Targeted RFP
MSM Initiative Community Awards - CARIBBEAN
(Deadline: Closed)
Available Funding
amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, announces the availability of funding for small awards to support frontline organizations and networks working to address HIV among men who have sex with men (MSM) in the Caribbean.
Individual organizations are eligible for awards of up to $15,000 USD.
Collaborations are eligible for awards of up to $40,000 USD. “Collaborations” are defined by the MSM Initiative as cooperative efforts between organizations in multiple locations in the Caribbean engaged in a single project or set of clearly interrelated projects.
Only one application may be submitted per organization or collaboration.
It is anticipated that funding recommendations will be announced in February 2009. Organizations that are approved for funding can expect to receive funds to begin activities as early as April 2009.
BACK TO TOP
Definition of Terms
The MSM Initiative was founded and is administered by amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, and benefits from collaboration with the Global Forum on MSM & HIV, UNAIDS, and many other partners.
MSM is used to apply to an array of male-male sexual behaviors and identities, each with specific cultural contexts and with specific HIV risks, prevention strategies, and needs related to access and rights. The MSM Initiative is open to considering proposals that address HIV in the context of any of these behaviors or identities.
Addressing HIV among MSM includes planning and delivery of prevention, treatment, care, and support services, policy work, and observational, social, mental health, biomedical, and operational research. For this request for proposals (RFP), the MSM Initiative is particularly interested in applications that address national policies related to HIV among MSM. These projects will require an in-depth knowledge of MSM behaviors and identities, as well as a multifaceted approach to individual health, public health, and human rights, and to social and economic issues such as poverty, violence, homelessness, and discrimination.
The Caribbean: This RFP seeks submissions from the 30-plus countries and territories of the Caribbean, including Belize, Bermuda, Cuba, French Guyana, Puerto Rico, Suriname, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
BACK TO TOP
Background and Areas of Interest
amfAR, in partnership with the Global Forum on MSM & HIV and UNAIDS, has identified three global objectives for the MSM Initiative:
- Supporting frontline organizations and networks working to address HIV among MSM;
- Supporting effective policies and increased public funding for HIV prevention and treatment efforts among MSM;
- Supporting research to build understanding of HIV epidemics and interventions among MSM.
The Initiative’s core program components are:
- Funding projects that provide targeted support for MSM already infected or at risk for HIV;
- Advocacy and communications support at global, regional, and national levels to generate media attention, build public awareness, promote positive policy changes, and mobilize resources for programs that serve and improve conditions for MSM.
Intended outcomes of the MSM Initiative include:
- Prevention: including increased reports of safer sex and condom use among MSM;
- Health indicators: e.g., reduced HIV incidence and decreased morbidity among MSM due to HIV, STIs, TB, hepatitis, mental health issues, and substance use;
- Policy: including changes in funding, programs, program practices, policies, legislation, regulations, decisions, standards, and stated values related to HIV and MSM.
Funding recommendations are arrived at through community-led peer review involving technical experts who are also peers of the funding applicants in their general expertise, perspectives, and focus of work. Where possible, the MSM Initiative will provide awards in the context of partnerships that are already capable of offering ongoing training and technical assistance.
In making funding decisions, the MSM Initiative will advise peer reviewers to prioritize:
- Community-based efforts, meaning that the governance and leadership of these efforts should be strongly representative of the MSM populations that should benefit from funded activities;
- Organizations and collaborations with documented experience with MSM populations and/or successful HIV/AIDS interventions, research, and/or policy work.
The MSM Initiative and its partners aim to support sustained programmatic efforts and therefore have an interest in supporting strong organizational management structures, individual leaders, and involvement of MSM communities and other constituents. The MSM Initiative will provide support for organizational development as long as this is linked to long-term goals related to MSM and HIV.
- Further information about the MSM Initiative related to addressing HIV and MSM can be found at www.amfar.org/msm.
BACK TO TOP
Eligibility and Qualifications
Awards will be made only to U.S. tax-exempt charity/nonprofit or foreign equivalent organizations. (e.g., NGOs, registered charities, and other frontline organizations formed for a charitable purpose, such as education or access to healthcare information and services) with demonstrated organizational capacity to carry out the proposed activities and effectively manage award funds.
Partner Organizations
Proposals from organizations that are small, newly formed, or loosely organized may be submitted by an eligible organization acting as sponsoring partner. However, the MSM Initiative will only consider proposals from such supporters when the relationship is clearly defined in terms of fiscal responsibility and budgetary allocations between the partners, and mechanisms for oversight and technical support available to the sponsored partner.
Collaborations
“Collaborations” are defined by the MSM Initiative as cooperative efforts between two or more separate organizations in multiple locations in the Caribbean. Multiple locations of a single organization will not be considered as a collaboration. Proposals from collaborations should be submitted by a lead organization that meets the eligibility criteria outlined above.
Previous Award Recipients
Organizations that received an MSM Initiative Community Award in the previous funding year are eligible to submit an application for continued funding. Such applications will be competitively reviewed with new proposals and should include a summary of work completed and accomplishments achieved with funds from the initial award.
Proposals will not be accepted from governmental units or organizations, for-profit entities, individuals, or applicant organizations that do not meet the eligibility criteria identified above.
BACK TO TOP
Forms and Instructions
Please use the links below to download a copy of this RFP, the application form, and instructions. Please read the instructions thoroughly as they contain the information necessary for the preparation and submission of a proposal.
Applications may be submitted in English, Spanish, or French. amfAR requires that an English translation, even an approximate translation such as one made using an internet translation engine, be submitted along with applications in a language other than English. Both the original language and the translated versions will be provided to community peer reviewers.
Applicants are required to provide the names and contact information of at least three external (i.e., independent, non-interested) references. Letters of support or other attachments from references are not requested and should not be submitted. References may or may not be contacted as part of the proposal review.
Application form (to be used by all applicants) / Formulario (para ser utlilizados por todos los solicitantes) / Formulaire (à être utilisé par tous les candidats) (DOC)
RFP (PDF)
RFP – Español (PDF)
RFP – Français (PDF)
Application instructions (PDF)
Instrucciones de solicitud – Español (PDF)
Instructions pour la soumission – Français (PDF)
Sample application (PDF)
Muestra de solicitud – Español (PDF)
Exemple du formulaire de candidature – Français (PDF)
BACK TO TOP
Application Submission
E-mail submission (preferred)
Send the completed application as an attachment to:
msm.awards@amfar.org
Hard Copy Submission
Send by mail or courier to:
amfAR / MSM Initiative Community Awards
120 Wall Street, 13th Floor
New York, NY 10005-3908 USA
Please remember to mail or ship hard copy submissions with adequate time for delivery by deadline.
Applications submitted by e-mail or as hard copies must be received no later than:
3 December 2008, 5:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time
Please e-mail msm.awards@amfar.org if you have questions about this RFP or the application requirements.
Deadlines are strictly observed. Applications that are received late, are incomplete, or exceed page limitations (see instructions) will not be reviewed. Proposals may include citations, listed references, and web links to important documents and articles, but they should not be included as physical attachments.
BACK TO TOP
Confidentiality, Transparency, and Communications
Throughout the review and award process, amfAR routinely respects the privacy of the applicant and endeavors to protect from disclosure any confidential or proprietary information contained in a submitted proposal.
Furthermore, the MSM Initiative recognizes that many organizations working to address HIV among MSM are doing this work in complex and sometimes volatile social, political, and legal contexts that require additional confidentiality. Groups that require additional protection of confidentiality, particularly due to security concerns, should indicate as much on the application for funding. In such instances we will inform reviewers that extra confidentiality is needed, and we will limit what we communicate about your organization with other funders, partners, or the public. Indicating that this extra confidentiality is not needed means that we will maintain routine confidentiality about the funding proposal, but will feel free to communicate about the proposal and the organization to other funders and partners in the interest of mobilizing support.
While we will make every effort to maintain confidentiality in these situations, amfAR, the MSM Initiative, and its partners cannot guarantee complete confidentiality and/or be held liable for the disclosure of information that causes harm to individuals or groups associated with funded projects. Groups should be aware that any information provided carries the risk of being shared publicly through open dialogue about funding priorities, peer funding review processes, and communications about MSM Initiative directions, decisions, and reported outcomes. Submission of a funding application is deemed to indicate that applicants understand and accept these risks.
BACK TO TOP
Requirements and Restrictions
The MSM Initiative intends to encourage, support, and document activities of the highest quality. Therefore, all organizations funded by the MSM Initiative will be required to provide a year-end report of program activities and expenditures. Where applicable, organizations should be ready to document appropriate financial and accounting controls, including measures to prevent duplicated use of funds. Any renewal of funding will be contingent upon the adequacy of this reporting. In addition, the MSM Initiative will work with partners within the region to be in contact with awardees, to monitor and document any needs for technical support and assistance, and if possible, to provide this support.
Funding for the MSM Initiative is made possible primarily through the private donations of individuals and philanthropic foundations. The MSM Initiative will report regularly to these funding partners about the use of funding and all supported organizations and activities (except where confidentiality is specifically requested).
BACK TO TOP