GrantType
Based on detailed landscaping studies, and often building on our existing relationships with partners and our extensive networks, we search for interventions and partners who offer something special.
This can be an inspiring entrepreneur or a new technology or intervention model that bridges a gap that’s preventing children from thriving.
We focus our support on the areas of Health, Education (including Early Childhood Development), Child Protection and a child-specific response to emergencies.
Open Year RoundDeadline
UnavailableAmount
UnavailableDuration(Months)
Mandatory Requirements
| Implemented In: | ||
| Region | N/A | |
| Country | Brazil, Ghana, Germany, China, Bangladesh, Philippines, Peru, Nepal, Mexico, Liberia, India, Hong Kong, Cote d'Ivoire, United Kingdom, Indonesia, Switzerland, South Africa and Sierra Leone | |
| Focus Areas | Maternal Newborn and Child Health (Health) Education Youth |
Any organization or institution is welcome to apply, including organizations and researchers
involved in education, public health, nutrition, and the reduction of violence against children.
We strongly encourage applications that involve partnerships between organizations of different
disciplines, and between non-governmental organizations and universities or other research
institutions.
Other Requirements
| Planned Usage of Funds | Does your project involve community participation, and respectful and
equitable partnerships with local experts (e.g., technically competent implementing
organizations and local research institutions)? Wherever appropriate, will your project help to train local community members, implementers and researchers, and leave something of value behind for the community, when the project ends? | ||
| Potential for Scale | If you demonstrate that your intervention is effective, does it have the potential to continue beyond the terms of this grant (e.g., by attracting other donor support, local government funding, or through its own revenue stream)? | ||
| Evidence/Proof of Concept | Does your project team have the experience and capacity to measure outcomes in a rigorous fashion? For example, have you included a research institution, agency or consultant (in-house or external) among your project partners to ensure best practices in outcomes measurement? | ||
| Impact Evaluation/M&E Plan | Will your project produce quantifiable outputs and outcomes that are directly related to improving children's health and/or educational achievement, and/or preventing violence against children? | ||
| Reporting Requirements | All funded projects must provide regular progress update reports as indicated in the specific
contracts (minimum once every year, with the first report due 1 year after start of project funding).
Furthermore, a closing report is requested from every project.
Funding for most projects will naturally end at this point. However, after assessing each project's further potential within the foundation's global long-term funding strategy, a small number of the most promising projects may be invited to submit a more detailed project application further support. A project may be considered promising for longer term support by the UBS Optimus Foundation if: •the project idea has high potential for success •all reasonable milestones have been achieved • the lead organization and its partners have sufficient competencies to execute the project • local partners are included and motivated to continue • the project is consistent with the long-term strategic vision of the Optimus Foundation | ||
| Other | What we do not support: 1) focus solely on service or product delivery, running costs, construction, maintenance of infrastructure or equipment except as needed for the project; 2) focus solely on stand-alone scholarships, tuition, stipends, events, exhibitions, publications, films or photos except as needed to strengthen local capacities, change behaviors and/or disseminate evidence to influence policymakers and practitioners; 3) support religious or political initiatives, or promote religious and/or political views? What we are unlikely to support: 1) projects that focus solely on injury or non-communicable diseases (e.g., diabetes, cancer, and inherited, mental health and cardiovascular conditions); 2) projects that focus solely on improving access to education (rather than educational achievement); 3) projects that focus solely on child labor, child trafficking, child soldiering, or treatment and rehabilitation of violence and abuse victims (rather than prevention). |
Application Directions
Please complete the first section of our Application Toolkit Checklist (attached) before you develop a proposal
to the UBS Optimus Foundation. If you cannot check each box in part one of this checklist, you
should not apply.
Proposals must be submitted in English and must use our standard project application forms.
As noted in the Application Toolkit Checklist, a complete proposal must include the filled-in project application form; project & organizational organigrams; project budget, a Gantt chart documenting the project's activities and milestones over a timeline, KPI form and the CV(s) of all project leader(s). Please use the UBSOF templates where provided.
Proposals must be submitted in English and must use our standard project application forms.
As noted in the Application Toolkit Checklist, a complete proposal must include the filled-in project application form; project & organizational organigrams; project budget, a Gantt chart documenting the project's activities and milestones over a timeline, KPI form and the CV(s) of all project leader(s). Please use the UBSOF templates where provided.
Application And Awards Process
Receipt of project proposals will be acknowledged within two weeks of submission. Projects will
then undergo a thorough multi-step expert review led by the Optimus Foundation.
Selection process:
Applications will be assessed by a panel of experts according to the specific criteria noted below
Funding decisions will be communicated by the responsible Program Director.
Selection criteria:
Topic relevance and responsiveness – does the proposal address a key need relevant to the Optimus Foundation's strategy and/or a specific Request for Proposals (RFP)?
Innovative, state-of-the art approach – does the proposal provide 'out-of-the-box' thinking to link education, health and/or violence prevention, and will findings advance the field?
Feasibility – are the goals and milestones clearly defined and achievable, is there a clear logic framework and a coherent organizational structure to carry out the work; is there potential to scale up with a clear path for further support (e.g., preliminary data that can be used to develop a project proposal to the Optimus Foundation or other funders)?
Generating evidence – is there potential for measurable outcomes and is there a robust plan for monitoring and evaluation?
Selection process:
Applications will be assessed by a panel of experts according to the specific criteria noted below
Funding decisions will be communicated by the responsible Program Director.
Selection criteria:
Topic relevance and responsiveness – does the proposal address a key need relevant to the Optimus Foundation's strategy and/or a specific Request for Proposals (RFP)?
Innovative, state-of-the art approach – does the proposal provide 'out-of-the-box' thinking to link education, health and/or violence prevention, and will findings advance the field?
Feasibility – are the goals and milestones clearly defined and achievable, is there a clear logic framework and a coherent organizational structure to carry out the work; is there potential to scale up with a clear path for further support (e.g., preliminary data that can be used to develop a project proposal to the Optimus Foundation or other funders)?
Generating evidence – is there potential for measurable outcomes and is there a robust plan for monitoring and evaluation?
