MFF Bangladesh Small Grants (2013-14)

Thematic focus: The selected upazillas are situated in the natural hazard prone areas and very vulnerable to climate variability and change. Salinity ingress and water logging are two of the major threats that are affecting both ecosystems and people's agriculture-based livelihoods. It is also endangering drinking water sources. Shrimp farming became popular to take advantage of increasing salinity. The practice however has mixed success and disproportionate impact on poverty situation. In all the selected upazillas, there is a considerable Sundarbans dependent community. They have limited livelihoods opportunities and extraction pressure on mangrove ecosystems including shrimp post larvae collection is on the rise. Climate change phenomenon is exacerbating prevailing situation that demands local innovations to support communities to adapt with the changes and for better natural resource management.

The SGF will support activities that results in reduced vulnerability of local community and improved resilience by building adaptation capacity of local community and improved land use and natural resource management including mangrove ecosystems. SGF projects should particularly ensure the participation of women and other disadvantaged groups. This call for proposals targets the following themes:

• Community engagement in coastal natural resource management
• Local innovative ideas to support households to adapt with climate variability and change including changing salinity regime
• Support community initiative on better management of common property wetlands and canals with a view to improving availability of fresh water
• Introduce mangrove-shrimp polyculture with a view to greening shrimp production system
• Support community-led networks and communication systems to raise awareness on adaptation options and environmental change, and
• Develop a community-based environmental monitoring system that provides the community information to respond to environmental trends and extreme events.

Eligibility

Proposals can be submitted by national/local NGOs, CBOs, research and scientific institutes, small scale businesses and enterprises which meet the following criteria:

• Have been formally registered through relevant laws, policies and procedures, preferably for 2 years
• Demonstrate a proven or otherwise strong potential capacity to implement community-based projects in the fields of coastal rehabilitation, conservation and/or sustainable use of natural resources
• Have a proven record of working with local communities in a participatory way.
• Experience of collaborative works with national or international development agencies.
• Have practical or professional credibility, as recognized by the peer review process.
• Able to demonstrate ability of project management and financial administration.
• Recommendation from the UNO of the upazilla in which the project is proposed may be requested with the full proposal.

Selection process

Applicants should submit a project concept note (see Annex 1 and 2 below) in Bangla or English. Please contact MFF Secretariat in Dhaka (House 16, Road 2/3, Banani, Dhaka 1213, Tel 02-9890395, 9890423) for hard copies. If requested, MFF staff can support applicants to prepare a concept note. Only short-listed applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal. Please note that an invitation to submit a full proposal is no guarantee that it will be financially supported by MFF. Applicants should send concept notes to info.bangladesh@iucn.org or in hard copy to National Coordinator, MFF Bangladesh, House 16, Road 2/3, Banani, Dhaka 1213

The deadline for application is 28 February 2013.

Annex 1: MFF SGF concept note template

IMPORTANT: The length of the concept note should not exceed 2 pages (excluding Annex 2 “information on implementing organisations”).

Annex 2: Information about applicant

Please fill in this form and send it with the concept note.

1. Project title:

2. Name of organisation:

3. Address details

Mailing address:

Telephone:

Fax:

E-mail:

Website (if applicable):

Visiting address:

4. Mission and goals of your organisation:

5. Registration status (including registration number):

6. Date of creation:

7. Staff:

- Number of paid staffs:

- Number of voluntaries:

- Number of female staff (excluding secretariat and other support staff):

8. Contact person and project personnel:

- Contact person (name, professional background, and current function):

- Project personnel (for each member of the project personnel, indicate: name, professional background, and current function):

9. Other projects already implemented or currently being implemented by your organisation in fields relevant to the programme (do not list proposed projects):

For each project indicate: project title, period of implementation, project leader, budget, donor, contact person within donor agency).

10. References / referees

Please indicate here the name, function, address, telephone and e-mail of persons who can be contacted for reference information.  (Please only indicate persons who are NOT directly involved in your organisation).