eligibility. Eligible LoIs will then undergo preliminary reviews utilising the criteria mentioned below. Based on these reviews, shortlisted applications will be further considered during a meeting of the National Advisory Committees (NAC) in Lao PDR. Considering the recommendations of the NAC, decisions will be made on projects to receive funding.

Further information and assistance can be obtained from:

Mr. Lee XIONG, Head of IUCN Lao Office
IUCN Lao PDR office,
391/24 Bourichan Rd, Ban Naxay, Saysettha District, Vientiane
Email: Lee.Xiong@iucn.org
Tel: +856 (21) 417455, 020 5535 4289