DFID's White Paper, "'Eliminating World Poverty: Building Our Common Future'", outlines DFID's approach to working with civil society. It highlights the fact that DFID recognises that the work of governments alone will not be enough to eliminate world poverty and that to achieve further and faster poverty reduction, governments must work closely with citizens and civil society groups.
Background
The White Paper states that over the next few years DFID will increase its work with organisations in the UK and overseas who play an important role in development. This will include groups with who do not currently benefit from DFID support. Many of these groups are involved in supporting very small scale, often localised activities which do not meet the criteria we have for our existing centrally managed civil society funding schemes, such as the Partnership Programme Arrangements (PPA) and Civil Society Challenge Fund (CSCF).
To address this, DFID is establishing a new funding stream aimed at community based organisations involved in providing specific small scale, one-off support that directly targets poverty in the developing world and includes a significant development awareness component in the UK. The Fund will be operational for an initial 16 months from 2010.
The Fund is intended to offer funding opportunities to not for profit organisations but is not intended to replace or overlap with other DFID funding mechanisms.
Details of the Fund and application process
Key elements
- A total of £7m for an initial period of 16 months, with a mid-term review by August 2010 and an evaluation before the end of March 2011.
- An application based Fund.
- Small scale proposals up to £60,000 ceiling
- Up to 100% funding for an application.
- Applications to cover a period not exceeding one year.
- Applications will be appraised at 3 decision making rounds.
- Applications can cover work in any low or lower-middle income developing country.
- Open only to not for profit organisations.
- Applications must show that the intended activities will improve the lives of poor people in the developing world.
- Applications must demonstrate how the intended work will be used to help raise awareness of development issues in the UK.
- A limit of three applications per group/organisation at any one time.
- Successful applicants can re-apply for funding but only after they have accounted for any previous grants provided
Applications
We understand the need to keep the administrative burden on small organisations to a minimum - but at the same time we must ensure that the decisions we make are based on sound rationale. For this reason we insist that all applicants MUST complete the application form.
Applications must:
- Set out experience, achievements and potential in working on the area of work you are requesting support for.
- Set out what difference you seek to make to the communities you will be working with. For example how will the intended work impact on the lives of particular groups of poor people in that area (such as women, children, youth, disabled, people living with HIV/AIDS, minorities or landless) or on local environment.
- Set out how the work that you are proposing to undertake is 'i
nnovative
' - Set out how you intend to raise awareness of development in the UK through lessons learned/experiences from the project
- Set out how you will recognise DFID's contribution to your work
What else must I submit with my Application?
- A copy of whatever documentation you have which could be described as your organisation's constitution
- Your organisation's most recent annual audited or approved accounts
- A short background note on your organisation
- A budget showing how you intend to spend the grant requested
What can't be funded under this Fund?
- Applications which we deem to be better suited to other DFID funding streams
- Disaster and humanitarian relief projects
- Research work
- Core support
- Funding to governments
- Religious evangelising and proselytising
- Campaigning that takes a partisan political stance
- Discrimination – any element of a project that discriminates between individuals or groups because of their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion or disability
- Scholarships
- Projects which are comprised of only shipping or transport costs
- Land purchase or purchase of buildings
What kinds of activities might be supported under this Fund?
- The Development Innovation Fund can support a very broad range of projects as long as they target poverty in the developing world include a significant development awareness component in the UK
- Examples include: support to health camps, provision of text books, education/learning materials or other appropriate technology materials, skills exchange programmes.
Process
What is the application process?
You must submit a completed application form together with the additional documentation requested in 2.2 (above) to the Fund Manager at dif@dfid.gov.uk.
The Fund Manager will acknowledge receipt of your application and provide you with a unique reference number within 3 days of receipt. The Fund Manager will also inform you of which Funding Round your application will be considered under. Applicants will be informed of the outcome of their applications within a week after the relevant funding round.
What happens if my application is rejected?
If your application is rejected the Fund Manager will write to you letting you know why.
Can I appeal against the decision?
We have set up fair, open and rigorous appraisal an decision making process and will provide all unsuccessful applicants with detailed feedback on why we have not offered support. We do not feel that there is any value in managing an appeals process. However, you can re-submit an application taking on board the feedback you have received - but only once.
Do I have to report on the activities?
Yes. A standard reporting format will be developed. As part of the arrangement, applicants will be expected to submit their reports within 1 month of completion of the activities.
Additional details
Who can apply to the Fund?
The Fund is targeted at any not for profit organisation or group working on small scale project(s) aimed at improving the lives of poor people in the developing world.
How do you define small organisation?
Small is any organisation or group with an average annual income over the past 3 years of less than £500,000
Why small scale applications?
DFID already has a number of other centrally managed funds which are open to not for profit organisations. However, all have criteria which make it very difficult for small scale organisations and applications to compete.
Will a certain amount of the £7m budget set aside for any particular part of the world or any particular type of project or groups?
No. We expect applications to cover a wide range of activities in a range of countries, regions and continents. Therefore, we don't think it would be helpful to divide up the Fund's resources into rigid pre-determined allocations.
How are 'developing countries' defined under the Fund?
Applications can focus on work in any low or lower-middle income country as defined by the OECD DAC, excluding EU accession countries.
An application based Fund?
Any organisation wishing to be funded must send an application (using an agreed format to be developed).
When can I send an application?
You can submit an application at any time. However, we will inform you which of the 3 funding rounds your application has fallen in to.
What do you mean by 'Raising Awareness of Development in the UK'?
One of the strengths which small scale organisations and small scale projects can have is their ability to reach down to the very grassroots level here in the UK and raise people's awareness of international development issues.
This will be an important part of the criteria for assessing applications. Applications must be very clear about what will be done in the UK to raise public awareness. This could be through appropriate articles in the local media, through talks or presentations to recognised clubs, local library, faith groups, community or other groups.
Your application must also set out how you plan to recognise DFID's contribution to your work.
If you have any questions about any aspect of these guidelines please e-maildif@dfid.gov.uk
