The LGBT Fund Deep Engagement Grant For Mozambique

Transcription

1 The Elton John AIDS Foundation The Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator The United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) The LGBT Fund Deep Engagement Grant For Mozambique Opportunity Announcement December 2016

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. CONTEXT: THE STATE OF HIV SERVICE PROVISION FOR LGBT PEOPLE... 2 II. OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT: LGBT FUND DEEP ENGAGEMENT GRANT FOR MOZAMBIQUE... 3 III. NATURE OF PROGRAMMES FUNDED... 4 IV. HOW TO APPLY... 7 V. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS AND SELECTION CRITERIA... 9 VI. GRANT ADMINISTRATION VII. TERMS AND CONDITIONS

3 CONTEXT: THE STATE OF HIV SERVICE PROVISION FOR LGBT PEOPLE Today, more people than ever are receiving life-saving treatment for HIV. The Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF), the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator (OGAC), and The United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) are proud to celebrate these successes in the global AIDS response, and have signed up to ambitious targets: By 2020, 90% of all people living with HIV will know their HIV status By 2020, 90% of all people with diagnosed HIV infection will receive antiretroviral therapy By 2020, 90% of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy will have sustained viral suppression Despite the great progress made, LGBT people are still left behind as HIV continues to disproportionately affect LGBT communities across all regions. In order to achieve the UNAIDS targets there is and needs to be a collective desire to ensure that no one is left behind and that all people have non-discriminatory access to HIV services, including LGBT individuals. The LGBT Fund has been designed to make this happen. The LGBT Fund aligns and expands existing EJAF, OGAC and UNAIDS initiatives to improve access to HIV and STI services for LGBT people, advancing progress towards reaching the UNAIDS Fast-Track targets by The LGBT Fund continues efforts to end stigma, discrimination and violence against LGBT individuals, by working with community leaders, civil society, and service providers to create environments that promote health and well-being. Our actions, including the funding opportunity detailed in section II, are based on a significant body of evidence and research that demonstrates that LGBT people worldwide continue to be at considerably higher risk for HIV infection than the general population. A meta-analysis of surveillance data in low- and middle-income countries found that gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM) are on average 19 times more likely to be living with HIV than the general population (UNAIDS, 2014). Legal and policy barriers play a key role in the vulnerability of LGBT people, including MSM and transgender people, to HIV. In many countries, homophobic cultural, religious or political forces are active and same-sex relations are criminalised. HIV prevention services are estimated to reach fewer than 10% of LGBT worldwide and most LGBT people have no or limited access to treatment services (UNAIDS, 2014). Thus improving access to, and uptake of prevention, treatment and care services among LGBT requires supplementing health sector interventions with community, social, and structural interventions to address stigma, discrimination and violence. In light of this, UNAIDS, WHO, the Global Fund, and OGAC have called for more efforts and funding to scale up programmes for LGBT people globally. However, improvements have been slow. The situation calls for urgent intervention and new thinking. Therefore, the LGBT Fund has been set up, to act as a focused and complementary instrument, supporting both structural improvements for health services for LGBT people, and providing a framework to overcome the most immediate barriers. 2

4 OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT: LGBT FUND DEEP ENGAGEMENT GRANT FOR MOZAMBIQUE In response to the pressing need for action for LGBT people affected by HIV, EJAF, OGAC and UNAIDS have formed the LGBT Fund, a $10 million partnership. The LGBT Fund seeks to improve access to HIV and STI prevention, care and treatment information and services for LGBT people in countries where they have limited access to HIV services and/or face stigma, discrimination and violence. The Fund is building on the long-standing efforts of EJAF, OGAC and UNAIDS to end HIV and ensure no one is left behind. The LGBT Fund has so far made a number of awards, including a Rapid Response Fund and Deep Engagement Grants in other countries. The LGBT Fund is inviting applications for Deep Engagement Grants in Mozambique. In Mozambique, MSM are one of the populations most-at-risk of HIV. Prevalence in the major cities of Maputo and Beira have been estimated around 8.2% and 9.1%, respectively, in a study conducted in 2011 (Nalá et al, 2015). Environments are not always stigma- and discrimination-free. However, there is a potential for significant impact through action now: well-known and active civil society groups are committed to kick-start and broaden a vibrant LGBT community; and there are solid working relationships with UN, bilateral agencies, international NGOs and the local government in place. In this context, we are inviting organisations to submit innovative solutions to reduce new HIV infections among LGBT people in Mozambique. A significant opportunity to have distinctive impact for LGBT people through innovative solutions exists in this country. In Mozambique, the LGBT Fund is looking to support a solution that scales up HIV service delivery for LGBT people. The primary objective of this effort is to improve access to HIV and STI prevention, care and treatment services and information for LGBT persons. Secondary objectives are to decrease LGBT-related stigma and discrimination among health and other service providers, community and/or faith-based leaders, families and policy makers, and to increase the capacity of LGBT community-based civil society organisations and local- and national-level LGBT movements to deliver HIV and STI services and advocate for the rights and health of LGBT persons. The LGBT Fund is looking to fund one solution, in the range of $1,500,000 to $2,000,000 for an evidence-based programme lasting 2 years, which will measurably lead to reduced HIV infections for LGBT people in Mozambique. All the above objectives must be met in the application. Applicants are encouraged to work in partnership with other organisations and/or as consortia. Partnerships will be essential for organisations that cannot deliver on all objectives on their own. In the case of partnership, the role and activities of each partner must be clearly detailed. The LGBT Fund is no longer accepting applications from countries other than Mozambique. 3

5 NATURE OF PROGRAMMES FUNDED The LGBT Fund invites submissions of innovative ideas for activities that jointly achieve the Fund s three objectives, outlined below. Ideas must demonstrate readiness for rapid implementation and be able to show impact within two years. Solutions must have a strong potential to help reduce new HIV infections among and increase access to care for LGBT people. This means the LGBT Fund is looking to fund a solution that addresses all three objectives of the LGBT Fund, including primary and secondary objectives. The LGBT Fund will not fund a solution that does not extensively address the primary objective of the Fund: The Fund is looking and first and foremost to fund a solution that includes service delivery. All proposals must include explicit targets of how and where HIV service delivery for LGBT communities will be scaled up. PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF THE LGBT FUND Primary objective: Improve access to HIV and STI prevention, care and treatment information and services for LGBT people. Examples of interventions that achieve this objective are: The provision of services for the LGBT community, e.g., o LGBT community-led comprehensive HIV and STI services, including but not limited to HIV testing and ART dispersion o Special strategies for particularly hard to reach LGBT sub-groups (e.g., youth, older, mobile, migrant, sex worker, drug-using) o Cross-cutting approaches, e.g., community mobilisation or community-based approaches integrated into peer outreach and support and/or clinical service Improvements to existing HIV services to ensure they cater for LGBT people, e.g., o Integration of LGBT-specific health services into mainstream public health clinics o Rapid needs assessments to improve HIV service design and implementation o Mechanisms for community feedback to troubleshoot problems, and make services more respectful and appropriate o Improvements to referral and linkages across the prevention, care and treatment continuum Interventions that increase the demand among LGBT people for HIV services, e.g., o Use of social media and other technology to create demand for HIV services o Peer outreach and behaviour change interventions SECONDARY OBJECTIVES OF THE LGBT FUND Secondary objective 1: Decrease stigma, discrimination and violence against LGBT people among health and other service providers, community and/or faith based leaders, families, and policy makers. Examples of interventions that achieve this objective are: Advocacy activities that mobilise and engage stakeholders to create appropriate services protecting LGBT people from stigma, discrimination and violence 4

6 o o o o o Activities creating awareness and spreading information around LGBT communities, their health rights and needs including HIV, and their legal status in Mozambique, to relevant stakeholders, including health system leaders, police, government and faith leaders Solutions enabling country LGBT organisations to participate in country and regional networks Assessments of the impact of internal and external stigma within health facilities and within broader societal structures (e.g., police) Community mobilisation for advocacy to create enabling environments Improvements to data gathering on human rights, violence, discrimination, and stigma Interventions that directly protect LGBT people from stigma, discrimination and violence, e.g., o Incorporation of violence and human rights prevention and response systems into health services, community groups and other relevant organisations o Activities to increase legal literacy among LGBT people o Safe spaces for communities to organise and undertake interpersonal and group communication and other activities o Engagement of families to re-integrate LGBT people thrown out of the home o Tackling of data safety and security issues at different levels of the healthcare system to ensure confidentiality Secondary objective 2: Increase the capacity of LGBT community-based civil society organisations (CBOs) and local and national-level LGBT movements to build leadership and deliver HIV and STI services and advocate for the rights and health of LGBT people. Examples of interventions that achieve this objective are: Activities that increase the leadership ability of CBOs organisations to deliver services, e.g., o Capacity-building to administer health services to build sustainable in-house structures for resource mobilisation, financial and programme planning o Capacity-strengthening on monitoring and evaluation, documentation and data-tracking systems o Approaches that measurably improve organisational readiness Support interventions that enable CBOs to engage in advocacy and stakeholder management, e.g., o Strategic planning with local government and other stakeholders (e.g. PEPFAR, Global Fund, UN family) o Contributions to national policy guidance and operational frameworks o Participation in local, regional or national accountability and decision-making mechanisms o Strengthening cadres of LGBT leaders who can speak credibly on behalf of their community The majority of funds will be committed to HIV service delivery. The above are examples, and we also welcome other potential innovative solutions that achieve our objectives. We will not fund basic or laboratory-intensive research, or interventions which will take more than 30 months to implement. For use of funds for other purposes such as procurement of goods and products or capacity building, a description of how this leads to impact must be included. Solutions proposed may include pilots; however, the solution design must be well informed by related evidence and have a well-founded theory of change. Additionally, solutions 5

7 proposed may include innovations which improve on previous successes, e.g., to expand service, reduce delivery time or reduce cost. 6

8 HOW TO APPLY TIMELINE Expected timeline (subject to change): Call for Applications December 15, 2016 Application deadline January 31, 2017 Notification to awardees February 16, 2017 Negotiation and Terms of Agreement February/March 2017 Implementation start March/April 2017 APPLICATIONS All applications will need to include the following three documents: Completed application form (available via web link given below) Completed work plan template (available via web link given below) Completed budget template (available via web link given below) Project diagram (no template available) Before grant commencement, additional documentation requirements (listed in the application form) need to be met. Any grant award is subject to provision of satisfactory documentation. Application materials are available online at All applications must be submitted, via , to by January 31, 23:59 London time, with the subject header Application: Deep Engagement Grant Mozambique. It is the sole responsibility of the applicant to download all application materials in time and submit the application to the LGBT Fund via . Applications submitted via post, facsimile, or other form will not be accepted. The LGBT Fund is not responsible for human error, theft, destruction, technical problems, or damage to Applications, or other factors beyond its control. Key information required in the Application will include the following: Your project: Organisation or Consortium name; partners delivering this project; country; project summary; project cost Narrative questions: Project summary; problem statement; organisational capacity; anticipated results; strategy fit; approach and effectiveness; learning agenda; partnerships; beneficiary involvement; value for money; sustainability/exit strategy; project management, monitoring and evaluation; project risk and mitigation Budget: A provisional and high-level budget in USD based on the template on our website Work plan: Main activities 7

9 Applicant details: contact details; type of applicant; previous PEPFAR/EJAF funding; charity registration details in Mozambique; organisational income and number of employees; address Proposed solutions should be focussed and clearly described, and need to include both a service delivery and an LGBT community mobilisation and advocacy element. Applications from partnerships and/or consortia are welcomed, particularly where individual organisations cannot deliver on the primary objective of the Fund, increased access through increased service delivery, alone. Organisations can be sub-grantees in more than one application, although each organisation is only allowed to submit one application to be primary grant recipient. SUPPORT WITH APPLICATIONS All applicants have the opportunity to request a telephone conversation with representatives from the LGBT Fund to ask clarification questions about this opportunity announcement and the selection criteria used to evaluate applications. All such requests must be made by January 10 th, via , to friedrich.conrad@ejaf.org. 8

10 ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS AND SELECTION CRITERIA All applications will be reviewed for eligibility before they are assessed against the evaluation criteria. The eligibility review is a pass/fail test, and covers both non-financial and financial considerations. Once eligible, application selection will be based on our selection criteria listed below. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS The LGBT Fund eligibility criteria are summarised below, with accompanying explanations. Country: This is a funding opportunity for a Deep Engagement Grant in Mozambique only. Applicants must have presence in the country of implementation or partner with a local organisation with incountry presence. The majority of budgeted cost must arise in Mozambique. Type of applicant: We encourage Applications from for-profit, non-profit, academic organisations, and multilateral institutions. Ineligible entities include individuals and governments. Individuals refer to anyone classified as an individual for U.S. tax purposes (including sole proprietorships and some single member limited liability companies). The LGBT Fund will not allow funds to be paid as profit to any recipient. Profit is defined as any amount in excess of allowable direct and indirect costs. Program income earned by the recipient must be deducted from the total project or program allowable cost in determining the net allowable costs on which the share of costs is based. Cost share and/or leverage is not required, but is strongly encouraged. Co-funding from partners is encouraged as this demonstrates a key stake in the project success by project partners, as well as demand for the solution. Extent of Financial Support: The total financial support approved for any one grant under the Deep Engagement category is between $1,500,000 and $2,000,000. Registration and Bank Account: The applicant organisation must be a legally registered entity and must have an active organisational bank account. Project Timetable: The proposed grant must be implemented and all funds disbursed within two years from the date the grant agreement is signed with the applicant or by July 1, 2019, whichever is earlier. Completeness and Language: All application information and supporting documentation must be submitted in English; any other language will be considered ineligible. Written submissions must be completed in full to be considered eligible for review; incomplete submissions will be considered ineligible. 9

11 SELECTION CRITERIA After eligibility review, the LGBT Fund will score each Application, using the five selection criteria outlined below. While the application will use the same criteria, the level of detail requested from the applicant at the Application stage will be greater. Applicants should reflect on the below questions when considering their solution's competitiveness and crafting their submission. While selection criteria will be used to objectively assess each Application, the LGBT Fund reserves the right to make final award decisions to ensure an optimal portfolio of awardees and solutions. 1. Strategic Alignment and Impact: HIV Service Delivery How well does the solution address objective 1 of the LGBT Fund? To what extent is the proposed solution likely to improve access to HIV and STI prevention, care and treatment information and services for LGBT people? How significant are the potential impacts of the solution on reducing HIV infections, and increasing treatment of people living with HIV, among LGBT populations in the country? What is the likelihood that the solution achieves what it intends to achieve, through the means it proposes to do so, in two years? Are the proposed activities sufficient to test the innovation in a way that could provide good evidence of efficacy? Are the proposed outcomes measureable with clear indicators, milestones, and timelines? Is the solution feasible to implement in the country context? 2. Strategic Alignment and Impact: LGBT Community Mobilisation and Advocacy How well does the solution address objectives 2 and objectives 3 of the LGBT Fund? To what extent is the proposed solution likely to decrease stigma, discrimination and violence against LGBT people among health and other service providers, community and/or faith-based leaders, families and policy makers? To what extent is the proposed solution likely to increase the capacity of LGBT community-based civil society organisations (CBOs) and local- and national-level LGBT movements to build leadership and deliver HIV and STI services and advocate for the rights and health of LGBT people? What is the likelihood that the solution achieves what it intends to achieve, through the means it proposes to do so, in two years? Are the proposed activities sufficient to test the innovation in a way that could provide good evidence of efficacy? Are the proposed outcomes measureable with clear indicators, milestones, and timelines? Is the solution feasible to implement in the country context? 3. Innovation Do the solutions involve new and innovative methods or approaches? Do the proposed activities differ substantially from those that other actors, such as the local government and health system, or international donors and NGOs are already undertaking? Is the proposed solution a response to previously identified barriers, building on existing and emerging learnings of obstacles to LGBT people accessing HIV services? 10

12 Will learnings from the programme be relevant to other projects, including in other geographies and among other key populations? Will the solution, if successful, act as a good example of how to improve HIV services for LGBT populations and could aspects of it be replicated elsewhere? Are the proposed activities likely to stimulate future innovation? What provisions for sustainability does the solution involve? 4. Organisational Capacity and Track Record: LGBT Community Mobilisation and Advocacy Has the lead applicant implemented programs of similar nature and size? Does the lead applicant have adequate management and financial systems in place to absorb the funds requested? How capable is the applicant and its partners of implementing the solution? Are the experiences and track record of the applicant and its partners applicable and well-suited to deliver the solution? Does the applicant, either directly or through partners, have sufficient knowledge of and presence in the target country to rapidly begin mobilisation of personnel and implementation of activities upon award? Does the proposed solution involve organisations with a track record and experience in working with LGBT community organisations, and in involving LGBT beneficiaries in service design? Does the proposed solution involve organisations with a track record and experience in delivering HIV prevention, testing and treatment information and services at-scale? 5. Cost-effectiveness How do the solution s costs compare with other initiatives with similar expected results? Are the unit costs reasonable and properly substantiated? For private sector applicants, is any cost share (in cash or in kind), leverage, or other exchange of resources proposed? REVIEWERS A review panel will review all applications. All applicants should describe their solution in clear language without the use of jargon. 11

13 GRANT ADMINISTRATION Grant types: This announcement reserves specific rights for the LGBT Fund, including the right to select for negotiation and award all, some, one, or none of the proposals received in response to this solicitation. For this Deep Engagement Grant, we will make grants to innovative/leading practices to increase access to HIV services and promote inclusive development and well-being of LGBT people in Mozambique. This includes funding newer and more creative interventions that increase service uptake and also those that help narrow HIV service provision gaps among LGBT. Funding amount: Grant size will range from $1,500,000 to $2,000,000. Applicants are expected to apply for funding commensurate to need and ability to manage and deploy funds. Grant management: Grants will be managed directly by EJAF. Reporting requirements: All awardees will be responsible for reporting requirements as determined by EJAF. These will be outlined in more detail to those invited to the Application stage. Monitoring and evaluation requirements: All awardees will be required to put in place an M&E framework for their intervention. M&E indicators included in each organisation s Application will form the basis for the M&E framework. Awardees must complete an end line M&E report prior to the end of the grant s period of performance. Enquiries: For any questions on the LGBT Fund or this announcement please friedrich.conrad@ejaf.org with the subject LGBT Fund Deep Engagement Grant for Mozambique. Rapid Response Fund: The LGBT Fund, through a fund manager, also administers a Rapid Response Fund issuing small grants. This opportunity announcement does not concern the Rapid Response Fund; please contact us if you would like more information about the Rapid Response Fund. Applicants are eligible to apply even if they have or will receive funds through the Rapid Response Fund. Previous opportunities to apply for Deep Engagement Grants: The LGBT Fund has previously invited applications to apply for Deep Engagement Grants in Kenya, Uganda and Mozambique. That application window has now closed. At this point, only applications for a Deep Engagement Grant for Mozambique are invited, and only according to the principles set out in this announcement. 12

14 TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLICABILITY LGBT Fund applicants are subject to the terms set forth in this announcement. Additional terms and conditions may apply as warranted. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Applicants are not required to transfer exclusive intellectual property rights to LGBT Fund during the application stage. However, applications should be free of intellectual property that the applicant wishes to protect. Therefore, organisations submitting applications under the Announcement hereby grant the LGBT Fund a royalty-free, non-exclusive, and irrevocable right to use, disclose, reproduce, and prepare derivative works, and to have or permit others to do so. Applicants may work with the LGBT Fund to identify proprietary information that they wish to protect. If the LGBT Fund selects an Application for award, recipients of grants will be subject to the terms and conditions of the grant mechanism. However, relevant parties may be able to negotiate protection for the organisation s intellectual property at that time. Applicants should ensure that any submissions under the Announcement are free of any third party proprietary data. Applicants should be aware that the LGBT Fund understands that some information contained in Applications may be considered sensitive or proprietary and will make appropriate efforts to protect such information. However, applicants are advised that the LGBT Fund cannot guarantee that such information will not be disclosed, including pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) or other similar statutes. DUE DILIGENCE Organisations may undergo a preliminary due diligence review during the selection process and before an award is officially made. Preliminary due diligence is a vetting process that may be conducted on the organisation to confirm it meets all eligibility criteria. The LGBT Fund reserves the right to deny making an award to the organisations of selected proposals if they are unable to pass this preliminary due diligence/vetting. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES By submitting an application, the applicant certifies that: The entire application is an original work by the applicant, and the applicant has not included third-party content in or in connection with the application, unless the applicant has either obtained the rights to use such third-party content, or it is in the public domain without any limitations on use. An individual submitting the application is authorised to submit on behalf of their organisation. All information provided by the applicant is true, accurate, current, and complete and the applicant will maintain and update all applicant information to keep it true, accurate, current and complete. 13

15 All persons who were engaged by the applicant to work on the proposed solution or who appear in the proposed solution in any manner have provided written permission to include their name, image or pictures in or with the proposed solution (or if an individual is under the age of 18, who is not the applicant s child, the applicant must have the permission of their parent or legal guardian). The LGBT Fund may ask the applicant to provide proof of permission(s). ADDITIONAL RIGHTS RESERVED This Announcement reserves specific rights for the LGBT Fund, in addition to rights described elsewhere in this document or by law or regulation including: The right to request further information or additional, necessary documentation upon initial review of any application. Such additional information may include, but is not limited to, a further detailed proposal, budget, and representations and certifications. The right to award more or less funding as deemed in the best interest of the LGBT Fund. The right to select for negotiation and award all, some, one, or none of the proposals received in response to this solicitation. The right to make grants without discussions, or to conduct discussions and/or negotiations, whichever is determined to be in the LGBT Fund s interest. The right to accept proposals in their entirety or to select only portions of proposals for award or coinvestment. The right to select for award an instrument type that is appropriate to the specific development context, partner relationship and concept selected for award. Instrument types include but are not limited to contracts, cooperative agreements, and Memorandums of Understanding. In addition, the LGBT Fund may craft a new instrument type to meet the needs of a specific relationship. The right to fund or co-invest in proposals in phases, with options for continued work at the end of one or more of the phases. The right to remove applicants from award consideration should parties fail to reach agreement on award terms, conditions, and cost/price within a reasonable time; should the applicant fail to provide requested additional information timely; or should the LGBT Fund believe it is in their best interest. The LGBT Fund is committed to an anti-discrimination policy in all of its projects and activities. The LGBT Fund welcomes applications irrespective of race, ethnicity, colour, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, HIV status, or other status. The LGBT Fund will not consider applications that reflect any type of support for any member, affiliate, or representative of a designated terrorist organisation. 14