International development - inclusive education programme: call for proposals

A. Introduction

1. The Scottish Government (SG) wishes to commission an organisation or organisations or a consortium (the grant holder/s) with inclusive education expertise relevant and appropriate to the contexts of Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia (the Government of Zambia has agreed that the programme will be focused in Central Province), to undertake the design, implementation, and ongoing management of the two principal strands of a new multi-year Inclusive Education Programme, supported by the International Development Fund (IDF).

2. The total value of the Programme (covering all three countries) will be up to £2.5m per year (inclusive of management costs and any VAT), for five years (from the financial year 2024/25 to 2028/29, with the possibility of extension), subject to the annual approval of SG budgets by the Scottish Parliament and/or any earlier termination in accordance with the grant conditions.

3. The £2.5m per year comprises £1.5m per year for Strand 1 – Support for disabled learners and learners with additional needs (£500,000 each for Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia per year) and £1m per year for Strand 2 – Scholarships for Women and girls to complete secondary and transition to tertiary education or TVET (around £330,000 each for Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia per year).

4. As set out in Section B2 of this Call for Proposals, applicants may submit a proposal for Strand 1, Strand 2, or apply for both Strands 1 and 2.

5. We have been clear since our Review of our approach to international development in 2020/21 that in all our future international development and humanitarian work, we will be guided by three underpinning approaches: alignment with our new International Development Principles; taking a feminist approach; and pursuing an equalising power agenda in our relationships with our partner countries and other Global South countries. In relation to this Call for Proposals, therefore, applicants should note the following in particular:

6. The successful grant holder is required to work closely with stakeholders from the SG’s African partner countries (PCs) (Malawi, Zambia and Rwanda) and Scotland to: within specified parameters (see programme objectives section) design the programme (using a participatory approach that involves stakeholders affected by the programme), implement the programme in line with international inclusive education good practice^[1]; and provide appropriate and ongoing management of the relevant Strand(s) of the Programme, including ensuring appropriate monitoring, evaluation and safeguarding arrangements are in place.

7. In line with our International Strategy and our commitment to deliver on a feminist approach^[2] to international relations by embedding human rights, country-led development and the prioritisation of the rights of women and girls, the successful organisation will be required to mainstream gender equality throughout all aspects of the Programme in line with our Guidance Note.

8. In line with our SG International Development Principles, which include commitments to partner-country led development, inclusion and diversity, equality, and partnerships/collaboration, as well as our ongoing commitments to ‘do no harm’, proposals must be Global South-led. Therefore, the programme design, implementation, and evaluation processes must involve meaningful participation from a diverse range of stakeholders, including marginalised groups (for example, but not limited to, participants from a range of different: ages, sexual orientations, socio-economic backgrounds, religions, rural and urban areas, those living with disabilities) as experts by experience in our PCs.