Panama Call for Bids 2021-22

The British Embassy in Panama is now accepting applications from not-for-profit, civil society and multilateral organisations for project proposals that directly support the following thematic areas:

Open societies (democracy, human rights, media freedom)

COVID-19, vaccines, recovery and health security

Climate and Biodiversity

Background

The International Programme (IP) of the United Kingdom was launched in 2015 as a responsive and agile fund to support Strategic Objectives of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The IP facilitates adaptive, short-term projects that respond to specific policy outcomes, influence policies and create networks that open opportunities for further engagement and diplomacy.

We are particularly interested in short-term interventions in the following specific areas:

1. Open societies (democracy, human rights, media freedom):

Open Data/Access to information – including but not limited to digitalisation of government services and information

Improving the quality of and access to government/national statistics/information

Supporting human rights

Supporting LGBT+ rights in Panama

Supporting Media Freedom

Supporting indigenous rights and inclusion in policymaking

Supporting Gender Equality in Panama

2. COVID-19, vaccines, recovery and health security:

Supporting inclusive, green and sustainable economic recovery and growth after the impacts of the pandemic

Supporting data-driven initiatives to tackle Covid-19

3. Climate and Biodiversity:

Tackling biodiversity loss/deforestation, with a particular interest on tackling this issue in the indigenous regions

Policy support in solid waste management and recycling

Capacity building and preparation ahead of COP26, including in climate negotiations and implementation of NDCs

Exceptions

To ensure the best value of investment during these challenging times, we are unable to support proposals that involve:

Procurement of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), oxygen-related equipment (e.g. ventilators and respirators), diagnostic tests/materials and COVID-19-related medicines

Purchase or maintenance of any IT and other equipment

Direct cash transfers to vulnerable individuals or families

Funding Terms

Proposals must be submitted in United States Dollars (USD) currency.

Full project spent must be completed by early to mid December 2021. Applications that exceed this funding period will not be accepted.

Project Budget

From $10,000 to $30,000 USD

Official Development Assistance (ODA):

All expenditures must qualify as ODA eligible. ODA is a term created by the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). This term serves as a measurement of international aid. ODA projects have, as a primary objective, the promotion of economic development and welfare.

Important Milestones:

Date

Activity

May 27, 2021 (9:00 AM Panama Time)

Outreach session

June 6, 2021 (11:59 PM Panama Time)

Call for Bids closes

June 21-25, 2021

Confirmation to participants

July, 2021

Projects initiate

October 31, 2021

Projects must reach a minimum 85% spend

December 15, 2021

Projects must reach 100% spend, activities must have been completed and Project Completion Report (PCR) submitted

Application Process

Please ensure that project proposals are designed and submitted in accordance with the following guidelines. Proposals that do not meet the guidance will be rejected.

Assessment criteria:

strict alignment with aforementioned priority areas

evidence of urgent or priority need

activities are value for money (VfM) and cost-efficient

clear, tangible, and achievable deliverables within the funding period

clear monitoring and evaluation procedures included

good risk & stakeholder management

project feasibility, including capacity of implementing organisation and ability to deliver under current

circumstances

sustainability - project benefits continue after the funding ends

the organisation’s safeguarding policies ensure gender equality and protection of beneficiaries (i.e. against harassment and discrimination of women and children)

administration costs for delivering the project do not exceed 10% of the total project budget

Submission:

To submit a proposal, please e-mail the following Project Proposal Form and Activity Based Budget to [email protected], with the subject line “Organisation name – Project Title” and include a point of contact in the body of the email. All documents must be submitted in English. Ensure the submitted documents have the organisation name at the beginning of the file name.

Example: Projects names on files must be up to five words.

Project Proposal Form up to £10k (MS Word Document, 78.1KB)

Project Proposal Form above £10k (MS Word Document, 85.4KB)

Activity Based Budget Template (MS Excel Spreadsheet, 27.2KB)

What to expect after?

The Embassy will hold an outreach session via Microsoft Teams on Thursday, 27 May 2021 at 9:00 AM (Panama Time) to provide information about the bidding process and funding objectives. To access the session, click here.

Both successful and rejected bids will receive notice in due course. Selected proposals will go through a Due Diligence Assessment (DDA). The Embassy will save the right to decide whether it should maintain or reject a proposal depending on DDA outcomes. Implementing partners will be expected to sign a standard FCDO contract or grant agreement with the Embassy. The terms are non-negotiable. All implementers must also commit to a consistent financial management, regular monitoring and reporting back when requested; including discussing and updating any changes to the Activity Based Budget with the assigned Projects Officer.

The Panama Prosperity mailbox will only receive proposal applications. Please direct any general inquiries to Anibal[email protected].