Eurasia Foundation (EF) announces a call for applications for In-Kind Grants, an open competition for funding under Social Innovation in Central Asia (SICA). SICA is a five-year program funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by EF. The goal of the program is to cultivate a vibrant and responsive civil society in Central Asia.

The purpose of In-Kind Grants (IKG) is to enable civic activists and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) registered in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to respond to unanticipated opportunities for civil society by providing resources not widely available to members of the civil sector. IKGs will provide materials and services to address needs identified by individuals and organizations that will contribute to the development of civil society in Central Asia.

In-Kind Grants are designed to provide in-kind assistance to individuals or organizations to support unexpected interventions in diverse areas, which may include projects like, but not limited to:
• Expert consultancies and training on pressing issues such as compliance of domestic legislation with international laws and multilateral commitments
• Consultations on enabling laws and policies and create mechanisms that facilitate cooperation between CSOs and government
• Conduct intersectoral consultations with governmental bodies dealing with specific issues as well as on mechanisms and laws regulating civil society financing and activities
• Information campaigns (e.g., creation of videos, SMM promotion) on threats to freedom of expression, compliance of domestic legislation with international laws and multilateral commitments and protection of the rights and legitimate interests of citizens on education, the environmental and other socially significant themes
• Technology training for civil society actors so that they can participate meaningfully in the development of policies that affect the sector and advocate for their civil rights and interests
• Use of new technologies that protect fundamental freedoms and create an enabling environment for civil society, including IT equipment and recovery (e.g., software and hardware), IT security systems (including access to VPN services) and secure Internet access (for a finite period)

IKGs are awarded through a merit-based competition open to independent non-governmental organizations with registration in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. International NGOs with branch offices are not eligible to apply.

Individuals are also eligible to apply. Individual applicants must clearly explain their connection to the civil society sector in their applications, highlighting experience such as support for NGOs, previous policy analysis and advocacy, or community volunteerism. When applicable, EF encourages individuals to apply in partnership with a likeminded registered NGO to facilitate project implementation.

Funding amounts for In-Kind Grants will be provided for goods and services valued up to 5,000 USD (including all related taxes). Applicants must specify the purpose and funding amount requested in their applications (see below). EF highly encourages applicants not to simply request the maximum amount, but rather to correlate the requested funds with real needs.

In-Kind Grants will be exclusively non-monetary. EF will conduct direct procurement of the requested goods and services on behalf of approved beneficiaries at its own discretion (not more than two provisions for one application). To deliver IKGs, EF will ask beneficiaries to sign bilateral (EF and beneficiary) or three-party (EF, beneficiary and vendor) agreements. In case of travel grants, EF will use a reimbursement basis subject to provision of all supportive documents according to local legislation.

Beneficiaries are expected to report on the use of equipment and/or other assistance procured for the beneficiary through an IKG and its impact no later than six months after the IKG is awarded.

Funding may not be used for certain expenses, such as construction, the purchase of real estate, the purchase of alcoholic beverages, entertainment costs, business or first-class travel or the repayment of debts, and salaries. Requests for equipment must include reasonable maintenance costs as detailed in the equipment specification. Any maintenance that extends beyond that parameter will not be granted.

Applicants must provide an estimate of the costs of procuring the requested goods and/or services. This estimate must be submitted in USD and supported with proper documentation – a list of recommended vendors, quoted prices and (for services) detailed scope of work of services requested (see below). Payments will be made in the currency agreed upon in direct negotiation with the vendor.

Applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis and can be submitted at any time. Preference will be given to the most relevant applications corresponding to the key areas of the IKG. The selection process is open and competitive, and applications will be scored using the following criteria:
1. Importance and relevance of the problem to civil society development in Central Asia 2. Clarity of the description of how the proposed IKG will address the stated problem(s) and achieve the stated goal
3. Relevance of applicant background to the development of civil society in Central Asia
4. Reasonableness of proposed costs and quality of proposed vendors

Interested applicants must submit their applications through the EF Grant Management System (Code: IKG).
All applicants will be informed of the selection decision in writing.
Any questions concerning IKGs should be submitted in writing to [email protected].