Basic Education Quality and Access in Lao PDR Program
The BEQUAL Program is a collaborative initiative of the Australian Government, the European Union (EU) and the Government of Lao PDR with the overall goal of supporting the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) to improve the quality of basic education and to make primary education more accessible to more girls and boys.
BEQUAL Education Innovation Fund
Designed to encourage new thinking and new ways of working in basic education, the BEQUAL Education Innovation Fund (BEIF) provides funds to pilot new approaches, to see if they are successful, and whether they are suitable for more widespread implementation. The BEIF does not provide additional funding for existing programs, plans, innovations or basic activities.
The BEIF can award grants to MoES and other agencies at provincial and district levels, NGOs and private sector organisations whose proposals for innovative activities meet the conditions set out on the BEIF Guidelines. Proposals for BEIF grants should focus on new approaches and practices to address the challenges in delivering both quality and access to primary-level education for children in disadvantaged communities. New approaches that focus on the needs of ethnic students are especially welcome.
The BEIF Grant Applications
The BEIF grant application and evaluation process is competitive. Grants can range in value from AUD 10,000 up to a maximum of AUD 160,000. The maximum time available for any BEIF grant implementation is two years from the date of approval.
The application process for BEIF 2017-2018 has the following steps
(1) Concept Note: All applicants must submit a Concept Note using the official template that you can download from the purple tab on the right hand-side.
(2) Shortlist: All Concept Notes will be reviewed against the selection criteria.
(3) Full Proposal: Applicants whose Concept Notes meet the selection criteria will be invited to write a full proposal.
(4) Assessment: Full proposals will be assessed for innovative thinking, quality, cost and sustainability.
How to submit an application
To apply for a grant under the BEIF you must submit a Concept Note using the official template. The deadline for submission of Concept Notes is 5:00pm 24 April 2017.
You can email completed Concept Notes to: BEIF@bequal-laos.org, or you can submit a hard copy by courier or mail to: BEQUAL Office 302, Ministry of Education and Sports,
01 Lane Xang Avenue, Chanthabouly District, Vientiane, Laos
The BEIF application timeline
The deadline for submission of Concept Notes was 24 April 2017. Applicants whose Concept Notes meet the selection criteria will be notified by 12 May 2017 and will be invited to write full proposals. Full proposals will be due on 16 June 2017.
Final approval for grants under the 2017 BEIF are expected to be approved at the end of June and funds released in late July 2017.
Applications for BEIF funding may be submitted in either Lao or English.
Additional information may be obtained by emailing BEIF@bequal-laos.org.