The Dutch Coalition on Disability and Development (DCDD) hereby announces the availability of a ‘small grant’ facility for 2019-2020, to which any of its current members can apply.
Rationale behind the ‘small grant’ facility
This is the first time that DCDD will be awarding ‘small grants’ to its members. Why do we do this? Because we believe in the power of sharing. Sharing knowledge and expertise, sharing capacity, sharing practical tools and lessons learned. Because together we can make a stronger case for disability inclusion than when each of us goes at it alone. That’s what DCDD is all about. That’s why we value your membership of the network. That’s why we wish to add value to your initiatives for disability inclusion. Through these ‘small grants’ we aim to:
- Strengthen collaboration between DCDD members;
- Strengthen collaboration between DCDD members and external (Dutch) stakeholders;
- Promote (small) innovative practices;
- Increase the visibility of DCDD members’ expertise towards external (Dutch) stakeholders and raise awareness on ‘how to make disability inclusion reality’.
What are we looking for in a proposal?
We have developed the proposal format to be as simple as possible (see the application form here). Proposed projects may range from organizing an expert meeting, a learning session, a webinar, or an excursion/exchange visit, to short-term research projects, the development of a factsheet, small publication or video, etc. It may be used to amplify or extend an existing initiative, e.g. perhaps you are working on a unique project but are lacking the resources to document the lessons learned.
However, to ensure that the project is relevant to the network strategy we’ve jointly developed within DCDD, there are a few hard criteria (which must be met) and a few soft criteria (which we encourage).
Hard criteria (must be met):
- The initiative promotes disability inclusion in low- and middle-income countries (in line with DCDD’s vision and mission);
- There is a clear strategy to raise awareness among and/or involve Dutch stakeholders (e.g. non-governmental organisations, disabled people’s organisations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Aid & Trade, embassies, parliamentarians, etc.);
- There is a clear strategy for sharing within and beyond the DCDD network (e.g. through a learning session, communications, media, etc.);
- There is a 3 per cent maximum for administrative costs, therefore the rest of the project budget is allocated directly to project activities.
Soft criteria (are encouraged):
- Innovative practices are preferred, which promote practical approaches to show that and how “inclusion works!”;
- The thematic focus is open (as long as the initiative promotes disability inclusion in low- and middle-income countries);
- Joint applications are encouraged, to enhance collaboration within or beyond the DCDD network. An independent jury will assess the proposals based primarily on the criteria listed above.
Who can apply?
- Any member of DCDD can apply, e.g. organisations or individual* members;
- DCDD working groups** can also apply;
- The lead applicant must be a member of DCDD, but co-applicants do not need to be a DCDD member;
- You can only be a lead applicant in one proposal, but you may be a co-applicant in more than one proposal.
* Individual members can only be a lead applicant if they have a local trade register number (i.e. VAT, KvK or TIN registration).
** DCDD currently has two working groups: Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and Humanitarian Aid & Disaster Risk Management (HA & DRM).
Budget
The total amount available within this ‘small grant’ facility is 16.000 Euro. DCDD will award a maximum of 4 projects. DCDD will grant a maximum of 4.000 Euro per project.
How to apply?
Applications must be submitted via the application form, which includes:
- A concise description of the proposed project and its rationale;
- A budget proposal
You will find the application form here: Application Form
Applications can be submitted between 3 July – 3 September 2019.
Selection procedure
Step 1: DCDD will do an ‘eligibility check’. All submitted proposals will be shared with an independent jury (for sake of transparency), but DCDD will indicate which proposals are eligible and which are not (see ‘hard criteria’ and ‘who can apply’ above).
Step 2: A panel of independent jury members (who are not members of DCDD) will assess the proposals based on a set of assessment criteria in September. See the main criteria listed under ‘hard criteria’ and ‘soft criteria’ above.
Step 3: The winners of the ‘small grants’ will be announced by the end of September 2019.
Implementation
The implementation period is between 1 October 2019 – 30 June 2020.
Per project DCDD will draft a short MOU together with the lead applicant/winner of the small grant, to make some basic agreements on when the project will be implemented, how the external communication will be organized, which role DCDD might play, budget, payment and reporting.
Accountability
This will consist of two components:
- Narrative: A simple summary and reflection of activities done, and results achieved. Most importantly, we will appreciate things that can be used for external communication, such as a short article for our newsletter and website, photos or a short video, etc.
- Financial: A solid reflection of budget and expenses.
Any questions?
In case you have any questions, please feel free to contact Lieke Scheewe (l.scheewe@dcdd.nl) or Ieke van Lammeren (i.vlammeren@dcdd.nl). We’re looking forward to hearing from you!
