Meaningful Engagement – Transformative Action (META) for Structured CSO Dialogue in Kenya

Job Reference Number/Emploi de consultance: : NA

Job Category/Catégorie d'emploi: Call for Proposals

Job Location/Pays: NA

Job Expiry Date/Date d'expiration: 04/07/2025

About FEMNET

The African Women’s Development and Communication Network (FEMNET) is a pan-African, feminist, and membership-based network based in Nairobi, Kenya with over 800 individual and institutional members across 50 African countries and in the diaspora. FEMNET envisions a society where African women and girls thrive in dignity and well-being, free from patriarchal and neoliberal oppression and injustices. FEMNET recognizes that the commitment to alter relations of power, structural injustices, and systemic oppression lies at the heart of feminism. FEMNET is therefore committed to pushing towards altering power structures that perpetuate gender inequality by nurturing the African women’s movement to enable women and girls in their diversity to effectively claim, affirm, and use their collective power to end all forms of exclusion, oppression, exploitation, and injustices against them.

Sub-granting Guidelines: Purpose and Rationale

FEMNET seeks to foster local capacities to safeguard the rights of African women and girls and to respond to their needs. Therefore, FEMNET will engage in implementing partnerships with local actors within and outside the host country, including NGOs, CBOs, and public institutions as well as INGOs operating at the local context to leverage comparative advantages, and expertise and create synergies when providing services most efficiently and effectively possible.

Development actors are increasingly being called upon to increase focus on financing for gender equality as a primary objective, particularly to target funding to feminist movements that can reach women at the grassroots level, where other financing cannot reach (OECD, 2020). FEMNET takes a bold step to an innovative approach that gives priority to holistic capacity building of women’s organizations and networks to build a cadre of member organizations who have strengthened internal systems and processes, are well versed in women’s rights as outlined in the various international gender commitments and can collectively influence national and regional policy spaces.

FEMNET, as the lead partner in the META consortium, will lead the sub-granting mechanism, ensuring that the values of mutual accountability, mutual learning, and mutual perspectives are upheld throughout the process.

Meaningful Engagement – Transformative Action (META) for Structured CSO Dialogue in Kenya

The Meaningful Engagement – Transformative Action (META) for Structured CSO Dialogue in Kenya is a joint action of the African Women’s Communication and Development Network (FEMNET), the Coalition for Sustainable Development (SDGs Kenya Forum), and Women Engage for a Common Future (WECF) International with support from the European Union (EU) Delegation in Kenya. The action led by FEMNET, aims to strengthen the capacities and influence of Kenyan civil society organizations as independent actors advocating for accountability, good governance, and inclusive development, and provide institutional platforms for their active involvement in the EU’s international cooperation between 2024-2027. Specifically, the action aims to achieve the following objectives:

• Improved and strengthened structured, inclusive, and regular dialogue between Kenyan civil society actors, local authorities, and the EU, facilitating meaningful and sustained engagement.
• Enhanced skills, knowledge, and resources of Kenyan civil society actors, including youth and women’s rights organizations, to address common development priorities and promote effective governance.
• Increased information sharing, joint planning, and implementation of initiatives among Kenyan civil society actors to maximize the impact of EU-Kenya cooperation

Kenya boasts one of the most active civil societies in the region. CSOs in Kenya can be classified into three broad categories:

• National and international NGOs in Kenya: Registered and regulated under the NGOs Coordination Act (Cap 19) of 1990.
• CSOs in societies, associations, trusts, and companies limited by guarantee: Registered under the Societies Act, Trust Deed Act, and Companies Act.
• Community-Based Organizations (CBOs): Registered and regulated by the Department of Social Services.

Indicative Funding Allocations

Given the diverse and dynamic nature of Kenya’s civil society, the META action will disburse small grants, an average of 2,000,000 KES per partner, the minimum amount that each partner will receive is 600,000 KES and the maximum is 3,000,000 KES. The grant is targeting 16 diverse CBOs in the 6 Regional Economic Blocs in Kenya. At least 50% of the sub grants will be allocated to youth and women-led CBOs, as such: at least 8 organizations from the 16 organizations will be youth and women-led. At least 4 will be organizations working with and or led by persons with disability, indigenous persons, and ethnic minorities.

This call specifically targets CBOs (Registered under the Societies Act, Trust Deed Act, and Companies Act those Registered and regulated by the Department of Social Services) to ensure grassroots organizations have the opportunity to strengthen their capacities and influence. The verification and contracting of the partners will be carried out by FEMNET.

Fundamental Principles for Sub-grantees

The Sub-granting guidelines are based on FEMNET’s values, objectives and programme strategies, which govern FEMNET’s selection and approach to implementing partners.

Mutual accountability: Accountability rests on transparency in terms of the vision, values, and procedures of the organisations and clarity in terms of roles and responsibilities. Both parties will aim to have open and honest communication channels and a willingness to engage in dialogue in case of disagreement.

Mutual learning: Each party will be open to self-reflection and suggestions from the other party and encourage creativity and the sharing of ideas.

Mutual perspectives: The Sub-grantee will be part of and contribute to; mobilise and build the capacities of feminists, women’s rights organisations, activists and their allies to build evidence and knowledge for advocating for human rights and sustainable development to be reflected in national, regional and global policy agendas.

Eligible Partners: Who Can Apply?

The call is targeting community-based organisations (CBOs) that have never received EU funding. These include not-for-profit, non-governmental and non-political organisations such as women groups, youth groups, neighborhood associations, social welfare, self-help groups that represent the interests of the community at large and faith-based organisations as currently registered by the Department of Social Services. In addition, CBOs working at the grassroots level/community level in the form of society, trust, and companies limited by guarantee, registered under the Societies Act, Trust Act and Companies Act.

Who Are Not Eligible?

• National NGOs
• Individuals
• For-profit entities
• Political parties
• Government institutions (national and county)
• International non-governmental organizations (INGOs)

Geographical Scope

This call for proposals is open to all 47 counties in Kenya.

Project Scope and Requirements for All Applicants

Please review carefully the guidelines in the table below to determine if the available funding aligns best with your project’s needs and objectives.

Indicative Activities that will be supported

This grant will enhance the Kenyan Civil Society’s capacity to improve their participation in national and sub-national policy discussions on the key priority areas of the EU-Kenya strategic partnership. This aligns with the META action’s overall objective of strengthening the capabilities and influence of Kenyan civil society and human rights organizations, positioning them as independent actors committed to promoting accountability, governance, and development. Additionally, the grant will provide institutional platforms for their active involvement in the EU’s international cooperation by leveraging and strengthening the existing Inclusive Dialogue Mechanism between Kenyan CSOs and the EU Delegation to Kenya, ensuring it is more inclusive, regular, and sustainable in line with the EU Roadmap of engagement with civil society in Kenya for the period 2022-2025.

The grant has three specific outcome areas:

(1) Improved, strengthened and structured, inclusive and regular dialogue platforms between Kenyan CBO actors and the EU, facilitating meaningful and sustained engagement.

(2) The skills, knowledge, and resources of Kenyan civil society actors including youth and women’s rights organizations enhanced to address common development priorities and promote effective governance.

(3) Increased information sharing, joint planning, and implementation of initiatives among Kenyan civic society actors to maximize the impact of EU-Kenya cooperation.

The initiatives supported through this grant should align with one or more of the following EU–Kenya strategic cooperation priorities, as defined in the Multi-Annual Indicative Programme (MIP) 2021–2027 and the Kenya-EU Road for engagement with civil society 2022-2025.

i) Green transition: The EU supports Kenya’s transition to a climate-resilient, low-carbon economy through:

• Natural Capital & Biodiversity: Enhancing conservation of wildlife, forests, and marine ecosystems; supporting communities in climate-affected areas, especially in ASALs (arid and semi-arid lands).
• Green Economy & Sustainable Business: Promoting circular economy practices, climate-smart value chains, and decent green jobs through MSME development, trade facilitation, and innovation.
• Sustainable Energy: Expanding access to clean, reliable, and affordable energy, especially in marginalized areas. Civil society is expected to play a role in accountability, community engagement, and promoting inclusive energy solutions.

ii) Human-Centered digitalization (Global Gateway Initiative)

A cross-cutting priority under the Team Europe Initiative, the EU aims to promote inclusive digital transformation by:

• Digital Connectivity: Bridging the urban–rural divide through last-mile internet and e-service delivery for schools, health centres, and county governments.
• Jobs & Skills: Supporting digital skills training, entrepreneurship, and digital innovation ecosystems to enhance employment, especially for youth and women in Kenya.
• Digital Governance: Enabling e-governance, transparency, and public participation in service delivery.

iii) Governance – Peace and Security

This priority area strengthens democratic institutions and promotes peace, stability, and the rule of law:

• Democratic and Economic Governance: Supporting public participation, anti-corruption reforms, access to justice, and devolution. CSOs are seen as key actors in monitoring service delivery engaging marginalized communities, and enhancing civic space.
• Conflict, Peace, and Security: Supporting Kenya’s efforts in peacebuilding, countering violent extremism, and promoting the Women, Peace and Security agenda. Civil society contributes by addressing the root causes of conflict and promoting inclusive peace processes.
• Migration and Forced Displacement: Supporting refugee integration, durable solutions, and community resilience. CSOs play a frontline role in service provision, protection, and advocacy for displaced populations.

iv) Gender and Youth Engagement

Embedded as a cross-cutting theme, the EU’s priorities include:

• Empowerment: Advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), preventing gender-based violence (GBV), and increasing women’s and youth participation in decision-making.
• Leadership and Representation: Promoting inclusive governance and leadership roles at national and county levels.
• Economic Inclusion: Supporting skills development, digital inclusion, and access to livelihood opportunities for women and youth.

Civil society organizations, especially those led by women and youth, are central to achieving these outcomes and shaping policy agendas.

v) CSOs Enabling Environment and Human Rights (eg. PBO Act 2013)

The EU recognizes a vibrant civil society as essential for Kenya’s democratic and development goals. Key elements include:

• Legal and Policy Reforms: Advocating for full implementation of the Public Benefit Organisations (PBO) Act 2013 to protect civic space and enhance transparency.
• Participation and Oversight: Strengthening CSO involvement in policy dialogues, monitoring, and social accountability at national and county levels.
• Capacity Strengthening: Supporting organizational development, sustainable financing, and coalition-building among CSOs, especially at grassroots levels.

Overall, the grant will support both project-based initiatives and the institutional strengthening of CBOs. Applicants may consider activities such as:

• Organizing policy engagement events with relevant state and non-state actors to influence legislative or policy reform processes.
• Developing research, analysis, and knowledge products that strengthen evidence-based advocacy on the EU–Kenya priority areas (e.g., studies on the implementation of the PBO Act 2013, renewable energy adoption, or gender budgeting).
• Using digital tools for community mobilization, policy monitoring, and dissemination of information (e.g., SMS campaigns, social media, community radio, podcasts).
• Linking civil society actors with EU and EU Member States representatives and facilitating multi-stakeholder coordination platforms.
• Enhancing advocacy capacities of grassroots CBOs, especially those led by youth, women, or other marginalized groups, to engage effectively in EU decision-making spaces and processes.
• Monitoring the policy environment and legal frameworks relevant to civil society engagement, civic space, and inclusive governance, to inform structured dialogue with the EU and other stakeholders.

We encourage applicants to include initiatives that contribute to and improve on existing projects in their proposals.

Reporting Requirements: The partners will be required to submit Quarterly and Annual Reports: (financial and narrative reports) on the implemented activities and results, along with supporting documents such as photos, links to publications, invoices, proof of payments, and timesheets.

Please note that this funding is provided under the European Union’s funding framework, which entails rigorous reporting and outcome monitoring requirements. The META Consortium is committed to providing support to all sub-grantees throughout this process to ensure the reporting process is effective.

Communication and Visibility Requirements:  All chosen proposed actions must comply with the visibility and communication guidelines by incorporating the project logos in all publications, references, documents, news, and any other visibility and communication activities related to the project. For further details, you can refer to the EU visibility and communication plan.

Duration of the Grants

The action may last between 3 and 20 months. All actions should end no later than February 2027.  Below is the detailed timeline for the application and implementation process:

Application Process

To apply for the small grants, please  download and fill out the Small Grant Application Template available HERE.  Applicants are encouraged to create their budgets using their templates, following these budget allocations:

• Staff time: 20%
• Administration: 10%
• Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning: 10%
• Program Activities: 60%

Submit the completed application and budget to recruitment@femnet.or.ke by 4^th July 2025 at 23:59 hrs.

Applicants are encouraged to send any questions or clarifications regarding this call to e.nyawira@femnet.or.ke. FEMNET will receive questions for a period of one week and will compile responses into a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document, which will be published on 13th June 2025 on the FEMNET website.

Evaluation and Selection of Criteria

A Selection Committee composed of the META consortium, Steering Committee, and Youth Sounding Board members will review the submitted proposals based on an agreed criteria.

Preliminary results will be communicated to applicants via email. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to a virtual meeting with the selection committee to pitch their projects. They will also be subject to a partnership assessment, to evaluate their organisational, operational, and financial capacity, and will be required to submit additional documentation as part of this assessment.

The Selection Committee may engage in a process of mutual communication with the shortlisted applicants to discuss potential adjustments or improvements to their proposals. Applicants will have the opportunity to refine and resubmit their proposals based on this dialogue.

All applicants will be informed individually via email about the results of the selection process.

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