Robert Carr Fund Communiqué – March 2021
Robert Carr Fund Communiqué – March 2021
The International Steering Committee (ISC) of the Robert Carr Fund met via teleconference on March 25 and approved the decision to launch a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the period of 2022-2024.
2021 Request for Proposals
On 25 March 2021 the International Steering Committee of the Robert Carr Fund approved the decision to launch a Request for Proposals (RFP) for funding cycle 2022-2024 to be published on 1 April 2021.
Through this RFP, the Robert Carr Fund aims to further the aims and objectives of the 2020 – 2024 Strategic Plan and to amplify the mission and vision of the Fund, while responding to the unique challenges and opportunities of this time.
The Robert Carr Fund recognises that programming to strengthen social enablers, human rights and gender equality, as well as responses led by communities of ISPs, are complex, and require longer-term investments. Therefore, the Fund intends, in this funding cycle, to support continuity, so that well-performing existing partners can build on their achievements. At the same time, the Fund wishes to encourage applications from new, emerging networks, especially those which represent populations and regions which are current under-served in the fund portfolio.
Global and regional networks and consortia of networks, which meet the definitions and criteria set by this RFP, are invited to apply for a grant to support core funding and/or activity needs of the networks and/or consortia for three years (2022-2024). The deadline for submission of proposals is 11 July 2021 at 12:00 (noon) CEST.
Applicants deemed eligible will have their proposal reviewed during July-November 2021, firstly by Independent External reviewers who will provide feedback to applicants highlighting where their proposal could be strengthened. As in previous RFPs, in response to Independent External reviews eligible applicants will have the opportunity to provide further input to support their proposal in the form of a rebuttal before having both proposal and rebuttal reviewed by the Program Advisory Panel (PAP) of the RCF. The PAP will collectively develop funding advice for the International Steering Committee (ISC) of the RCF in line with the funding priorities of this RFP 2021.
Finally, the ISC, subject to pending donor commitments, will consider the PAP’s funding advice, ratify funding decisions, and authorize the Secretariat to proceed with funding notifications and awards.
Funding decisions will tentatively be made public on 1 December 2021.
The request for proposals is to be announced on the website of the Robert Carr Fund http://www.robertcarrfund.org/.
Any questions in regard to this Request for Proposals 2021 should be addressed to grants@robertcarrfund.org where answers will be developed as part of the Q&A series which will be released periodically from April – June.
| Request for Proposals 2021 – Timeline | |
| 1 April 2021 | Publication of RFP. |
| April – May | Global and regional webinars focusing on Request for Proposals 2021, including the opportunity for potential applicants to pose questions |
| April – June | Publication of Q&As |
| 10 May 2021 | Online application portal launched for proposal submission |
| 11 July 2021, 12noon CEST | Deadline for proposal submission via online application portal |
| Eligibility and Review Process | Administrative screening of applications received
Non-eligible applicants informed |
| July | Administrative screening of applications received
Non-eligible applicants informed |
| July – September | Independent External Review of eligible proposals
Clarifying questions and ways to strengthen proposal shared with applicants and to be addressed in rebuttal |
| September | Deadline for rebuttal by applicant |
| September –November | Program Advisory Panel (PAP) review.
Funding advice to the International Steering Committee (ISC) by the PAP, based on applications, rebuttals and comparative analysis of all the reviews |
| November | ISC meeting and funding decision |
| 1 December 2021 | Funding decision made public. |
| December – January 2022 | Due diligence and contracting in line with the ISC funding decision of successful applicants
When contracting is completed, the first tranche will be disbursed |
| 1 January 2022 | Contract and implementation start date |
| 31 December 2024 | Contract and implementation end date |
For further information on the RFP please join our webinar organized in collaboration with UNAIDS on 12 April 2021 at 10 am or 4 pm Amsterdam time.
In collaboration with the Community Rights and Gender Strategic Initiative regional platforms of the Global Fund to Fight AIIDS, TB and Malaria, we will also be organizing a series of regional webinars in a number of languages.
Information on how to attend the webinars will be posted on our website. At the bottom of the website you will also find the option to subscribe to our newsletter, through which information regarding the webinars will be shared.
| Date | Time (Local Amsterdam time) | Region | Language | Sign up information |
| 22 April 2021 | 11 am | Asia Pacific | English | TBC |
| 28 April 2021 | 4 pm | Francophone Africa | French | TBC |
| 29 April 2021 | 4 pm | LAC | Spanish | TBC |
| 17 May 2021 | 12 pm | EECA | Russian | TBC |
| 19 May 2021 | 3 pm | MENA | Arabic | TBC |
| TBC | TBC | Anglophone Africa | English | TBC |
New International Steering Committee and Program Advisory Panel Members
The ISC is pleased to announce the nominations of 3 new ISC civil society members (ISC CS members) and 7 new Program Advisory Panel (PAP) members.
Further to the rotation of ISC CS and PAP members the ISC tasked a Nominations Working Group (NWG) to organize the ISC CS membership renewal as well as the PAP membership renewal. The NWG was comprised of one ISC CS member, one ISC CS Observer, one ISC donor representative and two Observers. For the PAP membership renewal two PAP members joined the NWG. Further to the Governance Charter an external civil society representative selected by the NWG joined the group for the review phase.
An open call for nominations was launched in August 2020. The NWG received a number of qualified nominations. Each nomination was reviewed by three members of the NWG further to review criteria outlined in the Governance Charter and then discussed by all members taking into account geographical, gender and ISP balance and representation as outlined in the Governance Charter. The recommended nominations brought forward by the NWG were approved by the ISC.
Please join us in welcoming our new ISC CS members:
- Johnny Tohme
- Helena Nangombe
- Jean Paul Bienvenu Enama Ossomba (currently reserve member, full member as of July 2021)
- Neil McCulloch (currently alternate member, full member as of July 2021)
And our new PAP members:
- Anna Shapoval
- Wisdom Kanyamula
- Karen Badalyan
- Vincent Leclercq
- Wassim Beaineh
- Mildred Mushunje
- Denis Nzioka
Furthermore the ISC confirmed the PAP nominees of Wassim Beaineh and McLean Kabwe as co-chairs of the program advisory panel.
Members of the International Steering Committee are: Craig McClure (Chair), Sujatha Rao (vice-chair), Monica Djupvik, Jolijn van Haaren, Sandy Thurman, Juliet Whitley, Paul-Gilbert Colletaz, Lorna Tumwebaze (observer) Tian Johnson (civil society observer), Jean-Paul Enama, Neil McCulloch (alternate), Helena Nangombe, Johnny Tohme, Anandi Yuvaraj, Laurel Sprague (observer), Kate Thomson (observer).
Members of the Program Advisory Panel are: Tendayi Mharadze, Karen Badalyan, Wassim Beaineh (co-chair), Meg Davis, McLean Kabwe (co-chair), Wisdom Kanyamula, Vincent Leclercq, Mildred Mushunje, Denis Nzioka, Anna Shapoval.
Representatives of the Robert Carr Fund Secretariat and Fund Management Agent: Mark Vermeulen, Mirjam Krijnen, Koos Boering, Maria Phelan, Anja Dietrich, Samira Helmy, Lennaert de Jong, Nathaniel Miller, Olga Rychkova, Gabriel Sevilla, Saskia Terzi van der Bruggen, Anna Sevink