Apply for Climate Democracy and Democratic Innovations Accelerator Programs
Deadline Date: June 27, 2024
Donor Name: People Powered
Grant Size: $10,000 to $100,000
Are you seeking support to launch or improve a participatory program to create new policies? Apply now to the accelerator programs to receive free training, one-on-one mentorship, and peer support!
Applications for the Climate Democracy Accelerator (CDA) and Democratic Innovations Accelerator (DIA) are now open. Both programs focus on building the capacity of government and civil society organizations to build equitable public participation in various important policymaking issues, such as health, education, climate, and more.
Programs
- Climate Democracy Accelerator (CDA)
- People Powered is looking for government and civil society leaders to form a new cohort of innovators interested in launching participatory programs to shape climate policy in areas such as clean transportation, renewables, decarbonization and energy efficient homes, air pollution, agroecology and more.
- To be selected for this program, applicants must be governmental institutions, civil society organizations or non-governmental organizations. The program is open to applicants from all over the world, with space for 15 participants per cohort.
- The Climate Democracy Accelerator (CDA) is a six-month, practice-oriented training and support program that prepares members to plan and implement an inclusive and participatory process for a just climate transition. Participants will develop a project to implement a climate-focused participatory program that addresses the needs and voices of local communities. Selected applicants will have access to a dedicated mentor to guide the development of their program, along with:
- Step-by-step resources such as the Participation Playbook, the interactive, online tool for designing participatory programs.
- Practice-oriented live sessions and online courses.
- A 10,000 USD implementation grant.
- The opportunity to apply for an additional 20,000 USD award for the best project developed by program participants.
- Expectations of Participants
- Develop an action plan (project) to be implemented, with the support of the program resources.
- Engage internal and external stakeholders to develop an action plan.
- Attend and participate in dedicated training and mentorship/peer support activities and discussions.
- Report on project progress through surveys and learning reports
- Eligibility
- Government officials, staff members and policymakers who want to launch a participatory program for making just climate-related decisions. Please note: Government institutions applying must have a partnership with a civil society organization/non-governmental organization, as the grant recipient must be a non-governmental entity.
- Civil society organization staff members and/or climate advocates who want to implement a participatory program focused on climate in partnership with a government institution. Please note: Civil society organizations applying must work in partnership with a government institution, as they must follow up with the implementation of the action plan.
- Organizations should nominate a lead participant with professional proficiency in at least one of the following languages: English, French, Portuguese or Spanish. Applications from organizations or governments based in G20 countries are encouraged, especially from Brazil, India, Mexico, South Africa and Indonesia. People Powered or Open Government Partnership members will be prioritized.
- People Powered cannot give funds to volunteer groups or recently incorporated civil society organizations through this program. To receive funding, your organization needs to
- Demonstrate at least one full year of operations and successful fundraising to support such operations prior to being short-listed for the program.
- Have paid staff as well as a board of directors or advisory committee.
- Be registered as a non-profit organization in the country of operations.
- Democratic Innovations Accelerator (DIA)
- Do you want to launch or improve democratic innovations in Europe and beyond? The first Democratic Innovations Accelerator (DIA) will select 40 participants to receive free capacity-building support for launching or improving participatory programs in the European Union (EU) and Horizon Europe countries.
- DIA is a practice-oriented training and support program created to strengthen democratic processes across Europe. The accelerator is part of the Nets4Dem project and is led by People Powered and Coglobal.
- Over the course of six months, a cohort of 40 civil society and government organizations will develop and deliver an action plan for implementing a democratic innovation that enhances public participation in policymaking and governance. Participants will have free access to:
- A dedicated mentor to assist in the development of the action plan.
- Step-by-step resources such as the Participation Playbook, the interactive online tool for designing participatory programs.
- Practice-oriented live sessions and online courses.
- International peer-learning opportunities.
- Expectations of Participants
- Develop an action plan (project) to be implemented, with the support of the program resources.
- Engage internal and external stakeholders to develop an action plan.
- Attend and participate in dedicated training and mentorship/peer support activities and discussions.
- Report on project progress through surveys and learning reports.
- Eligibility
- Staff members of civil society organizations or non-governmental institutions such as schools, universities or community organizations. Please note: They encourage partnership with a government institution to facilitate the implementation of the action plan.
- Government officials, staff members and policymakers who want to launch or improve an innovative participatory program. Please note: They encourage partnership with a civil society organization/non-governmental organization to strengthen support for the program in the community.
- Organizations should nominate a lead participant who has professional proficiency in English. To be eligible for the program, applicants must be based in one of the 27 EU Member States or Horizon Europe countries (Albania, Armenia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Iceland, Israel, Kosovo, Morocco, Moldova, Montenegro, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Tunisia, Türkiye, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom).
For more information, visit People Powered.
