Building Stronger Governance through Civil Society Engagement

The U.S. Embassy in Belmopan, Belize announces a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to promote democratic institutions, accountability, and good governance in Belize with up to $500,000 in Fiscal Year 2024 Economic Support Funds (ESF) for a project period between 18-24 months. The anticipated start date for this activity is June 2, 2025. Subject to the availability of funds, Embassy Belmopan intends to issue approximately two to three awards in an amount not to exceed $500,000. Each award will be for an amount between $150,000 and up to $250,000 for each selected proposal. Applications are due on February 4, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time (Washington, D.C)

The submitted proposal should focus on Pillar II (Combating corruption, strengthening democratic governance, and advancing the rule of law) of the Root Causes Strategy. Project proposals should address one or more of the following project objectives:

1. Strengthen civil society organizations (CSOs) to actively promote reform and improve government service delivery, particularly to vulnerable, remote, and/or marginalized communities. Proposals should focus on building capacity, promoting civic participation, improving public service efficiency, and enabling civil society advocacy for social and environmental balance.

2. Improve the capacity of government institutions to promote transparency, e-government and anticorruption measures. Proposals should focus on implementing strong anti-corruption measures to protect public resources, creating mechanisms that enhance access to information and decision-making, and encouraging greater citizen participation in governance, thereby promoting transparency at all levels of government.

3. Strengthen access to justice and uphold rule of law, particularly for marginalized communities. Proposals should focus on initiatives that will remove barriers to justice and ensure that all citizens, particularly those from marginalized communities, can access legal support and resources effectively.

Specific objectives and indicators should be included in the proposals that allow the organization to measure and demonstrate progress. Funding awarded under this NOFO cannot be used for law enforcement, to train members of law enforcement, or to provide social services.

U.S. Embassy Belmopan invites qualified U.S. non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs) having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS or overseas-based NGOs, U.S. and overseas-based public and private institutions of higher education, and public international organizations (PIOs) to apply.

U.S. Embassy Belmopan reserves the right to fund any or none of the applications submitted and will determine the resulting level of funding for each award.

Eligible organizations interested in applying are encouraged to read this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) thoroughly to understand the scope of eligible projects, the application submission requirements, and the review process.