Application Deadline: August 1, 2025 
Location: Kenya 
Procurement Process: CP-QB-FBS – Call for Proposal – Quality Based Fixed Budget 

Overview 

UNDP Kenya is pleased to announce a Call for Proposals for Low-Value Grants (LVGs) targeting Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) operating in counties most affected by floods, as identified in the Kenya Floods Recovery Needs Assessment (KF-RNA) 2024. This initiative is being implemented under the Intra-ACP Natural Disaster Risk Reduction (NDRR) Programme, funded by the 11th European Development Fund (EDF). Specifically, it contributes to Outcome 2: Disaster preparedness for effective response and to “Build Back Better” in recovery, and Output 2.2: Strengthened post-disaster recovery capacities in all ACP regions (corresponding to Output 3.3 of the overall Intra-ACP NDRR Programme). The LVG programme aims to catalyze localized recovery, empower grassroots actors, and support the transformation of flood-affected communities towards greater resilience and sustainability. 

Duration: All activities financed by this Grants programme must be implemented by 30th April 2026.   

Thematic Areas 

• Strengthening Community Preparedness and Recovery Systems –  Focuses on reinforcing local governance, contingency planning, and knowledge systems to ensure communities are equipped for future shocks. 

• Restoration of Critical Infrastructure and Basic Services – Aims to rehabilitate and climate-proof essential infrastructure; roads, health, education, WASH—to support both recovery and future resilience. 

• Livelihood and Economic Recovery for Resilience – Supports the recovery and diversification of livelihoods, promotes MSME revival, and enhances community adaptive capacities to economic and climate shocks. 

• Risk-Informed Housing and Human Settlements – Targets the reconstruction of climate-resilient housing and promotion of sustainable, risk-aware urban and rural settlement planning and eco-system-based management. 

Geographical Scope 

The targeted counties include Garissa, Tana River, Isiolo, Meru, Laikipia, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Murang’a, Kiambu, Machakos, Makueni, Nairobi, Kajiado, Nakuru, Narok, Baringo, Elgeyo Marakwet, Trans Nzoia, Bomet, Kisumu, Siaya, Busia, Homa Bay, Marsabit, Kitui, West Pokot and Mandera. 

Benefits 

• Proposals with budgets of up to USD 45,000 will be considered for the award. 

Please note: The value for money will be assessed as part of the rating criteria. 

Who Can Apply 

Eligible applicants must meet the following criteria: 

• Be a legally registered civil society organization (CSO).  

• Be a grassroots organization, indigenous peoples’ organization, or community-based group engaged in disaster risk reduction or resilience work in Kenya. 

• Demonstrate experience implementing community-level interventions that apply multi-dimensional risk approaches. 

• Demonstrate capacity to manage community-level projects with accountability and transparency. 

• Be capable of complying with UNDP financial and reporting requirements. 

• Collaborate with county governments and local actors for alignment and sustainability. 

Eligibility of projects 

Projects must directly contribute to the objectives outlined in: Section 1.2, focus on the eligible actions described in Section 1.3, and comply with all other conditions outlined in Section 1 of this Call for Proposals.  

Eligible projects must strengthen disaster preparedness, foster inclusive risk governance, and build long-term resilience at the community level. The following types of project proposals are not eligible for funding: 

• Projects focused solely on individual sponsorships to events such as seminars, workshops, or conferences. 

• Projects providing individual scholarships for studies or training. 

• Credit or loan schemes; 

• Projects based primarily on capital expenditure (e.g. land acquisition, building construction, or vehicle purchases).  

• Projects lacking inclusivity or that discriminate on the basis of gender, disability, ethnicity, or belief. 

• Projects offering direct cash transfers to individuals. 

• Political parties or religious activities;  

• Projects that contradict the principles of equity, transparency, or community-led governance. 

Eligibility of project costs: 

The categories of costs considered eligible and non-eligible under this Call for Proposals are outlined below. The project budget must reflect actual expenditures and serve as the ceiling for eligible costs. All costs must be: 

• Based on real, documented expenses; 

• Clearly linked to specific project activities and objectives;  

• Justified with supporting documentation; 

• Realistic and cost-effective. It is therefore in the applicant’s interest to provide a realistic and cost-effective budget in USD. 

Eligible direct costs 

To be eligible under this Call for Proposals, costs must be directly verifiable and traceable to the activities being implemented.  Contributions in kind Contributions in kind are not considered actual expenditure and are not eligible costs for reimbursement.   

Ineligible costs 

The following costs are not eligible: 

• Debts and provisions for losses or debt; 

• Interest owed; 

• Salary top-ups and similar emoluments to government employees 

• Items already financed in another framework, i.e. existing capacity should not be included in the budget; 

• Purchases of land or buildings; 

• Currency exchange losses; 

• Taxes, including VAT, unless the Beneficiary (or the Beneficiary’s partners) cannot reclaim them and the applicable regulations do not forbid coverage of taxes; and 

• Credit to third parties; 

Selection Criteria 

Applications will be evaluated by the technical evaluation team according to the following steps and criteria:  

Step one: Eligibility evaluation The following will be evaluated: 

• The submission deadline has been respected: 

• The application form including the budget table is duly filled; 

• Requested documents are attached to the application; 

• The proposal meets the rest of the eligibility criteria as mentioned above.  

Step two: Technical assessment of full project proposals 

• The evaluation will be done by the Evaluation Committee.  

• The quality of the project proposals will be assessed in accordance with the evaluation criteria set out in the evaluation grid below. 

Scoring The evaluation criteria are as follows; 

• For applicants to be considered, they must meet the eligibility threshold: the eligibility threshold is 20 points and above for the categories listed under Section 1: Organization. 

• The eligibility threshold is the score required to be considered for the grant, otherwise the applications will not be considered and marked. 

Provisional selection  

Following the evaluation of eligible full project proposals, a table listing the applications ranked according to their scores is established. A list of provisionally selected applications is developed, taking into consideration the financial envelope available and the geographical reach and balance. Where applicable, consultation with relevant entities will be made to solicit more information and guidance.   

How to Apply 

Applicants are to submit a full project proposal, which will be reviewed by the Grants Evaluation Committee. 

Application forms 

• Full project proposals must be submitted in accordance with the instructions in the standard application form (embedded below). 

• Hand-written applications will not be accepted. All applications must be in English. 

• Due care must be taken to complete the application form. Any error or major discrepancy related in the application form (e.g. the amounts mentioned in the budget are inconsistent with those mentioned in the application form) may lead to rejection of the application. 

• Clarifications will only be requested if the information provided is unclear and prevents objective assessment of the application. 

Please note: only the application form and the completed annexes will be evaluated. It is therefore of utmost importance that these documents contain ALL relevant information concerning the project.   

Documents to be submitted for application  

The following documents must be submitted as part of the application: 

• Project proposal application form (template provided);  

• Project budget (template provided); 

• Registration certificate as evidence for legal credentials of the organization; 

• Audited financial statements for the last two fiscal years (in the absence of audited statements, any other official document demonstrating the annual income of the previous years will be accepted) 

Further documentation may be required. These may be communicated to provisionally selected applicants. Documents may be checked for truthfulness and accuracy of representation through various means, including but not limited to internet searches, formally official confirmation from responsible offices, letters of recommendation. 

Where and how to send the application 

• The completed application form and the budget document must be submitted in Word, Excel or PDF. Applications must be submitted by email to lvga.ke@undp.org  

• For enquiries, write to Raphael Mutitu and/or Maya Fields at raphael.mutitu@undp.org ; maya.fields@undp.org .  

• The subject heading of the email should include the project name ‘Kenya OACP CBDRM Proposal’. 

• Applications sent by any other means (e.g. by fax) or delivered to other addresses will not be considered under this Call for Proposals. Incomplete applications will be rejected.   

For more information, please visit UNDP webpage: 

https://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=98624