Objective

The Conflict, Stability and Security team in British High Commission are seeking bids that pilot innovative approaches to addressing the interconnected challenges associated with conflict dynamics, climate change and livelihoods in Sri Lanka. All projects should be conflict sensitive to ensure interventions do no harm, contribute to stability, and do not inadvertently generate tensions between different communities. Interventions should be locally appropriate, gender responsive, adapted to the Sri Lankan economic situation and aim to support a green economy that helps mitigate climate risk.

Project content requirements

Any project must focus on the nexus of conflict dynamics, climate change and livelihoods stressors in Sri Lanka. Based on the contextual analysis, the programme will need to be inclusive, culturally sensitive, tailored to local conditions, conflict-sensitive, environmentally sustainable, and locally owned. Technical interventions should include climate resilient livelihoods, environmental/natural resource management, and community mobilisation.

The implementer may pilot interventions under the following suggested sub-themes:

Evidence gathering

• research into the impact of climate change upon specific communities in Sri Lanka to help inform strategies for supportive interventions

• undertake consultation with households and communities regarding the livelihoods options most likely to suit them based on their existing livelihoods practices. Access to natural resources; the particular microclimate in their area, the impact on crops and livestock, market linkages, cultural practices as well as other relevant factors, defined by the consulted households/communities, will all need to be considered

Interventions

• pilot direct economic/livelihoods support for conflict-affected communities that respond to environmental degradation and the resulting livelihoods challenges. These should identify, examine and aim to reduce intercommunal tensions and the possibility of people returning to violence and conflict. The project should integrate ecosystem-based adaptation throughout, for example: promotion of climate smart and eco-friendly agriculture or by using community Natural Resource Management mechanisms
• facilitate community led participatory processes to develop locally-led adaptation plans and Nature Based Solutions to issues around livelihood insecurity and its interactions with climate change driven conflict
• support national or local government to understand the risks of, and respond to, climate change induced conflict and implement interventions in collaboration with local communities

Any intervention should take an approach that aims to:

1. Increase or stabilise the natural resource pool (to manage scarcity)

2. Improve benefit-sharing modalities (to enhance equity)

3. Improve governance/management (to reduce conflict)

4. Include a conflict management component. Opportunities for dialogue and peace-building activities should also be included. A conflict sensitivity analysis is essential.

5. Promote whole community approach. This will mitigate perceptions of bias, supports expectation management, and enables local ownership and empowerment in a more sustainable manner.

If the implementer considers additional sub-themes to be relevant, we would welcome new and innovative ideas where they align with policy objectives.

 Bidding guidance

We are looking to fund one project that addresses the core issues set out above. Projects will be funded for three Financial Years between October 2022 to March 2025 (Financial Year (FY) : April to March). Successful implementers must receive project funding in GBP. The funding will be available as Official Development Assistance.

The first FY (October 2022 – March 2023) should not exceed a budgeted amount of £200,000 GBP (two hundred thousand pounds sterling) with flexibility to scale up activities and budget in FY2 and FY3 to around £500,000 per financial year. Proposals should not be crafted to reach the budget ceiling, but to specifically meet the objectives in pursuit of demonstrable impact and value for money.

Each project will be subject to annual break clauses in March each year.

Bids should not exceed 30 pages and should be in English. We welcome bids from national and international civil society organisations, and multilateral partners and agencies. Joint bids from consortia with one lead partner will be considered.

 Process

Proposals must be submitted using the forms listed in the documentation section.

Bidders must submit documents in standard Microsoft Office formats, Arial, size 11.

The selected bidder/s will undergo a Due Diligence Assessment.

The team seeks to finalise grant agreements with successful project implementers by mid-October. Our maximum capacity for an incoming email is 10MB. Emails larger than 10MB are blocked.

 Assessment

This is a competitive process and the following criteria will be used to assess each proposal:

• alignment with the above mentioned thematic priorities and policy
• project design that demonstrates the ability to deliver outputs
• evidence of sustainability and continuation of benefits after the funding ends
• evidence that a gender responsive approach will be taken and that this is mainstreamed through the project
• alignment with the Paris Agreement, demonstrating that climate and environmental risk have been considered and no harm will be done
• evidence of ability to be flexible to current context and adapt
• suitable monitoring, evaluation and learning processes
• risk identification and management
• stakeholder and beneficiary identification
• budget that outlines sufficient details and overall value for money and aligns with the guidance activity-based budget template

 Essential skills and competencies of the implementer

The implementer will have:

• experience and familiarity of conflict sensitive and environmental programming
• strong operational experience of working in Sri Lanka
• the ability to source appropriate expertise to support any capacity building and advocacy components, both in-country and if necessary, from outside
• project and budget management skills
• demonstrations of creating innovative and scalable solutions.
• strong monitoring and evaluation capability
• excellent track record of completion of tasks according to timelines
• appropriate cyber security controls to protect participants, the organisation and U.K. funding
• robust approaches to risk management, conflict sensitivity, gender equality, and safeguarding policies and implementation plans in place that ensure the protection of beneficiaries and to safeguard against sexual exploitation, abuse and sexual harassment (SEAH)
• the project must be in line with UK equalities legislation, including International Development (Gender Equality Act) and Public Sector Equality Duty

 Documentation

You must include the following documents with your submission:

• project proposal form for projects above £10,000: template
• budget template. You can also read proposal guidance
• NPAC template (guidance included)
• one pager detailing the implementer’s experience working in this field and track record
• complete a separate equipment purchase supporting letter if the purchase of assets is essential for achieving the project outputs and impact
• digital development costs in excess of £10,000 for “any external-facing service provided through the internet to citizens, businesses, and civil society or non-government organisations” has to be submitted separately using the digital spend proposal form and be approved by FCDO
• interventions in the Security and Justice Sector must be assessed and approved in line with Overseas Security and Justice Assistance (OSJA) guidance before a programme or project is approved, and before a Grant Agreement, MoU or Contract is signed. OSJA’s consider the human rights (HR) and international humanitarian law (IHL) risks of programmatic activity which might support HR or IHL violations in the host country. Any funding to these types of activities, while meeting HMG’s national security priorities, must also be consistent with UK values, defending and promoting human rights and democracy
• You can also read value for money guidance

 Additional information

The FCDO is moving away from using a flat NPAC rate. Read further guidance. However, for the majority of projects, admin costs are unlikely to exceed 10% of the total project budget, but 10% is not a target or a cap. There will be circumstances where admin costs over 10% may still represent value for money and we will review these costs during the review process. Applicants are expected to pass on their NPAC rates to second-tier partners, or use a rate of 10%. This should be added together for all second-tier partners and included as a line in the budget.

The Suppliers are free to choose who they partner with and where they wish to work in order to deliver the best outcomes.

Only one Supplier will be selected for this project using the evaluation, but the supplier may wish to form a consortium bid.

The selected Supplier will be expected to work constructively with Sri Lankan government and other stakeholders in order to achieve the objectives of this project.

All successful implementers will sign a standard FCDO grant agreement. The terms of the contract or agreement are not negotiable.

Projects should aim to achieve 85% spend by 31 December 2022 and activities should be avoided in the final month of the project; however, we recognise this may not be possible with a short implementation period. Activity Based Budgets should reflect this where possible.

For further queries, please contact colombo.general@fcdo.gov.uk

About CSSF

The Conflict Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) is a unique cross-government fund that tackles conflict, stability and security challenges overseas, which pose the greatest threat to UK national security.

Since its inception in 2015, CSSF programmes have addressed threats arising through conflict, serious and organised crime, terrorism and violent extremism in more than 85 countries and territories.  It has been a catalyst for a more integrated UK government response to fragility and conflict, including delivering our commitments under UK national action plan on women, peace and security (WPS) 2018 – 2022, and the Integrated Review.

The CSSF Sri Lanka programme works to address the legacy of conflict from the civil war and reduce existing and future drivers of conflict in the country. The Integrated Review positioned climate change and biodiversity loss as the number one international priority for Her Majesty’s Government due to the impacts on global resilience.

British High Commission in Colombo commissioned a ‘climate and conflict scoping study’ through the Centre for Poverty Analysis (CEPA) Sri Lanka back in 2020. The study identified that climate change is fuelling conflict and instability in Sri Lanka and this is likely to increase. It also explores interventions that the UK Government could implement to help mitigate the conflicts – drawing on desk and field research with diverse stakeholders. See summary of report.

Launched today in Sydney by the UK’s International Trade Secretary, the UK Government, in partnership with PwC and Tech Nation, is publishing its Net Zero Innovation Handbook. This handbook was developed by the UK’s Digital Trade Network as part of its 2022 Net Zero Innovation Mission.

The Net Zero Mission builds on the Glasgow Climate Pact, by connecting organisations in Australia and New Zealand that have a clear decarbonisation need with UK climate tech companies that have innovative solutions.

To understand how UK tech can help to solve net zero challenges that businesses face, the team engaged with over 600 organisations in Australia and New Zealand. They outlined their decarbonisation plans and shared the toughest parts of their net zero journey.

Key challenges   in the region include digital carbon accounting, emissions capture, and Scope 3 supply chain emissions reporting. The Handbook showcases UK solutions to these challenges and the next phase of the Mission will connect UK, Australian and New Zealand firms to facilitate collaboration across these priorities.

The UK is at the forefront of a global boom in green innovation investment. Tech startups have seen 210% growth in investment year on year and the UK saw more climate technology companies receiving venture funding than any other European country.

UK Secretary of State for International Trade Anne-Marie Trevelyan said:

The UK was the first major economy to make achieving net zero emissions by 2050 a legal obligation. There are huge opportunities for businesses to lead the charge and support growth. Indeed, between 1990 and 2019, the UK economy grew by 78% while our emissions decreased by 44%. This is the fastest rate in the G7 and shows that green growth is possible.

This Net Zero Handbook will match UK expertise with net zero challenges faced by Australian and New Zealand businesses – a shining demonstration of green trade acting as a force for good.

British Consul General and Deputy Trade Commissioner Asia Pacific (Australia & New Zealand), Louise Cantillon said:

This handbook is an incredibly informative tool which demonstrates key areas for UK-Australia and UK-New Zealand partnerships and collaborations so together we can greenify our industries and reach our net zero targets.

The UK has innovative solutions across the clean growth economy and an unwavering commitment to the green revolution. Over the next six months we will build on this initiative by facilitating match making opportunities between UK, Australian and New Zealand businesses.

I encourage Australian and New Zealand companies seeking sustainable solutions to speak to the UK in Australia team so we can connect you with UK expertise.

The work follows the UK’s Presidency of COP26, the UN Climate Change Summit held in Glasgow in November 2021. COP26 brought together government and industry through the UK’s ‘Race to Zero’ Campaign where a collection of organisations made new commitments to reach ‘net zero’ emissions and accelerate their decarbonisation.

The UK’s Green Industrial revolution is creating a pathway for green innovation mobilising £12 billion of government investment, and potentially 3 times as much from the private sector.

Further information:

• Statistics from Net Zero Innovation Handbook
• The Net Zero Innovation Mission began work in February 2022.

The Prime Minister will today (Wednesday 31st August) join new police officers working on the frontline to make our streets safer.

After joining on operations, he will speak to officers from one of the 20 Violence Reduction Units set up by this government and see first hand the work they are doing to prevent crime in the community by intervening earlier and working closely with health and education partners.

His visit comes as new Home Office figures will show a 90% satisfaction rate among new recruits brought in under the government’s recruitment drive, with almost 80% reporting that the job met or exceeded their expectations.

So far, over 13,790 extra police officers have been hired across England and Wales as part of the manifesto commitment to put 20,000 additional officers on our streets.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:

Making our streets safer has always been central to my mission to level up this country, because everyone should have the security, confidence and opportunity that comes from having a safe street and a safe home, wherever they live.

We are cracking down on vile gangs and putting dangerous offenders behind bars for longer – and at the heart of these efforts are the 20,000 new officers who will be out on the streets providing the firepower for years to come in the fight against crime.

Located in the areas hardest hit by violent crime, Violence Reduction Units bring together key local partners, including health, education and policing organisations, to target the underlying causes of violence and prevent children and young people being exploited by criminal gangs – helping rid communities of the long lasting impacts of violent crime.

Backed by £170m of government funding and combined with targeted enforcement activity, they have prevented over 49,000 violent offences in their first two years, and supported over 260,000 vulnerable young people in their second year alone.

Since 2019 the police have removed over 72,000 knives and dangerous weapons through stop and search, surrender programmes and other targeted police action.

The government has also significantly stepped up action against county lines gangs and launched a first of its kind Drug Strategy – backed by record investment – to deliver a whole system approach to tackling supply and demand. Since November 2019, more than 2,400 drug dealing lines have been shut down, 8,000 arrests made, and supported over 9,500 individuals at risk of exploitation.

The government’s Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act, which passed into law last year, equips the police with the powers and tools they need to crack down on crime, including through lifting restrictions on stop and search and introducing new court orders to help target known knife carriers.

The Act has also brought in tougher sentences to keep serious sexual and violent offenders behind bars for longer, so that they pay the full price of their crimes.

A consultation has been launched today (Wednesday 31 August) to invite views from social housing tenants and landlords on a proposed rent cap to understand how best to support households with the cost of living.

Under the proposals, a cap on social housing rent increases would be put in place for the coming financial year, with options at 3%, 5% and 7% being considered.

The move would prevent rents for council and housing association houses from rising significantly, saving tenants an average £300 per year and providing stability as inflation rises.

The government regulates how much social housing rents can increase each year. Currently this is set at up to the consumer price index (CPI) rate plus 1% – meaning potential increases next year of 11% in line with recent Bank of England forecasts.

The proposed new cap will help support the most vulnerable households in the face of cost-of-living pressures. This comes on top of our existing £37 billion support package, which includes a £150 council tax rebate, a £400 energy bill discount to support households over the coming months and the most vulnerable 8 million households receiving support of at least £1,200.

Housing Secretary Greg Clark said:

We must protect the most vulnerable households in these exceptional circumstances during the year ahead. Putting a cap on rent increases for social tenants offers security and stability to families across England.

We know many people are worried about the months ahead. We want to hear from landlords and social tenants on how we can make this work and support the people that need it most.

The rent cap would be temporary and would apply from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024. The consultation also seeks views on whether to set a limit for 2024-25. The government understands this will impact social housing landlords and is engaging fully with the sector.

Following the consultation, a final decision will be announced later this year, to make sure social housing landlords have enough time to factor this into their rent decisions for April 2023.

The government is also committing to reviewing social rent policy beyond 2025, via a separate consultation due to be launched next year.

Today’s announcement is part of measures the government has put in place to support the most vulnerable households with the cost of living.

This is in addition to the £11.5 billion investment to build more affordable, quality homes through the Affordable Homes Programme.

• CPI was 10.1% in July 2022. If CPI remains at or above this level in September this will permit social housing rent increases of 11.1% (or more) from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024.
• The consultation launched today will run for 6 weeks closing on 12 October.
• Following the consultation period, the Secretary of State will direct the Regulator of Social Housing on rent standards, confirming the maximum amount social housing landlords can increase rents by for 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024.