Date of issuance: September 30, 2020

Due date for questions: October 5, 2020

Release date for response to all questions: October 15, 2020

Grant solicitation workshop: Abuja. Workshop date and venue will be confirmed via invitation letter

Closing date: October 25, 2020

Concept note applications are due by 4 pm (West Africa Time) on October 25, 2020 via email to ng-grants@mercycorps.org. Emailed submissions must contain the subject “CIPP grant concept note submission - (INSERT NAME OF YOUR ORGANIZATION)”

Estimated award date: November 25, 2020

Estimated Duration of Grants: 6-12 months

1. Background on Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is a global Humanitarian and Development agency, working on the front lines of today’s biggest crises to create a future of possibility, where everyone can prosper. Mercy Corps’ mission is to alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression by helping people build secure, productive and just communities. In more than 40 countries around the world we partner with local governments, CSOs, forward-thinking corporations, social entrepreneurs and people living in fragile communities to develop bold solutions that make lasting change possible.

2. Purpose Statement

The USAID funded Community Initiatives to promote Peace (CIPP) Program is pleased to announce the release of a request for applications (RFA) for funding provided to support the implementation of activities under CIPP. The Program, working with local partners will mitigate and manage conflict, resist rising religious intolerance and violent extremism, and proactively address root causes of conflict in Nigeria’s North West and North-Central regions. The Program, awarded in May 2019, is empowering local stakeholders and their government, private sector, and development partners at the local, state and federal government levels to prevent the outbreak of violence (through trust-building events, dialogues, policy advocacy, and linkages to sectoral programs), and to respond in a timely, effective way to mitigate and de-escalate violence when it does erupt (e.g., through mediation, dialogues, and EWER mechanisms). Prevention and response activities are grounded in the local community (e.g., dispute resolution, community-based dialogues, trust-building events) or act upon the wider cultural and policy environment (e.g., media outreach, policy advocacy) to catalyze systemic change. This RFA is issued as a public notice to ensure that all interested, qualified, and eligible actors have a fair opportunity to submit applications for funding.

The successful local partners will receive guidance, training and technical assistance from the CIPP team to ensure solid performance and results are achieved. Implementing local partners will be responsible for achieving results in their thematic areas, collecting data against indicators, as well as providing monthly narrative and financial reports.

3. Program Description

3.1. Program background

The Community Initiatives to Promote Peace (CIPP) program is a five-year Cooperative Agreement awarded to Mercy Corps by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The program has two overall objectives, which are to: ((1) empower communities to prevent and respond to violence and violent extremism by strengthening key skills and relationships, and (2) foster an enabling environment for peace through policy advocacy, media outreach, and linkages to development programs. Led by Mercy Corps, CIPP is implemented in partnership with Pastoral Resolve (PARE), Interfaith Mediation Centre (IMC), Savannah Centre for Diplomacy Democracy and Development (SCDDD) and African Radio Drama Association (ARDA).

CIPP builds on the accomplishments of TOLERANCE, Building Bridges, and Engaging Communities for Peace in Nigeria (ECPN) implemented by Mercy Corps, PARE and IMC.

However, CIPP’s approach is distinguished from its predecessor projects in key ways that reflect the evolving nature of violence in the target areas, including: explicit interventions to prevent violent extremism, a more intentional approach to engaging women, stronger linkages to government and business, focused attention to fostering an enabling environment for peace through policy change and media, and the ability to flexibly and rapidly shift geographical focus as new pockets of violence emerge.

Based on this, CIPP seeks to engage additional strategic partner (s) and actors within the broader field of freedom of religion or belief and interfaith action to support sustainable improvements in inter-religious harmony, respect for religious diversity, non-discrimination and religious tolerance in Nigeria.

Taking an integrated capacity building and awareness creation approach, CIPP plans to support civil society, private sector and local government partners to create network-based platforms necessary to foster critical collaboration among a broad range of stakeholders and peace actors.

To achieve the program goal of promoting peaceful co-existence and stability in Nigeria, CIPP is implementing activities through four interrelated approaches;

proactive and reactive intervention pathways that empower local stakeholders, as well as their government, private sector, and development partners at the state and federal levels, to prevent the outbreak of violence in their communities, and to respond in a timely, effective way to mitigate and de-escalate violence when it does erupt.

community engagement and community-based interventions that build on relationships at the community, state, and national levels to ensure ownership and sustainability of results, sequence activities for efficient implementation, and employ Nigerian expertise to build long-term capacity to address and respond to the root causes of conflict.

piloting innovative new approaches, such as parenting skills development to counter religious intolerance and radicalization; daily mobile phone surveys to provide real-time conflict trends and early warning; and media literacy and social media training to counter fake news and hate speech.

harnessing the vital role of women as a key opportunity for peacebuilding efforts in the Middle Belt; that ensures gender mainstreaming and support to women-led initiatives while building partner capacity to meaningfully engage women into the future.

3.2. Geographic area

Applicants are encouraged to submit applications for projects that cover one or more of the following states: 1) Kaduna, 2) and, 2) Kano. Applicants should provide the specific LGAs for proposed action.

3.3. Intended impact

CIPP seeks through this call to enhance inter-religious understanding and peace, including aspects relating to religion or belief, respect for diversity, countering hate speech and radicalization and enhancing dialogue and social inclusion (notably of vulnerable and disadvantaged populations such as persons belonging to religious and ethnic minorities, migrants, women and girls, disabled) and skills development.

To achieve this, CIPP seeks to support organizations that can provide an improved context-specific understanding of particular inter-religious peacebuilding pathways and can accompany communities to achieve their religious tolerance and social cohesion goals.

3.4. Intended target audience

CIPP-supported activities seek to sustainably strengthen peace and understanding in identified potential high-risk target sites in Nigeria’s North-West and North Central. CIPP is committed to improving peace and stability broadly, through its integrated capacity building approach that increases system-wide stakeholder participation, local alliances, knowledge and skills for youth, women, IDPs, religious minorities, wider range of clerics, lay leaders, madrassa teachers, government officials and citizens, and cements sustainable models for information and Early Warning and Early Response (EWER) services replicable on a national scale. Proposed actions should engage with a wide array of civil society actors—including local community and religious leaders at the LGA and state/federal levels—capable of influencing public attitudes related to inter-religious understanding and peace. These include traditional leaders, imams and Islamic scholars, pastors, priests, women and youth leaders, local business people, local politicians, teachers and artists, local government officials, students and cultural education specialists.

3.5. Expected role of sub-awardee in the program

Sub-awardee is expected to develop concepts and implement activities in line with CIPP’s overall program objectives and activities.

3.6. Thematic Areas and Illustrative Impact and Activities

CIPP will support activities that work toward the overall objective of increasing inter-religious understanding and peace, including in the following outcomes: enhancing religious pluralism, and respect for diversity, including aspects relating to religion or belief; countering hate speech and radicalization and enhancing dialogue and social inclusion (notably of vulnerable and disadvantaged populations, especially of persons belonging to religious minorities) and skills development. The effort will focus on building respect for religious diversity, targeting religious (inter-faith) actors, fostering mutual understanding and countering hate speech and radicalization through inter-religious dialogue and culture. Successful proposals will clearly demonstrate how the activities will address the needs of the population in a context-informed manner that empowers individuals to deal with conflicts related to religion or belief.  Concurrent to this RFA, CIPP will be undertaking a study to better understand the link between religion and conflict in North-West and North Central Nigeria, and applicants should be prepared to adopt their programming focus and approach based on the results of this research. 

Illustrative activities might include but not limited to the following:

• Support to activities that equip religious leaders, women leaders and youth with the knowledge and capacities to combat prejudice, stereotypes and discrimination, enable them to foster a culture of inter-group understanding, dialogue and interactions, strengthening their capacities to better respond to rising inter-religious tensions.

• Support for local CSOs to work within coalitions to advocate for religious diversity and influence duty bearers. This will lead local civil society leaders and organizations have improved capacity to enhance inter-religious understanding and respect for diversity between different religious and ethnic groups within targeted communities

• Support to activities that bring together large numbers of Muslim and Christian youth, women and religious majority and minority groups to promote peace, reconciliation, religious dialogue, and civic engagement;

• Support to activities that connect interfaith work to holistic needs, including livelihood and psychosocial assistance.

• Support to civic engagement fora and civic-awareness campaigns on religious minority rights, good governance, religious tolerance and respect for diversity.

• Support to Innovative systems to effectively and safely document and collect information on violations of religious liberties

Expected Outcomes

• Improved local capacity and skills among conflicting communities to manage disputes with a religious dimension.

• Increased linkages and collaboration among conflicting/vulnerable communities with government agencies, CSOs, and local leaders to address and respond to root causes of conflict

• Deepened engagement of youth and women in peacebuilding and preventing violent extremism

• Improved understanding of the dynamics and dangers of violent extremism among vulnerable communities to address extremist recruitment tactics

• Improved linkages between conflict mitigation and development initiatives

3.7. Program indicators and data reporting for partners

CIPP has identified several program monitoring indicators to inform achievement of the program results. Applicants should design programs that demonstrate how they will support the program’s capacity and activities.

Below is the list of program indicators to which sub-awardees under this RFA will contribute. Applicants are therefore strongly encouraged to design projects that will contribute to the following set of program indicators:

• percentage of people who report that they have positive perception about other religions/respect for religious diversity.

• Percentage change in number of conflicts reported from activity interventions supported by USG funds.  

• Percentage of people who believe their communities are peaceful, safe and secure

• Number of local women participating in a substantive role or position in a peacebuilding process supported with USG Assistance. 

• Number of disputes resolved by program participants

• Number of EWER identified disputes resolved before becoming violent. (DIG). 

• Number of religious leaders trained to reduce the appeal of violent extremism. 

• Number of people participating in USG supported events, trainings, or activities designed to build mass support for peace and reconciliation. 

• Number of youth groups engaged in civic activities to promote peace. 

• Number of new groups or initiatives created through USG funding, dedicated to resolving the conflict or the drivers of the conflict. 

• Percent of USG assisted organizations with improved performance [IM-level]

• Number of USG‐supported events, trainings, or activities designed to build support for peace or reconciliation among key actors to the conflict 

• Number of policies related analyses, dialogues, meetings or activities 

• Number of initiatives taken by trained community members in countering violent extremism

• Number of organizations taking action to mitigate targeted conflicts

4. Application Submission

4.1. Grantee eligibility

This competition is open to any Faith Based or non-governmental organization that is either a non-profit, not- for-profit, or for-profit entity that is not established in the United States. To be minimally eligible for funding, applicants must provide full, accurate, and complete information and comply with the following conditions. Organizations must:

• Be legally registered or otherwise authorized to conduct business in Nigeria

• Have a DUNS number (a nine-digit identification number required for all procurement- related activities). A DUNS number is not required for application, but will be required for receipt of award

• Be able to complete implementation within the stated timeframe

• Have previous experience of not less than one year working on religious freedom or conflict related religious issues and/or provision of inter-faith programing activities.

• Have current geographic coverage where program activities will take place or prior experience in that area with the ability to quickly start up implementation

• Not be a registered political party.

4.2. Funding

Subject to availability of funds, CIPP intends to award between $20,000 and $50,000 in total funding for 6 – 12 months, with the possibility of multi-year primary awards (max 2 years/24 months).

CIPP anticipates these awards will be cost-reimbursable, fixed amount award, or in-kind grants. Grant type will be based on the program description and the results of the partner’s pre-award risk assessment, which Mercy Corps will conduct prior to issuance of the award.

Mercy Corps reserves the right to award any or none of the applications submitted.

4.3. Application submission deadline

Concept note applications must be submitted by October 25, 2020 at 4 pm west African Time (WAT).

4.4. Late submissions, modifications, and withdrawals of application

At Mercy Corp’s discretion, any application received after the exact date and time specified for receipt may be considered ineligible for consideration. Applications may be withdrawn by written notice via email or in person by an organization or the authorized representative.

4.5. Conflict of interest clause

Applicants must provide disclosure of any past, present, or future relationships with any parties associated with the issuance, review or management of this solicitation and anticipated award. Failure to provide full and open disclosure may result in Mercy Corps having to re-evaluate selection of a potential applicant.

4.6. Submission method for questions

Submit questions electronical to ng-grants@mercycorps.org. The deadline for questions is October 15, 2020 West African Time (WAT).

The email subject line should read “Questions - CIPP – name of organization submitting application.”

All questions and answers will be shared with all interested applicants.

4.7. Submission method for final application

Submit applications electronically to ng-grants@mercycorps.org. The CIPP program will not receive paper applications for this RFA.

The email subject line should read “CIPP – name of organization submitting application.” Technical applications and attachments must be submitted in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF. Budgets must be submitted in Microsoft Excel using the template attached.

5. Application Format

5.1. Overall requirements

Applicants will develop their applications based on their understanding of needs, their prior institutional experience, and their determination of the approaches that would be feasible and successful. In all cases, applicants shall provide both a financial application using the budget template attached to this call, and a clearly explained rationale for the proposed approaches chosen. To facilitate the competitive review of the applications, CIPP program will only consider applications in the provided application form and conforming to the following.

• The application narrative should be clear, concise, and properly organized.

• The document should be in 12-point Times New Roman font, single spaced, with 1 inch/2.5 cm margins.

• Full applications should not exceed 6 pages; page maximums for specific parts are provided in section 5.2

• Applications should be written in English.

• Paper copies of the applications will not be accepted.

• Please note that technical and cost applications should be separate files.

All applications received by the deadline will be reviewed for eligibility (pass/fail) to the specifications outlined in these guidelines and the application format. Applications should take into account the evaluation criteria.

5.2. Technical application

Sub-Awardee Risk and Responsibility Assessment Cover Page

Use the provided Application Form. Limit of six (6) pages, including:

I. Summary of the Project (half page)

II. Technical Approach and Feasibility of Project Design (four pages max)

• The applicant’s technical approach should include:

– A description of the applicant’s prior work as it pertains to the project objective

– A description of the activities to be undertaken, organized by thematic area

– Anticipated results

– The proposed approach to achieving the objective of thematic area.

The application should discuss the applicant’s approach for engaging with local actors, building partnerships with key stakeholders, and creating linkages with other relevant development activities/programs.

III. Past Performance (half page)

• Describe the organization’s previous experience with subject/technical area. CIPP Program will evaluate whether the organization has managed successful projects of similar size and scope in the geographic areas specified. Past performance may also include proposed management plan for the proposed project and experience of proposed project management team

IV. Monitoring and Evaluation Systems Approach (half page)

Describe how the project will ensure high quality relevant data is collected for outputs and

outcomes intended. The concept should explain how data, disaggregation and other important information for proposed indicators (if applicable to your project), will be collected, tracked and reported. Consider using a table in addition to a brief description to make the information under this section clear.

5.4. Relevant documents

Applicants are required to provide registration or other relevant documents, such as letters of support and recognition from state and local governments/authorities. Applicants will also be asked to provide evidence of compliance with state and federal government tax obligations where applicable (documentation of compliance will be required as part of the pre-award assessment process). These documents do not count toward the technical and cost application page limits.

6. Evaluation of Concept Applications

6.1. Review process

CIPP program will establish a grants review committee that includes representatives from various CIPP Program units (Mercy Corps, IMC, SCDDD, ARDA and PARE) staff. All technical reviewers will be subjected to a screening process to eliminate any conflict of interest. Evaluation will be based on the criteria set forth in sections 6.2, and 6.3. The process will be completed within approximately 5 business days. The review panel, using the criteria detailed below, will rate applications and make funding recommendations to the program’s grants management unit.

The CIPP program reserves the right to make any number of awards or none at all. The program is not responsible for any costs associated with the development of concept note applications.

To facilitate the review of applications, applicants must organize the narrative sections of their applications with the same headings and in the same order as the selection criteria.

6.2. Evaluation criteria for the application

In evaluating the applications, the grants review committee will examine overall merit and feasibility, as well as the specific criteria relevant to each component, as elaborated in the table below. Applicants should note that these criteria both serve as the standard against which all applicants will be evaluated and serve to identify the significant matters that applicants should address in their applications. Mercy Corps will instruct the technical review committee to evaluate all applications according to the criteria as established and weighted in the following table. Applicants are encouraged to develop innovative proposals that contain thorough arguments and strategies to reach the project goal.

Instructions: Number of points in the following table should be tailored to each project. Cost is a determining factor though this criterion should be weighted less than the other five.

Evaluation Criteria	Points
I. Technical Approach and Feasibility of Program Design The review team considers a strong technical design to be one that is informed by local circumstances and needs. Proposals must be in line with the technical areas outlined in section 3. Clear statements of the problem, innovation and clear pathways to how objectives will be achieved will be key assessment criteria	65
III. Past Experience/Performance Reviewers will evaluate whether the organization (and individuals proposed to lead the project) has managed successful projects of similar size and scope in the geographic areas specified.	20
IV. Monitoring and Evaluation Plan Reviewers will assess how the applicant intends to collect data, ensure data quality, and measure progress using the relevant indicators in section 3.5 and any additional custom indicators proposed by the applicant.	15
Total	100

6.3. Supporting documentation for Co-design and Pre-Award Assessment visits

After the application evaluation process, any selected organization will be required to complete a Financial Pre-Award Assessment in order for Mercy Corps to determine if the organization has the capacity to perform successfully under the terms and conditions of the proposed grant. As part of the Pre-Award Assessment process, Applicants may be asked to submit additional documentation to illustrate that the organization has the capability to implement the grant. Site visits may be conducted by Mercy Corps staff to evaluate the organization in these areas.

7. Terms and Conditions

7.1. Standard provisions

The Standard Provisions for Non-U.S. Non-Governmental Organizations as applicable will apply to these grants. Applicants can find the provisions at https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/303mab.pdf. Printed versions of these provisions are available upon request.

7.2. Permission for use and disclosure

By submitting an application under this RFA, the applicant consents to the disclosure of the documents submitted by the applicant to the reviewers involved in the selection process. Please note that all reviewers are bound by non-disclosure agreements.

7.3. Disclaimers

• Mercy Corps may cancel the solicitation and not award any funds.

• Mercy Corps may reject any or all applications received.

• Issuance of solicitation does not constitute award commitment by the CIPP Program.

• Mercy Corps reserves the right to disqualify any application based on applicant’s failure to follow solicitation instructions.

• Mercy Corps will not compensate applicants for their response to the solicitation.

• Mercy Corps reserves the right to issue an award based on initial evaluation of applications without further discussion.

• Mercy Corps may choose to award only part of the activities in the solicitation or to issue multiple awards based on the solicitation activities.

• Mercy Corps reserves the right to waive minor application deficiencies that can be corrected prior to award determination to promote competition.

• Mercy Corps may contact applicants to confirm contact person, address, and that the application was submitted for this solicitation.

• Mercy Corps may contact listed past performance references without notice to the applicant. Mercy Corps also reserves the right to contact other past performance information sources that the applicant did not list in the application.

• By submitting an application, the applicants confirm they understand the terms and conditions.

8. Attachments

The following documents must be submitted as part of this RFA (but are not part of the total number of pages required for the application):

A. Sub-awardee Risk and Responsibility Assessment cover page