Guidance

Chagossian Support Package 2021 to 2022: call for bids guidance

Published 9 August 2021

Support Package for Chagossians in the UK, Mauritius and the Seychelles approx. £600,000.

1. Overview

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is running a competitive bidding process to award a grant to a dynamic not-for-profit organisation to disburse funds (approx. £600,000) from the Chagossian Support Package. The successful organisation will be expected to perform a variety of functions – including grant-making, community engagement, and project design and delivery – in order to meet the support package’s key delivery areas.

In November 2016, the UK government announced that resettlement of Chagossians to the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) could not be supported on the grounds of feasibility, defence and security interests, and cost to the British taxpayer. While it has decided not to support resettlement, the government is determined to address the aspirations of Chagossians which make them seek to resettle: the desire for better lives, and to maintain a connection to the Territory. To meet those aspirations, the government further announced in November 2016 that it would implement a support package worth approximately £40 million over 10 years. The support package intends to provide Chagossians in the communities in which they currently live – predominantly UK, Mauritius and Seychelles – with better life chances.

2. Requirements

The support package’s five distinct project delivery areas are clearly defined as: education, health, employment, social care, and culture (retention and awareness). We are therefore looking for proposals from organisations which are well placed to function as a Grant Making Body to deliver funding in these areas, in addition to overseeing the design and delivery of suitable project proposals with partner organisations.

The grant would be for one year with the possibility of extension (subject to future government funding allocation).

The successful bidder will have an established track record for a minimum of 3 years, and have networks already in place which would allow it to identify and work with suitable partner organisations to deliver projects in one or more of the 5 support package delivery areas. In the UK these projects will primarily be in and around Crawley (West Sussex), and Wythenshawe (Manchester) and possibly elsewhere in the UK as the need arises. Outside of the UK, Chagossian communities in Mauritius and the Seychelles are the focus, but other locations may emerge.

The successful bidder should demonstrate:

• robust governance and assurance mechanisms, and the ability to disburse funds to implementing partners
• strong project delivery oversight, budget management and monitoring and evaluation capabilities (we will require reporting and updates on a quarterly basis)
• independence, fairness and rigour when appraising project bids (the criteria should include strategic fit, technical feasibility, value for money and the capability, capacity and due diligence of the implementing partner seeking funding)
• experience of working with project implementers through a grant awards process to identify and deliver activities that produce tangible outcomes
• capability and expertise in delivering and monitoring projects internationally
• ability to engage with a variety of stakeholders (including Chagossian community groups, British high commissions and existing project implementers)

3. Chagossian participation

Alongside seeking bids for the above, we will be encouraging Chagossian community members in the UK, Mauritius and the Seychelles to share input and ideas to ensure the key issues affecting communities are addressed. In addition, it is hoped that a nominated working group – which would bring together Chagossian community representatives from the UK, Mauritius and the Seychelles – is formed in order to collaborate with the successful bidding organisation in an advisory capacity. The working group would provide advice and feedback on and/or work with partner organisations to ensure projects are designed and delivered to meet the needs of communities in the areas of education, health, employment, social care, and culture. Further detail on how this could function will be discussed and agreed between the successful bidding organisation, Chagossian community representatives, and FCDO.

4. Scope

Grant-making

The successful organisation will be able to demonstrate its capacity to invite and review project bids of £10,000 and above, ensuring these are reviewed against eligibility criteria and meet the focus areas of the Support Package. Ongoing monitoring and evaluation of successful awards will be required.

Project design and delivery

In addition to awarding grants, the successful organisation will be able to demonstrate it has the capacity to – in consultation with community representatives – design projects which it will directly deliver.

While we do not seek proposals at this stage for grants or projects, bidding organisations should be aware that all grants/projects under this Support Package should meet any one or more of the 5 delivery areas – the definitions of which remain broad to encourage a wide range of proposals for enhancing the lives of Chagossians where they now live. Here follows some possible examples in each of the 5 areas:

• education: a bursary scheme for adult further education classes, working directly with local authority delivery partners. Courses could include vocational/technical training, tutoring to help prepare for a range of exams, English language, business and digital skills
• health: grants/projects could address essential community health and wellbeing needs, including assisting with elderly care, providing equipment to elderly Chagossians, through to community classes, including supporting relevant sports and leisure activities
• social care: projects such as supporting Chagossians needs through running a voucher scheme to support child care provision for those pursuing further education
• employment: this might include identifying local employers to offer short-term internships and work experience
• cultural awareness and retention: this could include supporting online educational resources celebrating Chagossian heritage and culture, music, arts exhibitions, museum artefacts, theatre, as well larger exhibitions and events that showcase Chagossian culture

5. Bidding support and submission

This call for bids will run from Monday 9 August 2021 to Monday 6 September 2021.

We cannot consider proposals submitted after the deadline. Bids must be submitted to BIOTFCDO@fcdo.gov.uk by 11:59pm Monday 6 September 2021 British Summer Time (BST). There is no set bidding template. Instead, in a bid no longer than 10 pages, you should set out a plan of how you will disburse funds in accordance with your governance and assurance mechanisms, outline your existing grant awards activity and tell us how you meet the criteria set out above.

FCDO will appraise all bids against the relevant evaluation criteria. As well as addressing the stated criteria above, you must outline how you would ensure grants are awarded and projects are delivered in line with the requirements of the support package including strategic fit, technical feasibility, value for money, and the capability and expertise of the implementing organisation. The successful bidding organisation will submit specific project bids as per a standard template, which we have included for reference on the main page (Chagossian Support Package 2021 to 2022 project proposal form). This includes key questions to consider.

Call for bids are competitive, open to all, and will remain fair and transparent. FCDO’s BIOT Team will notify the successful bid by week commencing 27 September 2021. This may include discussions for slight adaptations. If you have not heard from the BIOT Team by then, you should assume your bid has been unsuccessful. If you have any queries regarding any aspect of this call for bids process, email BIOTFCDO@fcdo.gov.uk.

6. Implementers and contractors

Non-profit organisations can participate in this call for bids and will use a Grant Agreement. Findings of project delivery and activities are not to be shared without consent of the FCDO. The project idea set out in the project bid will be owned by the Implementer submitting the proposal, ie. the bidding organisation will own the Intellectual Property (IP).

7. Duty of care

The implementer is responsible for the safety and well-being of their personnel and third parties affected by their activities under this call for bids process, including appropriate welfare, security and health and safety arrangements in the UK, Mauritius and Seychelles.