Hivos welcomes proposals for partners working around climate change adaptation and advocacy, especially organizations with a focus on women, youth, urban poor, rural communities, and marginalized groups. Partners selected in this process are expected to support the creation of multi-stakeholder platforms to co-create, document and advocate for local solutions, linking and strengthening existing social and grassroots movements around climate action, Public-Private-Community-Partnerships (PPCs) such as informal social audits by bringing the community, particularly those most vulnerable, and duty bearers together on issues of climate change to influence policy.
Hivos encourages applications from coalitions of local civil society actors (including formal and informal CSOs, CBOs, FBOs, grassroots organizations, local climate action champions etc), and classic and/or alternative media organizations. Coalitions should bridge divides (national-local, urban-rural, gender, youth), to amplify the voices for just climate action especially in relation to the following outcomes:
- A strengthened & inclusive civic space equipped and empowered to influence decision-making and co-create climate solutions
- Knowledge systems are in place to ensure decision makers are better informed through amplified storytelling and an enabled civic space represents vulnerable groups in influencing agenda setting
- A joint roadmap established to lobby and advocate on policies and financial flows on natural resources essential to livelihoods
Hivos is seeking for interested groups to apply to one of the three following grants:
- Climate grant for an organization or coalition (two or more organizations)
- Campaign / movement grant for a coalition of two or more organizations. The coalition could be a registered legal entity and/or hosted by a legal entity (non-profit local organization)
- Media fellowship or storytelling grant for an organization or coalition (two or more organizations)
Climate grant
This grant will support and individual or group of organizations that will create a program in any combination with the program’s pillars related to climate action and climate justice.
If applying as coalition:
The coalition must consist of at least three organizations, and one organization must apply as the lead organization. The lead organization should also be able to demonstrate – in assessments if shortlisted – institutional capability to manage sub-granting to the other organizations in the coalition. This program must include an element of policy and/or budget influencing and can operate at either sub-national or national level, or both. If operating at sub-national level, please indicate the counties you intend to work in. The program pillars are:
- Mutual capacity strengthening for co-creating locally shaped climate solutions;
- Agenda setting and movement in climate action through amplified storytelling;
- Joint lobbying and advocacy provide an enabling environment for civic space
Budget: up to 100,000 Euro
Campaign / movement grant
Hivos seeks to partner with organizations that are involved in existing or potential climate movements, women’s rights and feminist movements, digital activities, environmentalists, or artists in Tunisia. Of key interest are movements led by youth, women, Indigenous people or other marginalized groups. This grant will focus on strengthening the movement to achieve its goals through supporting campaigns spearheaded by the movement, and any capacity development the organization might need.
If applying as a coalition, one organization must be designated the lead in the application. The lead organization should also be able to demonstrate in assessments if shortlisted, institutional capability to manage sub-granting to the other organizations in the coalition.
Budget: up to 60,000 Euro
Media fellowship or storytelling grant
With this grant, Hivos seeks to partner with Tunisian organizations active in the media space to create an increase in both stories of inspiring climate action in the media, as well as more citizen stories being amplified for the public. Your organization should have experience in facilitating storytelling sessions with communities and citizens with tangible outputs, and/or experience implementing
media trainings and fellowships, as well as using stories for influencing at local and national level. Use of other (new social) media and innovative approaches to engage audiences, are welcome. If applying as a coalition, one organization must be designated the lead in the application.
Budget: up to 50,000 Euro
Who is eligible to apply?
- Locally registered Tunisian non-profit organizations
- Coalitions, networks, consortiums, and alliances with at least one locally registered Tunisian non-profit organization with sufficient operational and financial management experience
- Applicant with a clean human rights record
- Applicant with track record on developing and advocating for locally shaped climate solutions
- Applicant with ability to link to and mobilize larger networks or with the capacity to access, mobilize, convene, and influence power holders
It will be considered favorable if the coalitions/organizations:
- Have prior experience carrying out activities in priority areas related to climate change adaptation and mitigation including (desertification, water, food security and sovereignty, deforestation, coastline, energy, etc…)
- Includes actors not traditionally working in climate justice issues, but that have skills and tools which are relevant and/or scalable
- Reflects a diverse perspective and intersectionality approach which will enhance participation and strengthen the wider climate justice movement and advocacy
- Led by or who work with women groups, youth, persons with disabilities, or other marginalized groups.
- Willing to collaborate with other actors to influence stronger impacts and to build capacity over time and jointly develop and implement a capacity strengthening plan.
Non eligible organization:
International organizations
Evaluation Criteria
Generally, applications will be assessed based on eligibility or threshold criteria (minimum standards must be met), the quality of the proposal and the quality of the applicant organization or lead party of the coalition.
Key thematic area of evaluation:
Promote and advocate:
- Climate solutions
- Approach of stakeholders’ engagement
- Innovative practices and enhancement process
- Gender and social inclusion
- Marginalized and minoritized groups
- Access to water and sanitation services & rights (social justice & environmental rights)
- Just energy transition
- Innovative and traditional actions that could enhance community resilience
Specifically, the following criteria will be used during proposal review and selection:
- Clear aim and objective: the proposal is instrumental and/or strategic in contributing to VCA strategic objectives / outcomes (or even better the theory of change (ToC)
- Context analysis: the extent to which the proposal defines the problem and objective
- Rights holder representation: the degree to which the organization involves, represents, and potentially amplifies the voices of most impacted and underrepresented groups and communities
- Advocacy and lobby: the degree to which the project potentially influences the stakeholders to implement new procedures and policies, create new and unexpected connections and practice
- Innovation: the degree to which the project/coalition provides clear innovative methods to enhance civil society participation in climate action (innovative solutions, now-how potential of local communities and indigenous people, nature-based solutions NSBs)
- Knowledge brokering: how the project plans to use the available knowledge and package relevant information in easily accessible formats, to reach key stakeholders to support evidence-based decision-making for just climate action
- Thematic focus and relevance: project addresses at least one of the thematic areas (desertification, water, food, deforestation, coastline, energy, etc…)
- Intersectionality approach: adopts a diverse, gender-equality and rights-based perspective to climate action and advocacy
- Regional presence: Tunisia, the priority is given to the hotpots of climate change vulnerability zone.
- Covid-19 context: clearly outlines Covid-19 context and effective ways of working in light of the pandemic: mitigation risk plan
- Note: grants will be awarded by respective Alliance members directly to selected partners, depending on the thematic area chosen and applicant suitability. Grants will not be awarded collectively by the Alliance.
- Grant Value
Grants will be awarded for the duration of the VCA programme (2021 – 2023) depending on performance and availability of funds. Grants range to a maximum of 100,000 Euros and applications should be within this range. Applications should include an indicative budget in the proposal. A full and detailed budget is not expected at the proposal stage.
Proposal Requirements
Proposal should include the following:
- Indicate your thematic area of interest
- Title of project
- A brief description of your organization or coalition and why you are well-suited to carry out the proposed project
- A detailed description of the experience of your organization related to the thematic (advocacy, stakeholders engagement at the local level, concrete projects and actions related to climate solutions, NBSs, capacity building, etc…)
- A detailed description of the proposed project including overarching goals. Clearly explain the targeted results, and how they will be measured
- A description of how the project will be implemented in the context of Covid-19: Risk mitigation plan
- Identify lead organization and list coalition partners in the case of coalition, network, consortium, and alliance applications
- Identify lead contact and list contact name, phone number, and email information
- Amount of requested and indicative budget
Submission
Applicant (s) information:
- Date of application
- List of organization (s) applying for the call and a summarized organizational profile for each organization
- Name of the entity and representative that will sign the agreement if the grant is awarded
- Name of the program
- Grant you are applying for
Deadline: Application deadline is 15 November 2021, 17:00 (Central African Time).
Template: kindly complete your proposal by using the template (see annex).
Format of the application: send applications as a single PDF document
Subject line: please add the appropriate subject as follows:
- VCA Movement: Campaign / Movement grant
- VCA Climate: Climate grant
- VCA Media: Media fellowship or storytelling grant
Email: completed proposal should be submitted to one of the following email addresses:
And add in cc the following email addresses:
For further information, questions or clarifications, please contact eguezzi@hivos.org
