Civil-Military Collaboration in Diffa Region | NIGER STATE WPS 2024 001 V2

Opportunity Information: Apply for NIGER STATE WPS 2024 001 V2

The Civil-Military Collaboration in Diffa Region opportunity is a U.S. Embassy Niamey (U.S. Department of State) grant competition seeking one implementing partner to strengthen trust and practical cooperation between communities, women civil society leaders, and civilian security forces in Niger's Diffa Region. The effort is framed around the rising insecurity in Diffa, including intensified violent extremist organization attacks after the July 2023 coup, and the need to protect and expand gains made under earlier programming that brought women into local conflict management and mediation.

At the center of the program is the legacy of the Trans-Saharan Counterterrorism Partnership-funded Nallewaro Project, which ended in 2021 but left behind two active structures: women-only and mixed-gender networks linking civilians and law enforcement. These networks have continued to use rapid-response mediation to address intercommunal disputes that could destabilize communities already under pressure from extremist violence. However, changes in regional leadership after the coup have slowed progress on formally integrating women into official peace and security decision-making bodies. The grant is meant to address that bottleneck by moving from informal collaboration to more durable, institutionalized roles for women within regional and departmental security and peace structures.

The stated goal applicants must design toward is clear: by 2026, women leaders in Diffa Region should increase their participation and institutionalize their leadership in regional and departmental peace and security decision-making. In practical terms, proposals are expected to show a strong strategic vision that fits the post-July 2023 political and security environment and that builds directly on what the Nallewaro Networks already do, rather than restarting from scratch. The Embassy explicitly discourages repeating old trainings or duplicating previous activities unless the applicant can justify a newly identified need. The emphasis is on smart, targeted actions that help the networks endure and become embedded in the way local peace and security decisions are made.

Examples of activities that fit the call include conducting a rapid assessment of how community-security force collaboration and gender inclusion have changed since July 2023; supporting women-led community security monitoring; convening structured dialogues between communities and civilian security stakeholders; and running public sensitization efforts that normalize and encourage gender inclusion in peace and security work. A key expectation is that the project will not operate in isolation: close coordination with Nigerien institutions such as the Ministry of Interior's Stabilization Unit and the High Authority for the Consolidation of Peace (HACP), along with other community policing partners in Diffa, is described as essential for success.

The intended participants and audiences are the existing Nallewaro Network members in Diffa, who have already received training through earlier peacebuilding and gender inclusion efforts and are expected to help co-design and implement activities. The implementing organization must be able to manage a broad coalition that includes local and national authorities, community leaders, and women leaders, using existing relationships and credibility to keep stakeholders aligned. The awardee is also expected to budget for quarterly meetings of a project advisory group to maintain coordination with Nigerien authorities and other women, peace, and security partners operating in the region.

In terms of eligibility and funding details, this is a discretionary opportunity funded under CFDA 19.222, with awards made via a cooperative agreement, meaning the U.S. government will likely remain actively engaged in oversight and coordination throughout implementation. The opportunity anticipates a single award with a ceiling of $75,000. Eligible applicants are not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society or non-governmental organizations, with priority given to Nigerien nonprofits, particularly those led by women and based in Diffa Region. The funding opportunity number is NIGER STATE WPS 2024 001 V2, and the original closing date listed is 2024-08-05.

• The U.S. Mission to Niger in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Civil-Military Collaboration in Diffa Region" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.222.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-07-19.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-08-05. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $75,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for NIGER STATE WPS 2024 001 V2

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