Call for Expression of Interest

Project title: Promoting holistic Mental Health and Psycho-social Support (MHPSS) and peace in conflict-affected communities in Afar, Tigray, and Amhara regions

The Support to Transitional Justice in Ethiopia Project (S2TJ) of the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) seeks to invite experienced non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to submit their expression of interest to implement a project targeted on implementing gender responsive Mental Health and Psychosocial Support to people affected by conflict, forced displacement, and gender-based violence in Afar, Tigray and Amhara. This includes measures of community-based MHPSS, basic needs assistance and service provision, livelihood assistance, economic empowerment, peacebuilding and community dialogues. The goal of the project is to promote peace and mental health resilience while fostering socio-economic stability and addressing conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence in conflict-affected communities1

The project

Objective: To promote peace and mental health resilience in conflict-affected communities of Afar, Tigray and Amhara through the implementation of holistic MHPSS and peacebuilding measures.

Target group: Marginalized communities in Afar, Tigray and Amhara that are affected by conflict, forced displacement and conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence.

Scope of Work: The activities under the following components should be covered in your Expression of interest. The same target group should participate in all the activities below to ensure the promotion of holistic MHPSS and peace.

Duration of the project: up to 15 months

Available budget: 700 000 EUR

1) Basic needs assistance at IASC-pyramid level 1

• Assess the needs of the target group and provide basic needs and in-kind assistance accordingly. This can include, but is not limited to cash or material assistance, delivery of humanitarian items (food, water and more) and dignity kits

• Provision of first medical aid, (temporary) shelter, safe spaces for conflict survivors, SGBV survivors, women and girls, etc.

• Raise awareness of where individuals in need (especially SGBV survivors) can get help.

• Referral of individuals in need to medical, judicial, shelter, and further services.

2) MHPSS service provision at IASC-pyramid level 2-3

• Assess existing MHPSS services and offers by local actors such as medical actors, local CSOs, survivor associations, community-based organizations, IDP groups, women groups etc.

• Assess how existing initiatives can be expanded, supported and upscaled

• Raise awareness in conflict-affected communities regarding mental health and the effects of trauma via psychoeducation, sensitizations and dissemination of key messages on mental health and psychosocial well-being.

• Based on existing and newly identified MHPSS initiatives, facilitate community based MHPSS activities in cooperation with local partners (support groups, social networks, emotional support groups).

• Raise awareness to reduce stigmata related to trauma and mental health issues.

• Offer Psychological First Aid (PFA) and basic mental health care

• If needed, provide specialized psychosocial support for groups and individual victims of conflict and conflict-induced sexual violence.

• Provide early childhood development (ECD) activities (in IDP camps).

• Conduct group activities for children and youth, such as sports, games and others.

• Support caregivers’ mental health (e.g. parents of children born out of conflictrelated sexual violence).

• Provide training, support and advice to other first-responders, community leaders and religious leaders.

3) Livelihood support and Economic Empowerment at IASC-pyramid level 1-2

• Conduct local market assessments and needs assessments regarding livelihood support and entrepreneurship.

• Implement culturally appropriate income-generating activities such as basket weaving, agriculture, local food production, gardening, knitting, etc.

• Provide cash and material support for business start-ups to selected individuals.

• Implement business skills training and continuous business mentorship support to the selected individuals to strengthen their ability to sustain themselves financially.

4) Community dialogues for peace building

• Assess existing peace, dialogue and reconciliation efforts by local actors such as local CSOs, women’s groups, community-based organizations, survivor associations etc.

• Assess how existing initiatives can be expanded, supported and upscaled

• Strengthening existing community initiatives by supporting community dialogues, coffee circles, peace building & reconciliation-related activities such as in truth circles, community memorials.

• Support the community-driven creation of ideas for new peace and reconciliation projects and their implementation

• If culturally appropriate, organize dialogues, conferences, and workshops on the topic of peace, peac ebuilding skills, and reconciliation.

• Raise awareness on violence prevention, conflict resolution, reconciliation, and trauma response.

• If culturally appropriate, engage youth in peace initiatives via Inter-generational Dialogues (IGDs) and peer exchanges.

• Strengthen local CSOs, women-led, and victim groups’ capacity for peace building and community-based psychosocial support strategies.

Express your interest if you fulfil the following eligibility criteria:

• Connection to MHPSS- and SGBV-related referral networks, proven by membership in relevant working groups.

• Experience in working with vulnerable target groups while applying the do-no harm approach, proven via 2 reference projects with SGBV-survivors and individuals affected by conflict, human rights atrocities, and forced displacement.

• Experience in the implementation of large-scale MHPSS (IASC level 1-3) & peacebuilding projects in Northern Ethiopia’s conflict affected areas in line with the trauma-informed, survivor-centered and gender-responsive approach, demonstrated via minimum 3 reference projects (which cover at least two of the selected regions) in which the approaches are clearly applied.

• Capacity to provide basic needs assistance, such as cash or material assistance, delivery of humanitarian items and dignity kits, provision of shelter, safe spaces and others, proven via 5 reference projects in at least 2 of the selected regions.

• Capacity to provide livelihood assistance, start-up support (cash & material) and business skill training, proven via minimum 3 reference projects in at least 2 of the selected regions.

• Capacity to implement activities in the target regions, proven by a minimum of 2 field offices in each region or alternatively 1 field office in each target region in combination with a strategy of how to reach the rest of the region.

• Ability to coordinate with government, community leaders, and other stakeholders, proven by 3 reference projects in at least 2 of the selected regions.

• Capacity to sub-grant local (community-based) civil society organizations and partner effectively for sustainability, demonstrated via 2 reference projects in at least 1 of the selected regions.

• Inclusive approach to community-engagement and supporting community-led initiatives rather than implementing own activities, demonstrated by 1 reference project.

How to express your interest:

➔ Submit a concept note (max 6 pages) to stc_procurement_Quotation@giz.de  using the attached template.

Your concept note will include:

• A presentation of your organization, e.g. short organization profile and list of relevant reference projects, outlining how you meet the eligibility criteria

• A capacity statement on MHPSS and Peacebuilding, e.g. outlining how your staff is trained and what type of internal policies, strategies and approach you have on MHPSS and peace.

• Implementation strategy: A description of how you will implement the abovementioned project and goal, clearly outlining the activities, approaches, and locations you will cover and strategies to reach the target group.

• Results: A list of results you are planning to achieve with the project with clear numbers.

• Local engagement strategy & sustainability: A strategy on how local partners such as community-based organizations, local government, and CSOs will be engaged in the design and implementation of the project (e.g. as partners, subgrantees, and via capacity development measures), while already naming the partners.

• Conflict sensitivity: A reflection of the unintended negative impacts the project  activities can have on the community and how you will mitigate that.

• Gender focus: An elaboration of what the gender-responsive and the gender transformative approach mean to you in practice and how you will implement it in this project.

• A cost estimation with a brief explanation of the main costs for this project.

Deadline: 03 September 2025 by noon/12pm

What happens after you submit your Expression of Interest?

We will evaluate your concept notes after the deadline. If you are selected, you will be invited for technical discussions and subsequent proposal development.

We look forward to receiving your expressions of interest!

The Support to Transitional Justice Project