Call for Application Release Date: 21st March 2025 Application Submission Dates: 2nd May 2025
Introduction
The SUN Civil Society Alliance Nigeria (SUN CSA-Nigeria) invites applications from CS-SUNN State Chapters for the 2025 Catalytic sub-Grants designed to strengthen States capacity to secure and implement grants. Details on the application process and eligibility criteria for the funding are set forth in this Call for Applications (CfA) document. Interested applicants are encouraged to read the CfA carefully before applying.
Grant Overview
The 2025 Catalytic grant will support CS-SUNN State chapters to pilot innovative nutrition project that will impact their communities and grow their skills in project designs and implementation and reporting. The aim of the funding is to strengthen the CS-SUNN State chapters to invest in innovative projects. This funding round is focused on interventions that promote food security and sustainable food systems as the core thematic area. The project to be developed should be basically service delivery, a pilot project with the potential to scale up.
The funding opportunity is open to all SUN CSA-Nigeria State chapters to apply, however, only six (6) applications will be selected across the six (6) geopolitical zones of the country. Grants will be awarded to the projects with the strongest applications which set out a clear logical narrative, detailed costings, and with a uniquely innovative approach to addressing malnutrition and food insecurity, having the potential for scaling up and contextualized to the entire State.
Applicants should note that applications that are concise, clear, and with realistic costings as set out within the CS-SUNN financial guideline will be given the needed attention by the evaluation committee.
Details of the Key Thematic Area
Promoting Food Security and Sustainable Food Systems
Food security and sustainable food systems are critical to achieving the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), improving livelihoods and enhancing resilience against climate change, economic shocks, and other natural and man-made disruptions. Despite efforts to enhance agricultural productivity and improve food access, many communities still face food insecurity due to systemic challenges such as poor agricultural practices, post-harvest losses, inadequate value chain integration, and weak policy frameworks.
To address these issues, we invite CS-SUNN State chapters to submit innovative project proposals that promote food security and contribute to the development of sustainable food systems. We seek project ideas that empower communities, strengthen local food production, improve nutrition outcomes, and enhance environmental sustainability.
Project innovations around few of the following areas is welcome.
Sustainable Agricultural Practices and Climate Adaptation: This is aimed at promoting climate-smart agricultural practices that enhance food availability, accessibility, and affordability. It supports regenerative agriculture, permaculture, and indigenous farming knowledge to improve sustainability.
Strengthening Community-Based Food Security Initiatives: This will include developing and implementing community-driven food security programs that improve access to nutritious food, while strengthening local food production systems by supporting smallholder farmers, particularly women and youth, in adopting sustainable agricultural technologies.
Enhancing Food Value Chains and Market Access: This could cover other sub-areas such as supporting smallholder farmers and agri-preneurs in accessing markets, including value-added processing and linkages to local and international buyers, facilitating value chain development for nutrient-rich foods, ensuring equitable access to markets and financial opportunities. It also considers ways to enhancing food safety, post-harvest management, and processing practices to minimize food loss and improve nutrition quality.
Policy Advocacy and Multi-Sectoral Collaboration: This could cover areas like advocating for policy reforms that strengthen food security, support smallholder farmers, and promote sustainable food systems, while strengthening policy advocacy for sustainable food systems that integrate nutrition-sensitive agriculture and biodiversity conservation.
Improving Nutrition Outcomes through Food Systems: This will look at integrating nutrition-sensitive agriculture by promoting diversified diets, micronutrient-rich foods, and biofortified crops. It supports initiatives that bridge gaps between food production, consumption, and nutrition education to promote healthy dietary habits.
Other Funding Information
- Award amount per grant: N 1,000,000
- The grant will provide N 1,000,000 which shall be disbursed in instalments.
- Applicants must demonstrate ability to cost share in the minimum of 10% either in-kind or cash.
- Project Period Performance: 6-12 months maximum (flexible start date, to be agreed with successful candidates).
- Priority will be given to State chapters that are without CS-SUNN project, and all States member alliance are financially up to date and have submitted their 2024 State chapter Annual report.
- The grant will cover cost in accordance with CS-SUNN terms and conditions (detailed in Grant Agreement) as would be listed in the submitted and approved budget.
Application Criteria
All proposals that meet the below minimum eligibility criteria will be evaluated as per the process.
| Criteria | Fund Checkbox |
| Applications can only be made by CS-SUNN State chapters and not individual organization | |
| The proposed budget does not exceed N1,000,000 | |
| Project must align with the thematic areas identified and in line with CS-SUNN’s Strategic Objective 2.0 | |
| Clarity of the need and its added value for the project to take place | |
| Projects must have a clear sustainability element to it and a commitment to sharing their findings/learnings/outcomes with CS-SUNN National secretariat and other State Chapters | |
| The proposal’s budget complies with the CS-SUNN terms and policy outlined in the grant agreement | |
| Application forms completed in full and submitted prior to or on the closing date/time |
Timeline
To be considered for award, all applicants must adhere to the following timelines.
| Date/s | Action |
| 21st March 2025 | Launch of call for applications. |
| 2nd May 2025 | Deadline for submission of applications. All applications to be submitted to CS-SUNN Grant Manager via email on procurement@cs-sunn.org |
| 12th May 2025 | Review of Applications |
| 14th May 2025 | All applicants contacted on the status of their application |
| June 2025 | Successful grantees onboarded for the financial transaction (contract signed) |
| June 2025 | Successful grantees project starts (start date TBC with successful State Chapters, flexible dates) |
| TBD | Successful grantees project ends (end date TBC with successful State Chapters) and submission of final narrative and financial reports |
Submission Details
All applications must be submitted; accordingly:
Email Subject should Read (Chapter Name and SUN CSA Nigeria 2025 Call for Application, Eg- Kangaroo Chapter SUN CSA Nigeria 2025 Call for Application) and submit to procurement@cs-sunn.org.
Note: For further enquiries, you can reach us at 07037406735
Evaluation Methodology
An application evaluation committee has been set up and below are the perimeters for scoring.
| Evaluation Review Criteria | Scoring |
| Is the project aligned to the thematic areas identified and in accordance with CS-SUNN’s strategic plan 2.0 | /20 |
| Is the proposed project in tandem with the principles of value for money? Is it time bound and realistic, considering the available human and financial resources and the proposed timeframe? | /5 |
| Would this fund contribute substantially to the CS-SUNN’s strategy to scale up nutrition? | /20 |
| Does the proposed project have clear deliverables, outcomes and the outlined activities achievable? | /20 |
| Is the plan presented in clear and direct language the opportunities and challenges that are going to be addressed? What are the risks identified and mitigation measures? | /5 |
| What is the relevance and sustainability of the project, does it contribute to long term impact for the alliance involved. How will this work inform future activities? How can this be communicated to the SUN CSA-Nigeria network? | /20 |
| Does the project clearly state the clarity of the need and its added value? | /10 |
| Total Points | /100 |
Application Form
The following form will need to be completed in full for the project to be successful. Once you have completed it, please send it as an attachment to procurement@cs-sunn.org by 23:00 (GMT) 2nd May 2025.
1. General Information
| 1 | Name of State Chapter | |
| 4 | Mailing Address | |
| 5 | Legal/Registered Office Address (If different from above) | |
| 6 | Office Telephone Number (if available) | |
| 7 | Email Address | |
| 8 | Website Address (If applicable) | |
| 9 | Social Media Link(s) (If applicable) | |
| 10 | Contact Person, (Title, Forename, Surname) | |
| 11 | Contact Person, E-mail address | |
| 12 | Contact Person, Phone number |
2. Project Information
| 1 | Project Full Title | |
| 2 | Project Summary | In 1-3 sentences, write a summary of your project using the following format: “(Your State Chapter) will/plans to…” |
| 3 | Problem Statement | In not more than 100 words, explain the challenge/issue we would like to address. This is the problem analysis. |
| 4 | Theme |
| Project Proposal Template | |
| Timeline | Project start date and end date (Flexible start date and 3–6-month activity period) |
| Project overall goal and Strategic objectives | |
| Project expected results | Short description of changes you expect to see as result of your project. |
| Project expected outcome & activities | Numbered Outcomes and description of the activities you intend to undertake, what will be related to that outcome? Add in each activity the respective stakeholder/s and the approximate length of time for implementing the proposed activities. (Project max length 6 months) E.g. Outcome 1. Activities 1.1 Activities 1.2 (No words limit) |
| Project direct beneficiaries (type and number) | Brief description of the direct beneficiaries and what would be the significant change for them? Define the main outputs and outcomes (in quantity and quality) of project (75 words max.) |
| Relevance and Justification | Why is this Project relevant for the CS-SUNN in your state? How does the Project link to the on-going initiatives carried out by the CS-SUNN in Nigeria to address malnutrition? Concisely state the underlying problem, gaps, and/or implications that your project will specifically seek to address? Geographic scope, what regions, communes, and districts will be served by your project? (75 words max.) |
| Follow-up activities (Sustainability/Continuity) | How will the CS-SUNN State Chapter build on the experience? Will be there any follow up activities? How will this work inform future activities? Does the project have potential to be scaled up? |
| Evaluation of results | How will the State Chapter assess the effectiveness and results of the project? How are you going to evaluate and capitalize the results? How are you going to disseminate these results (e.g. regional network) |
3. Financial Information
Please provide us with some of the key financial information required for issuing the grant and an estimation of costs broken down per category for your project.
| Key Financial Information | ||
| 1 | Estimated overall budget (Naira (N)) | N 1,000,000 |
| 2 | Estimated overall requested amount | |
| 3 | Estimated overall own funds (if using own funds to supplement the project) | |
| 4. | Full name of the State chapter that will receive the grant | |
| 8. | Full list of members organization’s part (if applicable) | |
| 12. | Name of Bank / Building Society | |
| 13. | Bank Account Name | |
| 14. | Sort Code | |
| 15. | Account Number | |
| 16. | Bank address | |
| Outcome | Activity/Product | Timeframe | Budget – clearly state grant budget (N) | Budget Narrative | Involved Stakeholders | Target Audience |
| Total Budget |
Please complete the below workplan for the project.
Section A: The Project (Logic Model)
| Hierarchy of Project Objectives | Hierarchy of Results | Indicators | Baseline | Targets | Assumptions |
| Goal: | |||||
| Impact | |||||
| Objectives: | |||||
| Outcomes | |||||
| Outputs: | |||||
| Outputs | |||||
| Activities: | |||||
| Process | |||||
Section B: Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning Plan (MEAL)
| Activities | Indicators (outputs) | Data to collect | Source of data | Methods and tools | Person responsible | Frequency of M&E activities |
Further Information and Inquiry
For further information and if you have any questions, please do contact procurement@cs-sunn.org
