The BEARR Trust is pleased to announce its Small Grants Scheme for 2015 and invites applications from NGOs and other organisations. Full details are given below.  The deadline is 1 March 2015.

The fields to be covered by the scheme in 2015 are among those highlighted at the 2014 BEARR Trust Annual Conference.

Section A:  For projects dealing with psychological support for people displaced by the conflict in Ukraine.

Section B:  For projects to support victims of domestic violence in Central Asian countries.

The Trust may wish to support a number of initiatives through the scheme, so proposals for grants of up to £2000 are invited.  Awards will be made on a matching basis, and not exceed 50% of the overall cost of a project.  Applicants should present costings in pounds sterling, but grants may be paid in sterling, dollars or euros as best suits the recipient, who will bear the cost of currency conversion. Projects should normally be completed within six months of receipt of the funds.  The BEARR Trust reserves the right to independent evaluation of any project funded.

What are the aims of the Scheme?

The 2015 Small Grants Scheme aims to support and encourage NGOs to

• share experience and learning among NGOs with relevant aims
• disseminate good practice more widely
• facilitate cooperation with and/or coordination among NGOs and other organisations working with relevant groups
• improve awareness, or engage public institutions in addressing the relevant issues
• propose other, imaginative, ways of achieving the Scheme’s aims

Who can apply for the grants?

The scheme is open to applications from NGOs and other organisations active in the areas covered by the Small Grants Scheme 2015. (Section A: Ukraine, Section B: Central Asian countries).

How to apply

There is no standard application form. Please send the information outlined below in English (with a Russian translation if you wish) by email to [email protected] before 1 March 2015. You should put in the subject line: SGS 2015 – bid.

The application should be no more than 2 pages of A4.  It should include:

The name of the NGO applying for a grant, its address, phone number and email address.

• The name and position of the person dealing with the grant application.
• A brief description of the organisation, its mission and objectives.
• Brief details of any partner organisation, its mission and objectives.
• Objectives, short and long term, of the project proposed, and a brief description of the activities to be supported.
• The hoped-for outcomes and the criteria by which you will judge whether or not they have been met.
• How this work fits in with your organisation’s current activities and how it meets the aims of the Scheme.
• The proposed total project budget, showing separately the amount requested from BEARR and the contributions to be made by the applicant NGO and other partners.
• Indicate on your budget: the number of people employed on the project, how many are employees of the NGO, whether any are volunteers, the number of days the project will last, daily rates of pay. The budget must relate to the project activities described above and include salaries set at local levels.
• Applications of more than 2 pages will not be considered

Criteria for selecting successful applications:

Initial selection of applications will be done according to whether or not the application contains all the information asked for, the extent to which it furthers the aims of The BEARR Trust, and the evidence that good use will be made of the resources available.

The BEARR Trust does not give grants for equipment.

What happens after an application is received by The BEARR Trust?

The Trust will acknowledge applications as they are received.  A shortlist will be drawn up for further detailed consideration. The Trust will contact applicants for any further information or clarification it needs.  Applicants who are not shortlisted will be informed by the beginning of April 2015. Trustees will review shortlisted proposals at their meeting in mid-April.  The Trust will announce which proposals have been successful soon thereafter.

All applicants will receive by email: an acknowledgment of the receipt of the application, followed by notification of whether or not their application has been shortlisted. Those on the shortlist will be notified by email whether they have been awarded a grant or not.

The BEARR Trust Small Grants Scheme 2015 is funded by donations from generous individuals and companies, to whom the Trust extends its thanks.