WUNRN
SIDA - Sweden
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS - CIVIL SOCIETY
INNOVATION PROGRAM
Please submit your expression of interest in English to USAID no later than 11:59 pm EST, August 17, 2014.
The Civil Society Innovation program targets civil society organizations and other partners who want to contribute to poverty alleviation and democratic development, through innovative initiatives which aim to strengthen civil society. The program will be designed in conjunction with a wide range of stakeholders and is now open for expressions of interest until 17 August 2014.
Sweden considers a vibrant, pluralistic and democratic civil society fundamental to poverty reduction, democratic development and increased respect for human rights. Civil society is however facing serious threats across the globe. Civil society activists encounter different forms of repression and there are many disturbing signs showing that civil society organisations in numerous countries now find it increasingly difficult to operate freely. Several governments have implemented laws and regulations designed to decrease the scope of activities for civil society organizations and limit their ability to receive funds. Promoting civil society organisations as development actors in their own right and the promotion of an enabling environment for civil society to operate is therefore high on the Swedish development agenda.
The Civil Society Innovation program is seeking new and established approaches to innovatively promote, strengthen and, connect civil society organisations by fostering systems where groups can access techniques, tools, and technologies to address their most pressing issues. In order to work on these approaches, USAID in collaboration with Sida, seeks partners with which to journey through a so called co-creation process. This process could potentially result in one or more programs that systematically enhance traditional civil society development assistance through use and scaling of new and/or proven approaches to address and harnessing opportunities for civil society development. This process could potentially result in one or more programs that systematically enhance traditional civil society development assistance through use and scaling up of new and/or proven approaches which address and harness opportunities for civil society development. Civil society organizations and other partners are now asked for their contribution in this initial design stage and possibly other stages of the Civil Society Innovation program. Organizations and other partners can submit their expressions of interest until August 17. Further information can be found here.
In 2013, the Swedish government and USAID launched a new partnership focused on science, technology, innovation and partnerships to source game-changing innovations with the potential to solve longstanding development challenges. The Civil Society İnnovation program forms part of this partnership.
Please submit your expression of interest in English to USAID no later than 11:59 pm EST, August 17, 2014.