Economic Empowerment for Survivors of Gender-Based Violence (SGBVs) - Beirut Mount Lebanon and Bekaa Governorates.
For more details on the Request for Application, please refer to the attached document.
Objective of the Request for Applications
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) operates in over 50 countries, helping people affected by humanitarian crises survive, recover, and rebuild their lives. With funding from the World Bank, the IRC seeks to establish principled partnerships with local organizations in Beirut Mount Lebanon (BML) and Bekaa governorate to address critical livelihood issues.
To promote holistic recovery services and foster economic empowerment and independence, a pilot initiative will be developed and rolled-out for beneficiaries of project-supported GBV interventions. The initiative will offer market-based skills training for women and adolescent girls, financial literacy, business development support, job counseling for improved labor market inclusion, and networking and apprenticeship opportunities with potential employers. This approach addresses the economic hardship that is a frequent and severe consequence of GBV, which can lead to feelings of isolation and disempowerment, while also recognizing that economic empowerment can play a central role in sustainable recoveries for GBV survivors.
To address this Request for Applications, the IRC seeks to partner with one LNGO through an open competitive selection process in Beirut, Mount Lebanon and the Bekaa.
The goal is to create a sustainable exit strategy for women at risk and survivors of GBV, emphasizing long-term empowerment through livelihood services and opportunities. By collaborating with Women Protection and Empowerment (WPE) partners in safe spaces, a range of services and activities will be provided to help women achieve economic independence, break the cycle of abuse, and rebuild their lives.
Technical Approach
The selected partner is expected to achieve the following objectives:
- Conduct a market study to inform the design of skills-building training programs, ensuring alignment with market demands and employment opportunities
- Provide skills-building training programs (including vocational skills, entrepreneurial training; apprenticeships and job skills) aimed at improving the employability and entrepreneurial capacity of 240 women in Beirut, Mount Lebanon and the Bekaa.
- Offer job counselling services to support women in navigating their career paths, helping them identify learning opportunities to develop their skills and link them with employment or self-employment opportunities to improve their income prospects.
- Provide start-up grants to 60 women from the 240 participants, enabling them to access capital for income- generating activities, along with ongoing coaching to guide and support them in navigating challenges as they start and grow their businesses. s.
Target: 240 women will be targeted during the implementation of the project.
Additionally, IRC will support partnering organizations under the project by providing training frontliners on career development support.
Client and Geographic Focus
Under this RFA, the IRC will support projects implemented in Beirut, Mount Lebanon and the Bekaa. Interested partners are required to submit only one application addressing the objectives outlined above.
The target population includes Lebanese and Syrian Refugees women at risk and survivors of GBV.
Partnership Project Amount and Duration
The project is expected to start at the beginning of April 2025, and end on April 30, 2026. The total amount is up to USD 200,000. It is essential that the overall budget does not exceed the specified threshold.
The partner’s budget may include several key categories that should be as direct cost including costs such as: Personnel (salaries and benefits for all team members), detailed breakdown of expenses related to specific activities, cost for facility rentals and ongoing operational expenses, costs for equipment, as well as in-country travel and communication, as per the template provided in this RFA.
How to apply
Eligible Applicants
By applying for this call, organizations agree to:
- Engage with IRC in a collaborative process for the development of the final project.
- Participate in a vetting process, and a joint analysis of capacities to deliver the project effectively
The selected organization/s are required to:
Be a registered local organization and have proven expertise in delivering livelihood programs along with demonstrated experience in gender-sensitive and survivor-centered programming.
Questions, and Submission Instructions
If you have questions, please submit those questions to lbwbirc.rfp@rescue.org by February 2, 2025. IRC will share the answers within a maximum of three working days duration. To ensure that this Request for Applications process is fair, questions asked outside this formal Q&A process will not be answered.
Once you consider applying for this opportunity, you are requested to send us an email confirming your interest at lbwbirc.rfp@rescue.org. Please submit your application electronically to IRC’s Partnerships Unit: lbwbirc.rfp@rescue.org by February 16, 2025, with the subject line “Economic Empowerment for GBV survivors – RFA”. You do not need to submit hard copies. Applications submitted after this time may not be considered.