The strategic opportunity window is a funding opportunity that enables rapid reaction to ‘hot’ and emerging issues key to achieving systemic change. This strategic support is to respond flexibly to short-lived or immediate opportunities, to inform important thematic issues or emerging topics. These opportunities are either identified by potential grantees, the Steering Committee (SC), Programme Management Team (PMT), or the Funders Committee.
This window enables organisations to send unsolicited proposals to the PMT for consideration. The PMT would refer these proposals, after assessment, to the Grants Sub-Committee (GSC) for consideration and recommendation to the Steering Committee if appropriate.
The SC, PMT or Funders Committee can solicit proposals from targeted organisation to address a strategic emerging issue. The same process as above would be used to obtain a Steering Committee approval. This opportunity is open throughout the life span of the project and addresses projects with duration of no more than one year.
In September, 2017 the Steering Committee awarded one million, seven hundred and seventy-nine thousand and ninety-three Ghanaian Cedis and fifty Pesewas (GH¢ 1,779,093.50) to six (6) organisations after satisfying independent assessments, budget assessments and due diligence requirements.
Projects under the strategic opportunity window focuses on the establishment of an independent police complaints authority; Inclusion of disability issues in Ghana’s Affirmative Action Bill; Facilitating CSOs engagement with Government (the Executive, Parliament and the Judiciary); Strengthening engagements between citizens and parliament; Stopping Galamsey and Challenges of Galamsey and artisanal and small scale mining (ASM) and salt production.
Click on the list below for the full list and further details about the strategic opportunity partners.
STAR-Ghana Strategic Opportunity Partners
Related projects
Local governance - strategic partnerships component
Request for concept notes
STAR-Ghana's local governance call aims to strengthen, scale up and consolidate the results of previous and on-going local governance focused initiatives particularly in the areas of inclusive voice, improved access and transparency in service delivery.
The call is open for applications until 2nd March 2018.
Open to:
Registered Ghanaian Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) operating at regional or national levels; academic and research institutions; professional associations; advocacy NGOs; private sector associations; civil society networks / coalitions, media organisations.
Expected outputs
- Spaces for collaboration between civil society (including private sector associations and media) and state actors on service delivery at local level strengthened.
- Horizontal and vertical linkages amongst CSOs to address systemic local governance, public participation and inclusion challenges strengthened.
- Inclusive voice and participation in local governance.
- Mechanisms for increased transparency and responsiveness in local governance enhanced.
- Issue-based and inclusive DA elections, including the election of women, PWDs and youth promoted.
- Citizen participation in the processes around the creation of new districts and regions, election of MMDCEs and creation of new districts enhanced.
Focus areas
The call will focus on unfinished business in local governance in the following areas:
- Promoting basic service delivery and development management at local level.
- Innovative technologies and media for promoting citizens participation, accountability and public access to information in local governance.
- Gender inclusion, disability and diversity in local governance.
- Poverty reduction, local economic development, resource mobilisation and budgetary utilisation at the local level.
- Implementing the new Act 936, party political elections of MMDCEs and voter education and sensitisation towards Referendum.
Call component and duration
The Strategic Policy Grants Component will support national level CSOs with capacity to do strategic level policy influencing to implement projects aimed at addressing systemic constraints around local governance and decentralisation issues at the policy levels. Projects shall have a maximum duration of 24 months and grant fund support not exceeding GHC 600,000.
Eligibility criteria for the CSO or the Coalition/Network/Alliance
- CSO, Coalition, networks and platforms who have implemented project around local governance or decentralisation within the past three years and are considering further up scaling of the project.
- The Grants is not applicable to CSOs or Coalitions wishing to commence entirely new project
- Should be able to state clearly the results and outcomes that will be achieved from the project;
- Must demonstrate a track record in working with and delivering results around governance focused initiatives;
- Ability to co-develop and implement local governance and decentralisation initiatives that can lead to strategic and national level policy change or action.
Grant Partners implementing STAR-Ghana funded projects as lead organisations are not eligible to apply. GESI small partners are in principle not barred from applying for the grant. However, STAR-Ghana will not award a fresh grant to an organisation which is either holding a grant or whose project has ended but has not completed the project/grant closure activities and signed off by STAR-Ghana. So those who are not sure that they would have completed their project closure activities by May 2018 need not apply.
How to apply
Download a concept note form for the local governance – strategic partnerships component
This form should be completed and submitted by email to: strategiclocalgovernance@star-ghana.org.
Deadline for submission of competed application forms is 2nd March 2018.
Shortlisted applications will be notified within two weeks after close of application and will be work with the Programme Management Team to co-develop full proposals for consideration by the Steering Committee..
For enquiries, please email us at the following address: info@star-ghana.org or call (0302) 774488/7012404 between 9am and 5pm on week days.
Find out more
Media
In December 2016, STAR-Ghana announced its Media calls for proposals and concept notes to support initiatives around increasing the effectiveness of Media actions for accountable, responsive and inclusive governance and delivery of public goods and services and strengthening media – civil society partnerships for voice, accountability and inclusive access to quality public goods and services. The call was divided into two components – small grants and strategic partnerships:
- The Strategic Partnership component was opened to Registered Ghanaian Media organisations and Media Houses operating at regional or national levels and actively engaged in policy influencing processes.
- The small grants component on the other hand was on opened to Registered Ghanaian Media organisations including community radio stations and print housed located or operating at community or district levels and focused primarily on community and district assembly level issues; CSOs focusing primarily on media issues and located in and/or working on empowerment and accountability issues at community and district levels and Social media organisations focusing on GESI issues at community and district levels. It focused on:
A total of sixty-two (62) organisations responded to the media call: 32 and 30 for the small grants and strategic partnership components respectively. Out of the 62 organisations that responded to the call, 10 were awarded grants after satisfying independent assessments, budget assessments and due diligence requirements. Projects within the strategic partnership components focused on:
- Voice and participation in governance at all levels, particularly for excluded social groups;
- Sustainable and inclusive access to quality and responsive public goods and services particularly health and education;
- Addressing systemic constraints to media quality and effectiveness in Ghana in promoting accountable, responsive and inclusive governance
The small grants partnership component focused on:
- Increased accountability and responsiveness of district assemblies to citizens, particularly women, the youth, persons with disabilities and other excluded social groups;
- Improved and inclusive access to economic opportunities and productive resources , such as financial capital, livelihood opportunities and land rights for citizens ;
- Improved inclusive access to quality public services for example. health, education, sanitation, housing; and
- Increased adherence to the human rights and protection of women, girls and marginalised groups with a focus on laws, legislation as well as socio-cultural norms and practices of discrimination and stigma.
The total grant amount awarded to the 10 organisations was three million and forty-nine thousand, six hundred and eighty-eight Ghanaian Cedis and eighty-nine Pesewas (GH¢ 3049, 688.89)
Please click on the link below for the full list of our Media Partners
Anti-corruption - innovative alliances component
This call is closed. View the latest updates here.
Background information:
Theme:
Fighting Corruption in Ghana through an enabling policy and regulatory framework.
Eligible organisations
Registered and informal alliances/coalitions/networks of stakeholders in the fight against corruption. These alliances/coalitions/networks must be led by registered Ghanaian civil society organisations (CSOs) operating at national and regional levels, including:
- Academic and research institutions;
- Professional associations;
- Research and advocacy NGOs;
- Think Tanks;
- Private sector associations; and,
- Faith-based organisations.
Lead organisations must demonstrate capacity to mobilize broad alliances of state and non-state actors for long-term engagement and collective action in the fight against corruption.
NB: Organisations currently receiving grants from STAR-Ghana under the GESI and Media calls are not eligible to apply as lead organisations for this grant.
About STAR Ghana
STAR-Ghana is a five-year (2015 – 2020) voice and empowerment programme supported by UK Aid, the European Union and DANIDA. Its purpose is to support the development of a civil society and citizenry capable of influencing change which will lead to inclusive access to high quality and responsive service delivery in Ghana. Its strategic approach is focused on supporting the creation, utilisation and institutionalisation of spaces for collective engagement, within civil society and between civil society and other actors, as a means of increasing the accountability and responsiveness of the executive and key state institutions at both local and national levels and promoting inclusive national development. For more information about STAR-Ghana, please visit the website at www.star-ghana.org.
The anti-corruption call
National corruption surveys in recent years point to a significant deterioration in citizens’ perceptions of corruption in Ghana. Overall trends are negative, particularly for citizens seeking to access public goods and services. Public perceptions also reflect a growing awareness of, and concern about corruption across key sectors of government.
Corruption is a brake on development, burdens the poor and exacerbates inequality. The resulting lack of trust in public officials, institutions, and processes weakens the state-citizen relationship and undermines democracy. Tackling it is therefore essential if Ghana is to achieve sustainable and equitable growth.
An important lesson learnt from anti-corruption actions in Ghana and globally is the need for collaboration and joint actions among stakeholders, given that there are certain corruption issues which cannot be tackled by any one organisation or institution alone. In addition, fighting corruption can be very dangerous for an individual or single organisation or enterprise and collaborative actions help not only to mitigate the risks, but also increase the impact and credibility of anti-corruption actions. The scale and complexity of corruption issues also requires a multi-sectoral and multi-actor approach in order to achieve sustainable results.
To this end STAR-Ghana intends to support the development of broad-based multi-stakeholder alliances and networks to increase the effectiveness of current anti-corruption actions. The Innovative Alliances Component of STAR-Ghana’s anti-corruption call seeks to incentivise the development of innovative alliances or collective actions bringing together stakeholders who usually do not work together on such issues, such as NGOs, professional associations, private sector associations, media, state agencies, public institutions, traditional associations, academia, etc. to implement actions addressing systemic corruption issues. Applications are therefore invited from eligible civil society organisations, including media organisations, professional associations and private sector associations to develop and implement projects under the Innovative Alliances component of the anti-corruption workstream. Such applications should focus on developing and/or strengthening innovative alliances or collaborations among and between diverse stakeholders to address systemic corruption issues at both national, district or community levels. The proposals should be anchored on the National Anti-corruption Action plan (NACAP) and, as much as possible, take account of gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) considerations.
Projects funded under this component will be for a maximum duration of two (2) years and a budget not exceeding GHS750, 000.00 per project.
Eligibility criteria:
Lead organisations submitting applications to STAR-Ghana:
- must be registered with the Registrar-General’s Department with Tax Identification Number;
- must not have been blacklisted by any donor agency, governmental agency or by STAR-Ghana;
- must have a demonstrable experience and capacity to undertake national /strategic level policy influencing on anti-corruption issues;
- must be able to provide audited accounts for the last two years.
For enquiries, please email us at the following address: info@star-ghana.org or call (0302) 774488 between 9am and 5pm on week days.
