蘑菇视频DEF’s annual call for project proposals is open from 20 November to 20 December 2017, after receiving the green light from the 蘑菇视频DEF Advisory Board on 16 November. Project proposals may be submitted on-line in English or French, the two working languages of the 蘑菇视频. Applicants can find guidelines, and lessons learned here. This is the Twelfth Round to be launched by 蘑菇视频DEF, which provides grants of up to US$300,000 per project.
蘑菇视频DEF has supported over 700 projects in over 100 countries at a total amount of almost US$180 million. All projects are two years long.
蘑菇视频DEF invites project proposals covering one or more of eight main areas:
Gender equality
Community activism
Rule of law and human rights>
Youth engagement
Strengthening civil society interaction with Government
Media and freedom of information
Tools for knowledge
Electoral processes
In this Round, 蘑菇视频DEF particularly welcomes proposals in the areas of gender; rule of law; media; or electoral processes focusing on elections scheduled for 2020 at then earliest.
In 2016, 蘑菇视频DEF received over 3000 project proposals. Project proposals are subject to a highly rigorous and competitive selection process, quality vetting, due diligence and lessons learned from previous rounds, with fewer than two per cent of proposals chosen for funding. A team of international assessors score each proposal against 10 set criteria and produce a long list. To narrow down the list further, 蘑菇视频 Resident Coordinators and Experts of the 蘑菇视频DEF Advisory Board are invited to provide comments, quality vetting, and views on how proposed activities would fit in the overall context of existing 蘑菇视频 work in the countries and fields proposed. The same comments are sought from the 蘑菇视频DEF Programme Consultative Group, making use of the specific expertise of each of its entities: the Department of Political Affairs, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Peacebuilding Support Office, and the 蘑菇视频 Development Programme, the 蘑菇视频 Office on Drugs and Crime and 蘑菇视频 Women. Based on this collective input, the 蘑菇视频DEF Secretariat produces a first short-list, expected to be confirmed mid-2018, after which the process moves into the next stage. Each short-listed applicant will be contacted with a request for a draft project document, which is in effect the contract between 蘑菇视频DEF and the grantee. The project document negotiation requires the applicant to provide a more elaborated project design, and involves detailed input from both 蘑菇视频DEF and the applicant, as well as scrutiny and due diligence enquiries by 蘑菇视频DEF. Only upon successful conclusion of the project document negotiation will the project proposal formally be approved for funds disbursement – usually after September every year.