2013 UNAOC Youth Solidarity Fund.

The YSF awards grants (up to USD 25,000) to selected projects that demonstrate innovative youth approaches to intercultural or interfaith dialogue. It only supports projects that are entirely developed and managed by youth for the benefit of youth. The age definition used by the UNAOC to characterize youth is a person who is between 18 and 35 years old.
In 2008, the UNAOC established the Youth Solidarity Fund (YSF) to support youth-led projects addressing areas of primary concern to the UNAOC, i.e. fostering mutual respect, understanding and long-term positive relationships between peoples of different cultures and religions. Its establishment was a direct response to the calls for action from youth organizations and networks made around the world during 2006 and 2007, related to the UNAOC’s thematic areas.

A wealth of ideas and ongoing work can be replicated and expanded to reach more youth and have a broader impact. The demand and need for funding in the youth sector to carry out such work is extensive and, with the Youth Solidarity Fund, the UNAOC aims to meet some of it by offering seed funding and opportunities for outstanding youth projects to be implemented, replicated or expanded.

The process of selection, substantive and technical support is managed by the Secretariat of the UNAOC based in New York, at the United Nations Headquarters. As the UNAOC benefits from the administrative support of the United Nations Office for Projects Services (UNOPS), all financial and reporting procedures within the YSF are in full compliance with UNOPS Financial Rules and Regulations.

Once selected, the winning organizations sign an Agreement with UNOPS to govern the management of the grant. Detailed mid-term and final reports (both narrative and financial with full supporting documentation) will be required of youth organizations.

Geographical Coverage of the 2013 Call for Applications:

Donor countries’ priorities or constraints are a key consideration in determining the geographical coverage of the YSF interventions for any given campaign. 2013 YSF Call for applications will welcome proposals from youth organizations officially registered and operating in the following countries:

Algeria; Angola; Bangladesh; Benin; Botswana; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Cameroon; Cape Verde; Central African Republic; Chad; Comoros; Congo; Côte d’Ivoire; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Djibouti; Egypt; Equatorial Guinea; Eritrea; Ethiopia; Gabon; Gambia; Ghana; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; India; Iran; Iraq; Israel; Jordan; Kenya; Lebanon; Lesotho; Liberia; Libya; Madagascar; Malawi; Mali; Mauritania; Mauritius; Morocco; Mozambique; Namibia; Nepal; Niger; Nigeria; Pakistan; Palestine; Rwanda; São Tomé and Príncipe; Senegal; Seychelles; Sierra Leone; Somalia; South Africa; South Sudan; Sri Lanka; Sudan; Swaziland; Syria; Tanzania; Togo; Tunisia; Uganda; Yemen; Zambia; Zimbabwe.

Proposals submitted by a coalition of youth organizations from different countries are acceptable only in cases when the leading implementing youth organization is registered in one of the above countries. Activities must be carried out in the above mentioned countries for the benefit of the local community.

Eligibility Criteria for Youth Organizations:

Youth organizations are subject to the same criteria as other partners of the United Nations system in that they must be accountable, transparent and refrain from all discriminatory practices.

To be eligible, applying youth organizations need to fulfill each and every one of the following criteria:

• Be a membership-based youth-led organization;
• Be a non-governmental organization (with the exception of national youth councils) registered in the country of operation as a charity, trust, foundation or association;
•  Be officially registered and operational for a minimum of 2 years with funding base and project implementation (e.g. registered in December 2010 or earlier);
•  Have a democratic governance structure, leadership nomination and consultative processes in formulating priorities and policies with members;
• Have an ability to demonstrate proper and consistent monitoring, evaluation and recordkeeping of their activities, including project evaluation reports and financial accounts;
• Have a gender perspective/balance reflected in their staff, membership and activities; Have no adherence to or affiliations with violent ideologies or antagonism against any particular country, culture, religion or belief system, ethnic group, sex, etc; and Did not receive funding under YSF past editions or did not receive the UNAOC-BMW Intercultural Innovation Award.

Upon request, organizations will need to provide documented evidence of how they fulfill all of these criteria.

Please note that project proposals will not be considered eligible for funding if they are submitted by: governments, international governmental organizations, non-youth led organizations, unregistered groups of youth, business entities, as well as individuals.

Timeline of the Youth Solidarity Fund 2013 edition:

Application deadline: Wednesday, February 13, 23:59 (or 11:59PM) New York City time Review of eligibility: February 1-24, 2013 Request to submit detailed budget and work plan: February 1-24, 2013 Evaluation and selection process: March 4-25, 2013 Announcement of results and signature of Agreements with UNOPS:
March-April 2013 Training of winning organizations: End of April 2013 First disbursements and inception of projects: April 2013 Mid-term reports deadline (narrative and financial): August 31, 2013 Second disbursements: September 2013 Completion of projects: December 9, 2013 Final reports deadline (narrative and financial): December 24, 2013 Final disbursement of funds, upon approval of reports: January 15, 2014
Please email your completed application form, CV/resume for the Project Coordinator, copies of the registration certificate and a statute of your organization by February 13, 2013, 23:59 New York City time to the UNAOC Secretariat at ysf2013@unaoc.org. Please do not attach any additional documents, unless the UNAOC contacts you and requests so. We appreciate you do not submit your application several times.

Please carefully review the Application Guidelines and this annex before completing the Application form.