Proposal writing and representation toward German funds consultancy services

Organization’s introduction

Mehad is a French NGO for health committed to the urgency of building, with local stakeholders, sustainable health systems that guarantee sustainable development for populations.

Created in 2011, Mehad is committed to providing humanitarian aid and guaranteeing populations affected by the war in Syria and neighbouring countries permanent access to quality and free health care. With its 11 years of experience on the ground in Syria, the organization has expanded its scope of action to Ukraine in order to meet the recent needs of the population and create a war medicine training center as well as rehabilitations centers.

Mehad is also present in Germany, through Mehad Germany, registered in Berlin. Mehad France and Mehad Germany work in close cooperation to support the missions and projects of the organisation, through joint fundraising campaigns and by sharing common visions and objectives towards institutions and the general public.

Our needs

In a globalised context of humanitarian funds shrinkage, supporting the populations in need in our countries of intervention becomes a growing challenge. Traditional donors reduce their contributions, while the number of crises is only rising, forcing organisations, such as Mehad, to diversify their funding sources to avoid gaps in their health services.

Among major European donors, German institutions and foundations remain among those who take a keen interest in the work operated by humanitarian actors. However, Mehad Germany works with a reduced team, which does not allow them to maintain a sufficiently regular relationship with these donors.

To address this representation gap, Mehad is looking for a consultant, whose responsibility will be to open channels towards German donors, represent Mehad’s interest in these institutions and negotiate the award of humanitarian grants for Mehad’s projects.

Role and responsibilities

• Cooperation with actors within Mehad

The consultant will be in direct link with Mehad HQ Partnership Department, based in Paris. He/she should organise meetings at least once a month, to present the results of his/her work, challenges faced and solutions implemented to overcome them. Upon request, heads of missions or technical staff from HQ or the missions may be invited to participate.

Regular contact by email or phone is expected between each of these meetings

Timeframe : Duration of the contract

Payment : Hourly rate (1 hours/month)*

• Opening channels with German donors

Using his/her network and knowledge of the German donors’ ecosystem, the consultant shall identify all institutions relevant to Mehad’s needs and projects. A mapping of donors shall be produced and presented to Mehad after this first identification phase. It will be used to select the institutions to approach by the consultant. The mapping should target public and private entities with a validated interest in humanitarian interventions in the countries targeted by Mehad’s actions.

Once a list of institutions has been drawn up, the consultant will contact the appropriate representatives within these institutions, to pre-position Mehad’s interest and validate its eligibility to receive funds from these donors. When a due diligence process or a registration of the organisation is necessary, the consultant shall guide Mehad to fill in the required information and advise who, between Mehad France and Mehad Germany, should apply.

Once the contact has been established through the consultant, he/she shall support Mehad in developing a funding strategy with this specific donor, by selecting the appropriate projects and participating in meetings where these projects are presented to the donor(s).

Deliverable #1 : Donors matrix

Timeframe : within 1 month

Payment : Fixed-rate 1.000 EUR (excl. VAT)*

Deliverable #2 : Reports on preliminary exchanges with donors

Timeframe : Duration of the contract

Payment : Hourly rate*

• Monitoring of opportunities

The consultant shall regularly monitor the selected donors’ calls for proposals and funding opportunities. He/she will update Mehad regularly about upcoming and open calls aligned with Mehad’s strategies and projects.

When applications can be sent without an open call for application, the consultant will share details of the donor’s strategy and priorities (territory of intervention, beneficiaries, type of services…).

Deliverables : Updated list of funding opportunities (with details)

Timeframe : Duration of the contract

Payment : Hourly rate (1 – 2 hours per month)*

• Support in submitting applications

Mehad team, in the field and HQ, has the skills to draft successful applications. However, given the lack of familiarity with the expectations of German donors, support is expected from the consultant to proofread the application and increase its quality based on the donor’s specific criteria.

Each project is expected to have a budget between € 1 and 2 million.

Applications will be sent in English. When German is mandatory, Mehad will translate the concept note in German after the proofreading.

Deliverable : updates applicayion

Timeframe : Within 1 week following the submission by Mehad of an application

Payment : Success fee*

*The payment modalities in the table are indicative. Mehad is open to other possibilities, to be described in the offers.

Qualification, experience and skills

• MA/ MSc / MBA Degree or Diploma in project development management, development studies and other relevant humanities and/or social sciences
• Academic background related to public-health and/or humanitarian/conflict management is an additional asset
• At least five years of experience in supporting NGOs or not-for-profit entities towards German donors
• Native or near-native german language is essential
• Advanced written and spoken English