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Call for bids is open in Colombia for the Human Rights and Democracy Fund - HRDP 2014-2015

The Human Rights and Democracy Programme (HRDP) is the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s (FCO) global fund supporting human rights and democracy work overseas.

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

The Programme aims to make a difference to people’s lives, helping to build the capacity of governments and civil society to promote and protect human rights.

In Colombia for 2014/15 we are inviting proposals in the topics outlined below for which details are defined in the HRDP Strategy available in the website (except for Human Rights Defenders). PLEASE APPLY ONLY TO THESE THEMATIC AREAS, BIDS OUTSIDE THEM WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED:

Business and Human Rights:

Access to an effective remedy: Assist states wishing to develop their human rights protection mechanisms and reduce barriers to remedy within their jurisdiction. Support civil society efforts to access an effective remedy and promote protection of human rights defenders active on business and human rights. Support business efforts to provide, adopt or participate in effective grievance mechanisms.

Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative

Protection: Initiatives that enhance the role of those who defend the human rights of women to carry out or support monitoring, fact-finding and documenting cases of sexual violence and empowering victims to access justice

Human Rights Defenders (exclusive to Colombia)

Protection: Projects among civil society organizations, the Colombian state and international community to promote the security and/or guarantees for Human Rights Defenders. Detailed information will be provided by email (pmobogota@fco.gov.uk)

How to apply

HRDP is a strategic programme and we assess every bid we receive very carefully to ensure it will achieve its goals and that it fits with the HRDP strategy and the Colombia Human Rights Strategy. Proposals should be sent to the British Embassy in Bogotá. The HRDP team in the UK will not accept proposals submitted directly. Instructions for this bidding round in Bogotá are outlined below.

The following documents are available in our website

https://www.gov.uk/human-rights-and-democracy-programme

  • HRDP Strategy 2014-2015 - PLEASE REFER ONLY TO THE THEMATIC AREAS PRIORITIZED FOR COLOMBIA (outlined above)
  • Guidance for Potential Implementers at Concept Stage
  • Standard Terms and Conditions
  • Project Concept Form

Instructions for the HRDP 2014-2015 bidding process – Bogotá

Implementers are invited to submit project proposals commencing from May 2014 and running for a maximum length of 10 months (until February 28 2015). No multi-years projects will be accepted. Proposals will be eligible for funding up to GBP £70,000.

  • Stage 1: Potential implementers are invited to submit a project proposal in CONCEPT FORM to pmobogota@fco.gov.uk by Monday 10 March 2014, 8:30 am Bogotá time (concept form available in the website). Concept bids should be no more than three pages in length.

Three (3) hard copies should be delivered to the British Embassy (Carrera 9 No. 76-49 Recepción Edificio ING, Bogotá, Colombia). Email’s subject and hard copies should state clearly: “Concept Form HRDP 14/15 – XXX name of the potential implementer”. We will not consider proposals that are delivered after the deadline.

The Embassy Team will contact potential implementers if questions regarding the Concept Form arise. Unfortunately due to the volume of bids we will be unable to provide feedback to every proposal at this stage.

  • Stage 2: The Embassy Team in Bogotá will evaluate all Concept Forms and decide which proposals will continue in the funding round. Only potential implementers will be contacted by the Programme Team by Thursday 13 March 2014 notifying them of the decision, inviting them to prepare full project proposal forms. If you have not heard from the Embassy by then please assume your bid has been unsuccessful.

  • Stage 3: The deadline for submitting full project proposals is Monday 31 March 2014, 8:30 am Bogotá time (again, only implementers that are asked to by the Embassy should send full proposals). We will not receive proposals after this deadline. Three (3) hard copies should be delivered to the British Embassy (Carrera 9 No. 76-49 Recepción Edificio ING, Bogotá, Colombia), as well as a digital copy sent to pmobogota@fco.gov.uk

Hard and electronic copies should be addressed to the Programme Management Office, labelled clearly “Full Proposal HRDP 14/15 – XXX name of the potential implementer”.

  • Stage 4: The British Embassy in Bogotá will review and assess proposals. Potential implementers will be contacted for adjustments and/or additional information regarding the projects.

  • Stage 6: Successful bids will be announced by the end of April 2014. Projects approved for funding will start in May 2014.

All proposals (concepts and full bids) must be submitted in English. The Budget must be presented in pounds (GBP), and an exchange rate of COP/£ 3,000 must be used; however, the Embassy will not cover any variances in the total amount of the budget due to the exchange rate.

Full proposals must be supported by a realistic activity based budget, set out with as much detail as possible. This is a key requirement in evaluating the project proposal and lack of a detailed budget was among the top reasons why projects were rejected in previous years.

Selection Criteria

Bids will also be assessed against the following criteria: * Value for money * Evidence of local demand/need * Project viability, including capacity of implementing organisation(s) * Project design, including clear, achievable objectives/outputs * Sustainability * Good risk and stakeholder management

All organizations with the competence and experience to develop projects supporting the fund’s objectives are encouraged to apply.

Published 21 February 2014