Guidelines for the Small Grants Competition
(Part of the wider EAS Futures competition)
The Program
As part of PEMSEA’s Youth Programme, the Youth Small Grants Competition was established to provide opportunities for the youth in the East Asian Seas (EAS) Region to develop and lead initiatives to taking actions in protecting the region’s oceans and coasts. This hopes to highlight and promote youth’s engagement in addressing pressing environmental issues, particularly in the ocean and coasts of the region, as well as the drivers of ocean decline, which includes climate change, overfishing, marine pollution, expansion of ocean infrastructure and trade.
Up to $2,000 will be awarded for the implementation of winning project proposals for the sustainable development of coastal and ocean areas in the East Asian Seas (EAS) region. Along with funding, the grantee(s) will receive guidance and advice from PEMSEA throughout the project implementation to ensure its success and sustainability.
Three levels of grants will be made available to provide opportunities for more members of the network to implement projects in their communities or countries:
- $700 for event ideas like impactful community/ youth events or gatherings
- $1,000 for bigger ideas that can be implemented with small group of peers
- $2,000 for projects which involve a larger group and bigger impact
The Application Process
Eligibility
The Youth Grant Competition welcomes proposals from youth in the EAS region to strengthen and support youth capacity to develop and/or lead environmental initiatives in their respective locales. Project proponents must be directly involved in the planning, management, and implementation of the projects in their respective countries/ communities.
Applicants must be 18-30 years old and a citizen of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Indonesia, Japan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste or Viet Nam.
All proposed projects should be bold and potentially transformative, with a primary focus on ocean and coastal communities. Projects should align with the theme of Coastal communities, life with the ocean. For example, projects can be linked to focus areas such as marine plastics, marine biodiversity, and climate change. There must be a clear link to the sustainable development of coastal and ocean areas.
Projects should ideally be proposed in collaboration with local youth organizations, communities and/or local government. This can include institutional partners, such as members of the PEMSEA Network of Local Government, the PEMSEA Network of Learning Centers, other universities, NGOs, or similar institutions.
Project start dates should be a minimum of six months after the submission deadline to ensure awarded funds are received on time, and should last until one year or less. The submission deadline is 1 November 2022, although it is beneficial if expressions of interest are sent sooner.
Assessment Criteria
a) Clear rationale and need – 20%
b) Feasibility – 25%
c) Proposed results: concrete benefits and positive impacts for coastal communities/ ecosystems – 25%
d) Inclusivity: Must be developed with multi-sectoral stakeholders, e.g. local government, communities, other youth organizations – 20%
e) Monitoring and evaluation strategy – 10%
Awarding of Grants
Submitted project proposals will undergo two review stages to ensure that all projects adhere to the assessment criteria and are feasible to the proposed timeline and budget. The first round of judging will be handled by the PEMSEA Youth Team, which will create a shortlist. The final review will involve the Technical Committee and will be approved by the PEMSEA Executive Director. Upon approval, winners will be advised directly and will be posted in PEMSEA’s website and social media accounts. Unsuccessful applicants will also be advised.
Grant awards may be contingent on project modifications made in consultation with PEMSEA and its partners.
Reporting Requirement
Grantee(s) will be required to report on their projects. In addition to regular updates during the course of project implementation, a final report must be submitted once the project is completed.
Specific reporting requirements for the project will be advised when the grant is approved. Generally, the final report will give a summary of project activities, outcomes and project participants, together with any problems incurred and/or lessons learned, to evaluate the effectiveness of the project against the objectives of the Youth Grants Competition.
Process
a) Call for Submission
b) Submission of project proposals info@pemsea.org/media@pemsea.org.
c) Initial review of submitted project proposals – (Youth Forum team will initially review)
d) Final review of project proposals (The Technical Committee and the PEMSEA Executive Director will finalize the winners)
e) Awarding of grant for the conduct of the project
f) Signing of grant agreement
g) Bank transfer of grants and start of project implementation
h) Monitoring of project
Assistance
Proposals should be comprehensive, but can be modified as needed. Supplementary materials, such as posters, banners, and pamphlets may be disseminated to help strengthen proposals during the call for applications. Questions will be entertained all throughout the duration of the applications.