May 9, 2018
What is it?
The Welsh Government Wales for Africa Grant Scheme will enable community groups and organisations throughout Wales to access funding for small-scale Wales-Africa projects. Up to £230,000 is available per year, with an annual minimum of £50,000 dedicated to health activities.
The first round is now open as of 4 May 2018, with a deadline of 29 June 2018.
How much funding is available?
A funding round for medium grants of between £5,000 and £15,000 will be available from 4 May 2018 to 29 June 2018 for projects that meet scheme criteria. This will be followed by a small grants round in the Summer, for projects between £500 and £4,999. In the Summer there will also be the opportunity to apply for one larger multi-year project valued up to £50,000. The total fund size is £230,000.
Who and what will it fund?
The scheme will be open to organisations with lead partners based in Wales. Project eligibility and assessment will be undertaken by WCVA. Final funding decisions will be made by Welsh Government.
It is anticipated that a wide range of organisations will apply to the fund for a diverse range of activities including:
Building capacity of small Welsh international development NGOs
Promoting international development volunteering
Promoting best practice in fair trade and ethical procurement across all sectors
Facilitating the work of diaspora communities in Wales to maximise their impact on SDG delivery in their home country.'
The scheme replaces the funding previously available through Hub Cymru Africa and will provide funding to new and existing Wales for Africa projects.
Funding will be allocated under 4 thematic areas:
Health - projects that contribute to the physical and mental health and wellbeing of communities in sub Saharan Africa.
Sharing of knowledge and skills between health institutions in Wales and Africa
Supporting healthcare professionals in Africa to access small scale training and support from Wales; and
Supporting communities in Wales and Africa to access to more equitable, quality healthcare
Sustainable Livelihoods - projects that work to tackle financial poverty, enabling economic resilience in families and supporting small-scale enterprise and employment
Community-led, income generating cooperatives that have benefit to Wales and Africa
Engaging the Welsh public through Fair Trade campaigns, advocacy or policy
Activities that bring the Welsh consumer closer to the producer in a sustainable way
Support to small scale Sub Saharan African agricultural projects and grassroots income generating activities
Lifelong Learning - projects that support individuals and groups in Wales and/or Africa to develop new skills and knowledge
Linking communities in Wales with communities in Africa to develop mutual understanding of global development and international issues;
Supporting the educational needs of disadvantaged children in Africa and sharing that experience with school pupils in Wales, contributing to their global education; and
Supporting people in Africa to learn practical/vocational/artistic skills to improve their livelihoods
Climate Change and Environment - strategic and practical climate change mitigation and adaptation initiatives using Welsh expertise
Projects which enable the use of renewable energy in Africa;
Projects engaging people in Wales with climate change issues as they affect Africa;
Work aiming to support African partners in implementing sustainable development practice
On 4 May 2018, a funding round for medium grants of between £5,000 and £15,000 will be opening for projects that meet scheme criteria. This will be followed by a small grants round in the Summer, for projects between £500 and £4,999. Up to £230,000 is available per year, with an annual minimum of £50,000 dedicated to health activities.
More information is available from the WCVA website here.
If you would like to receive an email that lets you know when the fund is open, please email: walesafricagrants@wcva.org.uk. We will keep your email address for this purpose only and it will then be deleted.
