1.0   Background and Context

 Save the Children International is the world’s leading independent organization for children, delivering programs in over 120 countries to ensure all children survive, learn, and are protected. Save the Children International has been working in Nigeria since 2001 as a strong, recognized, and respected voice for children’s rights. Our programs currently support health and nutrition, education, child protection, food security, livelihoods, and social protection in both developmental and humanitarian contexts. SCI has 12 field offices with presence in additional 3 states. With the adoption of Grand Bargain 2.0, Save the Children is committed to shifting power to children and child-led groups. Hence, localization and partnership are at the Centre of Save the Children’s global strategy. SC promotes partnerships both as an approach to ensure local leadership and ownership of its programs.

In line with Grand Bargain’s localization commitment, Save the Children in Nigeria developed its localization strategy in 2022; this is to enable a strategic power shift to local and national civil society organizations through an increased effort to expand its partnership portfolio as well as extend capacity strengthening offers to potential partners whose capacity may not be adequate to foster grant partnerships at community, local and national levels. This is striving towards more predictable forms of collaboration based on complementarity, to provide more effective, conceivable, and consistent support to populations of concern, particularly children affected by conflicts and crisis.

Against this background, Save the Children in Nigeria is calling for applications from community-based organizations (CBOs), local and national non-governmental organizations with presence in Nigeria states. Interested organizations must demonstrate commitment and capacity to work at different levels to scale up current and prospective programs in support of any of our broad strategic objectives listed below:

• Children have uninterrupted access to gender sensitive, quality, inclusive, basic education in a safe environment.
• Children do not die from infectious diseases and have equitable access to priority health and nutrition services.
• Children, including those on the move or impacted by conflict, are protected from violence and exploitation with conflict sensitive interventions.
• Improved long-term food security for vulnerable households.

1.1.  Partnership with Community Based Organizations

Applications are expected from Community Development Associations, Community Coalitions, child, women, feminist, youth led organizations, etc. To be eligible and considered for selection, CBO/FBOs must meet the following criteria:

1.1.1.        Eligibility and Selection Criteria for Community Based Organizations

         i.            Must be based in the proposed community or Local Government and have program presence across the LGAs
        ii.            Members and leaders must be from the community or local government of operation.
      iii.            Must be registered with local and state government before 2021. CAC registration is not compulsory, it is an added advantage.
      iv.            Organization must be politically neutral.
        v.            Satisfactory reference checks and SCI vetting system
      vi.            Must have evidence of a leadership structure.

• Functional organogram
• Brief description on reporting structure within the organigram
• Brief statement about board and management structure
• Brief description about day-to-day management of the organization

    vii.            Must have evidence of regular meetings of members and leaders for at least two years

  viii.            Must have basic financial records and books of account.

      ix.            Should have active bank account in the name of the organization.

        x.            Must demonstrate acceptance by community leaders and local Government.

      xi.            Must have basic financial records and books of account.

xii. Women, child, feminist, or disability led organizations would be a strong advantage.

xiii. Committed to humanitarian development and peacebuilding initiatives would be an added advantage.

1.1.2.        Submission of Applications 

Interested Community Based Organizations should prepare their applications in not more than 6 pages with the following details:

a)       A brief Expression of Interest on letterhead of the organization.

b)      Detailed description of the organization's on-going or previous work in any of the four objective areas listed above, including details of project donors and location.

a)       Description of current technical capacity and current organizational structure.

b)      Names of key contact person(s), their position(s), and contact details

c)       A copy of National, State, or Local Government Registration certificate (as appropriate)

Completed applications should be addressed to Save the Children and be submitted by email to the Director of Awards management, with a clear subject line on the email as call for partnership with CBOs.

The specific objective area(s) of interest must be clearly included in the email subject line as indicated below.

·       Call for Partnership with CBOs on SCI Obj. 1, 2, 3, 4

1.2.  Partnership with well-established National Non-governmental Organizations (NNGOs)

Well recognized and experienced local and national CSOs/NGOs with strong presence in Nigeria states. To be eligible and considered for selection, applicants must meet the following criteria.

1.2.1.        Eligibility and Selection Criteria for Local Non-governmental Organizations.

         i.            Should have functional office or working presence in the state(s) they plan to operate, as well as a wide national coverage and influence.

        ii.            Should have evidence of legal registration with CAC in Nigeria before 01 January 2021.

      iii.            Must have at least 3 most recent years audited financial statements ending 2022.

      iv.            Must have well established governance structure.

        v.            Must have well demonstrated and verifiable financial management system and reporting capacity.

      vi.            Must have proven record in implementing projects in any of the following interventions areas:  child protection, education, water sanitation and hygiene (WASH), health & nutrition, food security and livelihood (FSL), social protection, peace building and social cohesion, shelter and settlements, community mobilization, behavior change communication, disability inclusion, climate change mitigation, policy influencing, advocacy, capacity building, networking, and media engagement at local, state and/ or national levels.

    vii.            Have satisfactory past performance reference.

  viii.            Child, feminist, and women led organizations as well as representative organizations of persons with disabilities are a strong advantage.

      ix.            Committed to humanitarian development and peacebuilding initiatives would be an added advantage.

1.2.2.        Submission of Applications

Interested Local and national CSOs should prepare their application in not more than 4 pages with the following details:

a)       A brief Expression of Interest on letterhead of the organization.

b)       Detailed description of the organization’s on-going or previous work in any of the 4 strategic objective areas listed above, including details of project locations.

c)       Description of current technical capacity and current organizational structure (organogram).

d)       Names of key contact person(s), their position(s), and email address.

e)       A copy of national, state, and local government registration certificate (as appropriate).

Completed applications should be addressed to Save the Children and be submitted by email to the Director of Awards management, with a clear subject line on the email as call for partnership with CBOs.

The specific objective area(s) of interest should be included in the email subject line as indicated below.

·       Call for Partnership with NNGOs on SCI Obj. 1, 2, 3, 4

Selection Process:

Save the Children will review all valid submissions but will only contact organizations whose submissions meets the eligibility criteria, program focus, experience, and capacity expected in the above stated requirements.

Applications should be sent to this email address: partnership.nigeriaco@savethechildren.org

Opening Date: 7^th November 2023

Closing Date: 28^th November 2023 at 12:00 pm