WUNRN
Specific Application Period: 15 November to 31 December , 2014
Applicant Portal: http://www.un.org/democracyfund/sites/dr7.un.org.democracyfund/files/ProjectProposal2014_ExampleEN.pdf
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS - UNITED
NATIONS DEMOCRACY FUND - PROJECT GRANTS & PROCESS
The United Nations Democracy Fund invites civil society organizations to apply for funding for projects to advance and support democracy during the annual proposal window, which is open only from 15 November to 31 December at www.un.org/democracyfund. Only on-line proposals during this period, in either English or French, will be accepted.
UNDEF
projects are two years long, project grants ranging from $100,000 to $300,000,
and fall under one or more of six main focus areas:
·
Community development
·
Rule of law and human rights
·
Tools for democratization
-
Media
·
Women
·
Youth
The
stages of the process are:
1. Online Project Proposal
System
The
on-line project proposal system can be accessed at the UNDEF website at www.un.org/democracyfund, only
during the annual window. Please read an example of an application form, project proposal guidelines, lessons learned for
applicants, frequently
asked questions and summaries of existing projects.
Project
proposals submitted by e-mail, regular post, facsimile, diplomatic or UN pouch,
hand or courier delivery or any other channel will NOT be considered. Neither
will project proposals in any language other than English or
French.
2. Long List
Proposals are subjected to a thorough process
of assessment, quality control and due diligence. An initial examination by a
team of independent assessors is conducted, a process in which all applications
are judged on their inherent quality and scored according to the following
criteria:
3. Short-List
The
long list produced by the team of independent assessors is then examined
by the Fund’s Programme Consultative Group -- comprising the Department of
Political Affairs, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the Office of the
High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Development Programme, the UN
Development Fund for Women and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime -- in
consultation with United Nations Resident Coordinators in the field.
4.
UNDEF Board
The
Programme Consultative Group review yields a short list which is reviewed by
the UNDEF Advisory Board -- comprising Governments, civil society and
individuals.
5.
UN Secretary-General
The
final short list is then submitted to the UN Secretary-General for approval,
usually in May or June.
6.
Project Document
Once
the short list is approved by the Secretary-General, the proposal moves into
the final stage in the selection process: the negotiation of a project
document, which is in effect the contract between UNDEF and the grantee.
This negotiation requires the applicant to provide a more elaborated
project design, and involves detailed input from both UNDEF and the applicant,
as well as scrutiny and due diligence enquiries by UNDEF. Only upon
successful conclusion of the project document, and its approval by the United
Nations Controller, will the project proposal formally be approved for funds
disbursement. This can be expected to happen in September at the earliest.
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