The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted social and economic systems across the world, and magnified existing vulnerabilities and inequalities. The prompt implementation of mitigation measures has been highly effective in reducing the public health impacts of the crisis in Armenia. However, many households have experienced a loss of income, the closure of childcare or services for elderly people, disruption to education, or challenges in accessing social services when they are needed most.

PIN recognises the crucial role local CSOs play in service delivery, community mobilisation, awareness raising, policy engagement and advocacy for the protection of human rights and civic freedoms, both now and in the post-pandemic environment. Therefore, in this first phase of the project, PIN will launch two calls for proposals and disburse grants to CSOs that both address the immediate COVID-related health and socio-economic needs of vulnerable groups, and enable them to continue supporting their usual constituents.

Objectives of the Call

The aim of the People in Need COVID-19 Solidarity Grants Programme is to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 and contribute to the longer term socio-economic resilience of vulnerable groups in Armenia. Throughout the programme, PIN will work with CSOs that support vulnerable rural households, including elderly people, the extremely poor, internally displaced persons, youth, women and persons with disabilities.The aim of the People in Need COVID-19 Solidarity Grants Programme is to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 and contribute to the longer term socio-economic resilience of vulnerable groups in Armenia. Throughout the programme, PIN will work with CSOs that support vulnerable rural households, including elderly people, the extremely poor, internally displaced persons, youth, women and persons with disabilities.

Target groups

Rural and remote communities experience specific vulnerabilities. Proposed projects should demonstrate an understanding of the challenges faced by rural communities. In addition, in this first round of grants we will prioritize proposals that directly address the different and intersecting needs of:

⮚ Persons with disabilities

⮚ Minorities

⮚ Youth

⮚ Elderly people

⮚ Women

Successful proposals will address immediate needs and gaps, including but not limited to, the following sectors:

⮚ Social Services – This might include the provision of home-based social or therapeutic services where there are identified gaps for identified groups

⮚ Education – This can include support to those at risk of falling behind (for instance who were unable to access remote learning), mentoring support to young people at risk of falling behind; measures that widen inclusion, etc.

Target regions

In this first round, proposed projects should target underserved, rural communities in:

⮚ Shirak

⮚ Lori

Eligibility

This call for proposals is open to non-profit-making civil society organisations with the status of a legal person, established in Armenia from one of the following: non-governmental organisations, organisations representing national and/or ethnic minorities, civil rights organisations and organisations combating discrimination, women’s and youth organisations, teaching and research organisations.

Applications should provide evidence of the following:

⮚ Registration status as a non-profit organisation registered under Armenian legislation

⮚ At least four years’ experience delivering activities in line with the proposed project

⮚ Managing budgets of comparable size

⮚ Ideally show that they are already responding to the Covid-19 crisis in Armenia

Applications submitted by public administration institutions, State institutions, State agencies, local authorities, regional authorities, political parties or organisations affiliated with political parties are not eligible for this call.

Grant amount and duration:

PIN will support individual grants up to a maximum of 22,000,000 AMD (40 000 Euro). Proposed projects should not exceed 12 months.

In this first round, it is planned to disburse approximately 66,000,000 AMD (120 000 Euro). If we do not receive a sufficient number of relevant proposals, funds will be transferred until the next round. However, if the number of high-quality proposals is higher than expected, PIN may award additional grants.

Additional information

Potential applicants are invited to join an online information and Q&A session via the Zoom platform on July 29th at 4:00 PM.

Meeting ID: 842 8050 9802

Passcode: 147545

You may also submit your proposal related questions until 31 July 2020 via email: [email protected] Questions will be responded to within 3 working days.