Funding Alert: CSR Projects on STEM Education &Skilling

What is the eligibility criteria for submitting a proposal against this RFP?

The organization must be a registered not for profit entity in India i.e. either a Society or a Trust or a Section 8 (previously Section 25) company or any other organization (as prescribed under Section 135 of The Companies Act, 2013, the CSR Rules 2014, and its amendments).

The organization must be in full compliance with applicable regulatory rules and must have valid documents for registration, audited financial reports, etc. Further, the organization must have valid and timely submissions for requisite statutory and regulatory compliances (wherever applicable).

The organization must have registered u/s 80G and 12A of The Income-tax, 1961.

The organization must be registered with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs as CSR Implementing Agency through Form No. CSR-1.

All applicant organizations must have a minimum 3 years or above functional existence (as per their registration certificate) in India on or before 31st March 2024.

All applicant organizations must have an average expenditure (as per income & expenditure account) of minimum ₹ 2 Crore in FY 23-24 and minimum ₹ 1 Crore in FY 22-23 and FY 21-22.

The organization must have the previous 3 years Annual Report published/uploaded on their website or any other relevant public domain portal.

Which geographic locations would be preferred for the proposal?

The organization is particularly focused on supporting STEM education and STEM skilling in aspirational districts in any/all of the following regions:

North East states (such as Meghalaya, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh)

Karnataka

Haryana

Maharashtra

What is the process for NGOs to submit the RFP application ?

Fill in the Organisation Profile sections “Basic” and “Compliance”. It is mandatory for the NGO partner to add details in the Basic and Compliance sections (and reach a 100% Profile Completion state) to access the RFP application form

Review the eligibility checklist and check the relevant boxes

Download the RFP form and Budget template and fill it up as per given instructions

Upload the filled up RFP and Budget form in the document upload section

Submit the RFP application for consideration by clicking on the 'SUBMIT' button.

Can the NGO partners submit more than one proposal?

Applicants must submit only one application per thematic area (STEM Education/STEM Skilling/Access to Technology). Application for another thematic area will have to be made with a different email ID. POCs will be able to do so by registering with the new email ID on the IPN platform.

What is the nature of projects being sought through this RFP?

We are looking for scalable and replicable models on STEM education for K-12 students and initiatives that enhance STEM skills in emerging technologies for youth, particularly among underserved communities. The goal is to improve learning outcomes and promote gainful employment for 17 to 30 year olds with at least 70% placements in the formal sector

What will be the tentative budget and duration of the project?

NGOs can submit proposals up to a maximum of 50 lakhs per project per year. The proposal can be multiyear, and may be renewed on an annual basis subject to certain agreed upon milestones. Additionally, organizations must ensure that the proposed budget does not exceed 20-30% of their average expenditure of the previous FY.

Will NGO be able to change the details of the application post-submission?

NGO partners will be allowed to register for the RFP application only ONCE. However, there is an option to autosave and review the form before submitting it. It is advised that the NGO POC thoroughly checks every section of the application prior to submitting. In case of any issues, please write to ipn@indiapartnernetwork.org

How can NGO partners find out the status of the application?

The updates on the status of the application will be provided to the email ID used by the NGO POC to register for the RFP application. Please note that the process for effective evaluation of the proposal is time consuming and the team will be in contact with you for updates. For your information, below are the tentative timelines for partner selection:

13th June – Applications submission closure

19th June – Shortlisting of NGO partners

26th June – Final Evaluations and Pitch from NGOs

July first week – Final Announcement/Onboarding

We qualify the eligibility criteria but our project is still in ideation/conception/pilot stage. Can we still apply?

Yes. If the organization meets the eligibility criteria, NGO can submit a proposal for a new project which is in ideation/conception/pilot stage. However, please note that the proposals will also be evaluated on the basis of the strength of the organization, the proof of concept, their capacity to deliver in the proposed geography and the project budget will be rationalized accordingly.

Are there any guidelines to be kept in mind while planning the budget for the project?

NGOs are encouraged to plan the budget such that direct cost accounts for minimum 80% of the budget. Indirect cost can be ~15% and Admin cost should not exceed 5% of the total budget.

Can the NGO submit proposals for a project which has part funding/ partnership with the Government?

Yes. The donor is open to tripartite tie-ups with the Central or State Governments with reference to the proposed program.

Can the NGO be based out of a location which is different from that of the project location?

Yes. NGO can be based out of any location in India as long as they have capacity to deliver and/or proven record of delivering in the project location.