MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

British Embassy in Buenos Aires launches call for project bids for 2018

The British Embassy in Argentina has been allocated program funds for UK financial year 2018/2019.

The British Embassy is inviting all interested parties to submit their proposals for the British Embassy Buenos Aires Project Fund 2018. The British Embassy has been allocated program funds for UK financial year 2018/2019. The fund is part of the UK’s total Official Development Assistance (ODA) commitment of 0.7% of GNI.

The British Embassy will now run a competitive bidding process in order to ensure we use our allocation for small projects that are of high quality and deliver value for money.

The process will consist of a one stage full bid proposal. The deadline for submission of full bids is 18 May 2018. All funded projects must be completed by 30 November 2018.

We are inviting small project bids for up to US$10,000.All funds will focus on supporting programs linked with our priorities.

Priorities for 2018

The fund will focus on the following priority areas and all project proposals should be able to establish a clear and identifiable link between the activities planned and the expected results:

• Innovation in Government
o Open government, evidence based policy, access to information, civil service reform
• Tackling corruption and economic crime
o Public Procurement, Integrity within State Owned Enterprises, competition and regulatory reforms
o Anti-bribery, money laundering, asset recovery, serious fraud, organised crime
o Strengthening of anti-corruption, anti-money laundering and public auditing bodies
• Rule of Law
o Judiciary engagement/reform, Justicia 2020

Who may bid? Eligibility criteria:

In order to bid, your organisation or agency must demonstrate that it has previous experience in project management (preferably working with international agencies or organisations), sufficient technical, financial, personnel and logistical capacity. For example:

• Government institutions.
• Non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
• Academia, think tanks, research institutes.
• Community-based organisations.
• Chambers of Commerce associations etc.

We will only accept one bid per organisation.

How to Bid

Our process will consist of a one stage full bid proposal.

Bids should be completed in English using the Project Bid Form and an Activity Based Budget should be submitted alongside it. Activity Based Budgets should list the activities needed to deliver the outcomes (results) of the project and be written in US$. See here for an example of an Activity Based Budget. Guidance for implementers on completing project forms can be found here.

Please send all completed forms to buenosaires.projects@fco.gov.uk.

Typical projects will range in value from US$5,000 - US$10,000.

Bid should highlight:

• Evidence of strategic fit with British Embassy priority areas.
• A well-defined and specific aim of the proposal.
• A clear and identifiable link between the activities planned and the expected results.
• We are looking for practical interventions that will lead to a real and timely difference to decision making.
• A detailed Activity Based Budget (proposals with no ABB will not be accepted). It should be clear what a certain expense refers to.
• Evidence of support from the relevant Argentine stakeholders in order to deliver the expected outcomes.
• Any co-funding. This is not a requirement but is encouraged.

Pls any queries or questions prior to submission to buenosaires.projects@fco.gov.uk.

What can be bid for:

Given the value of each project you may seek bidding for things like a workshop or training event or bringing over a UK expert to participate in a conference. Alternatively you might be looking for a contribution to a larger programme of activity (please note you will need to be specific in your bid form what the funds from the Embassy will pay for as part of a larger project). This is not an exclusive list, but an indication.

What cannot be bid for:

The project fund cannot be used to pay for items or support projects which are:

• Recurrent monthly costs (staff salaries, rents, bills or consumables)
• Projects that are purely of a political, military or religious nature
• Computers, sports equipment or text books
• All flights should usually be economy class
• Consultancy fees included in projects will be closely monitored to ensure value for money and any project should not allocate the majority of funding for consultancy services.

After the bid

The bidding round is an open and competitive process, assessed by the British Embassy in Buenos Aires. Results will be issued by mid-June.

Once a bid is approved a Grant Contract Form (MS Word Document, 172KB) will be signed with all successful bidders. In the documents section you will find an example of a Grant Contract. Your organisation will be expected to sign the contract within one week of the funds being awarded. Failure to do so will result in the funds being re-allocated. The implementing organisation will be required to submit report updates and a final evaluation of the project.

Reimbursements will be done once activities have taken place and receipts submitted.

The budget should be presented in US$. All payments will be made in US$ to a bank account held in Argentina.