UNDEF shares the following best practices to help you create a successful application:
1.) Presentation: High quality applications result in higher proposal scores. High quality applications: have all information completed, do not exceed character limits, provide accurate information, avoid jargon or acronyms, provide correct website addresses, uses plain English or French, and uses succinct sentences avoiding repetition of content.
2.) Clarity: Your application should be clear and concise. Someone who is not familiar with your organization or your project should be able to read your application and understand completely what you are trying to accomplish. The application should be laid out logically meaning that the reader should be able to follow your goals, activities, budget, and outcomes step-by-step.
3.) Scoring and Criteria: UNDEF assesses all proposals against the following 10 criteria. Make sure that your proposal meets the following criteria:
- Does your organization have a strong track record of excellence?
- Does the proposal make sense in terms of conception and presentation?
- How does the proposed project promote the objectives of the UNDEF?
- How does the proposed project make use of the United Nations’ and the UNDEF’s comparative advantage?
- How does the proposal make a significant impact?
- Does the proposal represent good value for the funding requested?
- Does the proposal demonstrate strong prospects for successful implementation?
- Does the proposal have strong prospects for continuing after UNDEF funding ends?
- Does the project encourage inclusiveness?
- Does the project enhance gender equality?
4.) Innovation: How innovative is your project? Innovation refers to something new at the same time being effective. For example, including men in a women’s rights project could be considered innovative.
5.) Democracy: UNDEF funds projects that promote democracy. Your proposal must show how funding will advance some form or cause of democracy. The more direct the link is between the proposed project and how democratic processes will be strengthened, the stronger the proposal.
6.) Budget: The budget must relate to the outputs provided in the narrative part of the proposal. Note that UNDEF rarely funds proposals for purchasing vehicles. UNDEF also looks for an element of volunteering in the proposal. UNDEF understands that the budget figures are estimates and expects budget amounts to be rounded figures (in the thousands or hundreds is acceptable).
7.) Value: Remember that the maximum grant amount for any one proposal is $400,000. Only a few projects have been awarded this amount in over 400 applications implemented to date. The average grant amount is $200,000. A realistic budget should result in a better score under the ‘value for the money’ criterion.
8.) Timing: The time available to submit your proposal is 6 weeks. It is strongly recommended that applicants give themselves plenty of time to develop, review, and then submit their proposal. Do not wait until the last few days prior to the deadline date of 31 December. Bad Internet connections, electricity blackouts, or other explanations for why a proposal was late are unacceptable, so start early!
Ready to apply for UNDEF now. Just visit this link or learn more at UNDEF website.
