Application Deadline: July 31st 2018 23.59 (CEST),

Aren’t you just dreaming of a more inclusive world, but are you actually creating one? The NOW-Us! (NOthing about us, Without Us) Award honours inspiring inclusive initiatives from Africa and Asia that trigger empowerment of otherwise excluded groups. Are you operating in one of these countries and giving a voice to groups that should be heard and included? Submit your initiative latest July 31st 2018 23.59 (CEST), to be one of the ten teams that get the opportunity to attend a week full of further empowerment and win up to 25.000 euro! 

To provide a podium for southern frontrunners in inclusive development, The Spindle teamed up with the innovative grant facility Voice to launch the first edition of the NOW-Us! Award. Let’s make some room on the stage for southern initiatives that are taking inclusive approaches to catalyze change for the most marginalized and discriminated groups!

Requirements:

African and Asian* initiatives that are directly led by one of the target groups, following the principle of Nothing About Us Without Us. This means that only initiatives, developed and led by one of the target groups for the benefit of those same target groups, can be submitted. The target groups are:

1. People with disabilities
2. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people
3. Women facing exploitation, abuse and/or violence
4. Age discriminated vulnerable groups, notably the young and the elderly
5. Indigenous groups and ethnic minorities

• Your organization is being led by and supports at least one of our 5 target groups:

1. People with disabilities
2. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people
3. Women facing exploitation, abuse and/or violence
4. Age discriminated vulnerable groups, notably the young and the elderly
5. Indigenous groups and ethnic minorities

• You are operating for an impact in ánd are based in an Asian or African ODA country in the range of least developed, lower- or middle-income countries as listed here.
• Your organisation’s annual budget is below 2 million euro. When selected, you need to be able to provide a bank account in the organisation’s name.
• Oxfam or Hivos country and/or regional offices are not eligible to apply.

Selection Criteria

While selecting the 10 best inclusive initiatives in 2018, the jury considers the following criteria:

1. Focus on impact in at least one of the three impact areas:
   • Improved access to (productive) resources (finance, land and water) and employment
   • Improved access to social services, health and education in particular
   • Improved access to space for political participation
2. Being target group led and/or the extent to which the target group is involved in your project. We advocate the principle of ‘Nothing about us, without us’.
3. Being inclusive – this is related to attitude, communication, accessibility & participation. It can be understood as a set of linked, unending processes that have to do with the participation of individuals: the creation of settings, systems (procedures, policies, and laws) that encourage participation; and with putting ‘inclusive’ values into action. All three are about everyone rather than about a particular group.
4. Being effective, meaning that you can show proof of concepts and that the activities you execute logically lead to the desired change you envision.
5. Being innovative, meaning not only creating new ways of working but also creating space for improvement in every step of the implementation. This implies flexibility, to allow for the implementation of new ideas. Sustainability of your initiative – the likeliness that your initiative will continue to have an impact after your project had finished. Anything that has not been tried in a particular context and/or with a particular target group.
6. Being connected, meaning the way you have connected your initiative to local stakeholders and possibly non-usual (but effective) collaborations.
7. To be able to reach out in your community and tell the story of your initiative and where possible trigger other parties to join your cause or use your approach as an inspiration.
8. Sustainability of your initiative – the likeliness that your initiative will continue to have an impact after your project finished.
9. Your team, the capacities and skills you have to execute the proposed interventions and the drive, commitment and persistence to organise for the ambitions you have.

Benefits:

• The best ten initiatives get the chance to come to the Netherlands in the second week of October 2018 and attend the ‘NOW-Us! week’, a week full of inspiring workshops, debates and unconference days preceding the Partos Innovation Festival. Bring your initiative to the next level and get the chance to connect with other inspiring innovators that work in the field of inclusive development cooperation.
• Pitch your initiative on the 5^th Partos Innovation Festival 2018 in Amsterdam on October 11^th, where we celebrate and highlight innovative ideas in the field of development cooperation. Expect inspiring talks and follow sessions on new ways of working together, inclusion, digitalization & data, youth movements, activism, SDGs and storytelling.
• Win the NOW-Us! Award 2018 in the presence of peers from around the world, a delegation of the most important Dutch NGOs and win a grant for the numbers 1,2 and 3 of respectively €25.000, €15.000 and €10.000.

Timeline

• July 31st – Call for inclusive initiatives closed
  Entries for the NOW-Us! Award will close on July 31st, 23:59 (CEST).
• August 10th – Jury announces shortlisted ten initiatives
  On August 10th, the jury will select ten initiatives based on all the received application forms. The jury will focus on the criteria as listed below.
• October 8th – Start Inclusion Week The Netherlands
  On October 8th, the Inclusion Week for the best ten initiatives will kick off. The potential candidates for the NOW-Us! Award will arrive in Amsterdam during the weekend of October 6/7.
• October 9th – Selecting three nominees
  All ten shortlisted applicants are invited to the pitch event on October 9th in the Netherlands, where the jury decides which three will proceed to the finals, two days later at the Partos Innovation Festival.
• October 11th – The winners
  During the Partos Innovation Festival, the winner of the NOW-Us! Award will be announced.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the NOW-Us! Award 2018