Organisations invited to bid for funding to provide assistive tech in Lesotho

Organisations could win small grant funding of up to M100,000 (just under £5,000) for the sustainable provision of assistive technology to people with disabilities in Lesotho, a country in southern Africa.

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and established community-based organisations are now being invited by the British High Commission Maseru to bid for assistive technology funding.

All projects must lead to sustainable improvements in the provision of assistive technology in Lesotho.

For example, this could be through changes in policies; development of low-cost alternative technologies; or additional training that will lead to improved maintenance of devices, or enable better use of existing resources.

The grant will not support the direct external purchase of assistive technology devices for individuals, the British High Commission Maseru underlines.

Bids will be judged on their potential impact (including the scope of the project and the likelihood of achieving that impact); evidence that the bidding organisation has strong links with the target communities and relevant prior experience; value for money; sustainability, including the potential for the project to be scaled up or replicated elsewhere; the capacity of the bidding organisation, including a track record of previous successful projects; and proper presentation of project objectives and budget.

Bidding process timeline

The bidding process is competitive. Only the strongest bids will be selected, the British High Commission Maseru emphasises.

The deadline for submitting bids is Sunday, 7 August 2022.

Selected projects will be informed by Monday, 15 August 2022.

Implementing organisations will be required to attend a preparatory seminar. Project activity should start in early September 2022, and all activity must be completed by 1 February 2023. Funding will be paid on completion of all activities and project reports.

How to submit a bid

A project bidding form can be obtained by emailing BHC.maseru@fcdo.gov.uk. Project forms must be returned to the British High Commission by Sunday, 8 August 2022. Project bids received after this date will not be considered.