Call for Proposals from NGOs

I.    BACKGROUND

UNDP is the lead UN Agency for the implementation of the “Youth 4 Inclusion, Equality, and Trust” regional project funded by the UN Peacebuilding Fund. The initiative is empowering youth to lead initiatives promoting peace, equality, and tolerance.

This Call for Proposals (CFP) is specifically related to UNDPs’ Governance and Peacebuilding work. The main aim of the call is to identify partners to work with UNDP to connect with existing cultural festivals locally and in the region, as a platform to promote intercultural cooperation among youth and regional exchange to promote shared cultural heritage, intercultural dialogue, peacebuilding, countering hate speech, and gender equality, attended by selected youth in the region.

Youth in Kosovo , despite facing limited economic opportunities and social constraints, have shown remarkable resilience and creativity in using cultural expression to foster dialogue, challenge stereotypes, and promote inclusion. Cultural festivals, youth-led exhibitions, and art-based campaigns have already proven to be effective vehicles for enhancing mutual understanding and building trust among communities. However, there remains a need for more structured, inclusive, and cross-regional platforms that empower young people to lead such initiatives with adequate resources, skills, and institutional support.

Building on this momentum, this project aims to provide a comprehensive framework where youth artists and activists can collaborate, co-create, and amplify their voices. Through a combination of workshops, mentorship, cultural events, and media engagement, the initiative seeks to elevate art as a tool for peacebuilding and inter-community cooperation—contributing to a more cohesive and inclusive society in Kosovo and the region.

II.    OBJECTIVES AND EXPECTED OUTPUTS/ DELIVERABLES

The overall objectives of this Call for Proposals are to:

1)    Organization and delivery of at least three interactive cultural events and/or youth exchanges organized at local and regional levels, involving young artists and activists from diverse communities. These events will promote inter-ethnic dialogue, creative collaboration, and advocacy through art, resulting in increased mutual understanding among participants.

2)    Establishment of at least six youth-led artistic pieces or cultural outputs (e.g., short films, digital artwork, performances, or exhibitions) created during workshops or events. These products will address themes such as social cohesion, diversity, and gender equality and will be showcased through digital and physical platforms.

3)    A structured capacity development programme delivered through at least three (3) workshops or mentorship sessions with cultural leaders, media professionals, and activists. These sessions will equip young participants with practical skills in art-based advocacy, storytelling, and strategic communication, including post-event media coverage and visibility support.

Detailed objective and related outputs and deliverables are provided in the Terms of Reference – Annex I

Final Beneficiaries

Eligible proposals will be those focused on youth, elementary and high school students, teachers and educational institutions as the direct and final beneficiaries. 
 

III.    ELIGIBILITY & QUALIFICATION CRITERIA

The parameters that will determine whether a NGO is eligible to be considered by UNDP will be based on the Template attached as Annex III – Low value Grant Proposal Template, with corresponding Work Plan, Budget and Performance Targets.

Annex III – Low value Grant Proposal Template – attached.
 

IV.    PROPOSAL
 

Proposed Methodology, Approach, quality assurance plan and Implementation Plan – this section should demonstrate the NGO’s response to the Terms of Reference by identifying the specific components proposed, how the outputs/ delivery shall be addressed, as specified; providing a detailed description of the essential performance characteristics proposed; identifying the works/portions of the work that will be subcontracted.
Moreover, the proposal should demonstrate how the proposed methodology meets or exceeds the TOR, while ensuring appropriateness of the approach to the local conditions and the rest of the project operating environment. This methodology must be laid out in an implementation timetable and a quality assurance.
Management Structure and Resource (Key Personnel) – This section should include the comprehensive description of the management structure and information regarding required resources including curriculum vitae (CVs) of key personnel that will be assigned to support the implementation of the proposed methodology, clearly defining the roles and responsibilities vis-à-vis the proposed methodology. CVs should establish competence and demonstrate qualifications in areas relevant to the TOR. 

V.    EVALUATION CRITERIA & METHODOLOGY

a)    Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

1) Sound technical proposal that includes innovative and replicable inclusion mechanisms to maximize the value transfer to the beneficiaries.
2) High impact interventions directly targeting and responding to the needs established in the ToR
3) Size of budget requested commensurate with the organization’s proven administrative and financial management capacity.
4) Participatory monitoring and evaluation that will contribute to building a sense of ownership among the beneficiaries to promote the sustainability of the interventions.
 

Detailed sub-criteria are provided in Annex 1

b)    Budget size and duration

Proposals amounts should not exceed EUR 18,000 as stated in the ToR.

The administrative costs must not exceed 15% of the total budget. The amount in the proposal should be commensurate with the organization’s administrative and financial management capabilities.

The duration of proposed activities should not exceed the period of nine (9) months. The anticipated implementation period is between (15 July 2025 – 15 April 2026). The NGO/ CSOs are requested to submit a clear dynamic plan for each deliverable within the foreseen timeframe.
 

VI.    SELECTION PROCESS:

The UNDP will review proposals through a five-step process: (i) determination of eligibility; (ii) technical review of eligible proposals; (iii) scoring and ranking of the eligible proposals based on the assessment criteria outlined in the previous section to identify highest ranking proposal; (iv) round of clarification (if necessary) with the highest scored proposal; and (v) Low Value Grant Agreement (LVGA) signature

VII.    SUBMISSION PROCESS

Applicants shall bear all costs related to proposal preparation and submission.

Applicants must submit their proposals in one email to:
-    registry.ks@undp.org

The following documents must be submitted for the application to be considered:

1.    Applications (project proposals) in the form of the template attached (Annex III – Low value Grant Proposal Template), with corresponding Work Plan, Budget and Performance Targets.

2.    Proof of registration as a non‐governmental/non‐commercial organization including copies of registration certificate.

3.    A proven track record of experience in the implementation of similar/related type of activities (at least 3 years), such as youth empowerment programmes, programmes involving peace education, bystander intervention trainings, peer learning, advocacy, experience in working with schools and around accreditation programmes.

4.    Information regarding required resources including curriculum vitae (CVs) of key personnel that will be assigned to support the implementation of the proposed methodology (clear definition of roles and responsibilities) including:
Key project management team should have relevant experience in related fields for a minimum of three (3) years.
Key staff should have excellent oral and written communication skills in Albanian and/or Serbian languages.
For the reporting purposes to UNDP, the selected NGO/CSO should report in English language.

5.    Organizational profile with the following details:
A clearly defined management structure of the organization. 
Experience and expertise in the implementation of similar activities with peer education, multi-community youth engagement and empowerment, social cohesion and peacebuilding. Experience in working with different municipalities and regions in similar projects/activities. Experience in working with international organizations/donors is an advantage.
Demonstrated experience in working with local elementary and high schools is an advantage

6.    Audited financial statements for the past two years, including management report and footnotes that accompany the financial statements.

The NGO’s may choose to collaborate and present joint proposals with partner organizations. Once the application is complete and submitted, revised versions of proposal documents will not be accepted.

Submission Deadline
Proposals, with supporting documents, should be submitted by 02.07.2025 at 17:30, by email to registry.ks@undp.org

Potential applicants should refer to the “Frequent Asked Questions” posted in UNDP’s website.
For additional questions about the Call for Proposals Guidelines or application forms, please e-mail procurement.ks@undp.org
Note: UNDP reserves the right not to fund any proposals arising from this Call for Proposals

Estimate Competition Timeline
Below is an estimated timeline for this Call for Proposals:

2 July 2025: Deadline for organizations to submit proposals under this Call.
3-8 July 2025: Assessment and selection processes will take place.
15 July 2025: Selected applicants will be notified.
 

IMPORTANT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
UNDP implements a policy of zero tolerance on proscribed practices, including fraud, corruption, collusion, unethical practices, and obstruction. UNDP is committed to preventing, identifying and addressing all acts of fraud and corrupt practices against UNDP as well as third parties involved in UNDP activities. (See http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/corporate/Transparency/UNDP_Anti_Fraud_Policy_English_FINAL_june_2011.pdf and http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/operations/procurement/protestandsanctions/ for full description of the policies).
In responding to this Call for Proposals, UNDP requires all Proposers to conduct themselves in a professional, objective and impartial manner, and they must at all times hold UNDP’s interests paramount. Proposers must strictly avoid conflicts with other assignments or their own interests, and act without consideration for future work. All Proposers found to have a conflict of interest shall be disqualified. Without limitation on the generality of the above, Proposers, and any of their affiliates, shall be considered to have a conflict of interest with one or more parties in this solicitation process, if they: 

* Are or have been associated in the past, with a firm or any of its affiliates which have been engaged UNDP to provide services for the preparation of the design, Terms of Reference, cost analysis/estimation, and other documents to be used in this competitive selection process. 
 

* Were involved in the preparation and/or design of the programme/project related to the services requested under this Call for Proposals; or 
 

* Are found to be in conflict for any other reason, as may be established by, or at the discretion of, UNDP. 
In the event of any uncertainty in the interpretation of what is potentially a conflict of interest, proposers must disclose the condition to UNDP and seek UNDP’s confirmation on whether or not such conflict exists. 
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Annex 1 
Annex III Project Proposal Template