Resilience Adaptation and

Inclusion in Nepal (RAIN)

Introduction and Call for Concept Notes

Information Sharing Event

April 2024
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Resilience, Adaptation and Inclusion in Nepal (RAIN) -

Summary
RAIN will take an integrated nexus-approach to climate change, disaster risk management and
adaptive social protection.

Approach:
✓ Focus on systems-strengthening (at all three spheres of government, with an increased focus on
provincial and local),
✓ Prioritise inclusion and localisation.
✓ Embody “patient development” through sustainable partnerships and long-term investments.

• Programme value: up to £38.5 m

• Programme duration: 6 years (April 2024 to March 2030)

• Overall aim: Strengthen the Government of Nepal's (GoN) climate change adaptation and disaster
risk management efforts and to help make social protection systems more shock-responsive
thereby leading to reducing losses and damages and build the resilience of the most vulnerable
communities at risk of natural (climate-induced and earthquake) hazards.

• Programme will take take an adaptive management approach.

• Mobilisation of the RAIN Programme is contingent upon the approval from the Government of
Nepal (GoN).

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Outcome Areas for RAIN

At the impact level, RAIN will build the resilience of vulnerable groups and communities to
climate risks and other hazards through increased capacity to prevent, adapt to, anticipate and
absorb climate and other shocks. The programme takes a systems-strengthening approach and
will focus on the following outcome areas:
A. The GoN has increased access to international climate finance (leveraging UK’s grant-based
financing) and uses more of its own resources to meet the goals of Nepal’s National Adaptation
Plan.
B. Enhanced capacity (at government and community levels) to integrate climate and disaster
resilience into planning, policy, and investment decisions across all affected areas of society and
economy.

C. Social protection systems are more adaptive, shock responsive and effective in reaching and
protecting the most vulnerable communities.

D. People are safer from disasters through improved early warning systems and disaster
preparedness, as well as better early action and strengthened delivery mechanisms to reach
those who need it most.

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Resilience, Adaptation and Inclusion in Nepal (RAIN)

Programme Key Components

The overall budget for RAIN is up to £38.5 million. The budget is split across four components
and includes an unfunded Internal Risk Facility (up to £3.5 million). The interconnected
components of RAIN (up to £35 million) are:

Component A: Technical Assistance and Strategic Learning Unit (implemented through a

contract)

Component B: Climate Adaptation and Finance (implemented through multilateral agencies)

Component C: Community Resilience, Early Action, Adaptation and Inclusion (implemented

through consortium partners) Focus of today’s call

Component D: Adaptive and Shock Responsive Social Protection (implemented through an

international financial institution)

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Call for Concept Notes

As per established FCDO practice, BEK is running a competitive ‘call for proposals’, inviting a wide
range of potential implementing partners to participate. This will be a two-stage process: (1) call for
concept notes and (2) full call for proposal from shortlisted consortia.

Launch Date: Monday, 22nd April 2024

Deadline for Submission: 23:59 hrs (Nepal Time) Friday, 10th May 2024

British Embassy Kathmandu is seeking concept notes from eligible organisations for the Community
Resilience, Early Action, Adaptation and Inclusion component under the RAIN programme for a
budget of up to £10 million over 5 years (2024/25 -2028/29).

BEK's RAIN programme through this component will invest to (i) strengthen GoN’s preparedness
systems for effective response, using innovative anticipatory action approaches, (ii) enhance
community resilience using adaptation interventions and (iii) promote inclusion. The focus will be on
the following sub-themes below.

➢ Early Action and Early Warning

➢ Community Resilience and Adaptation

➢ Inclusion and Localisation

➢ Shock Responsive Social Protection

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Early Action and Early Warning

• Development, delivery and implementation of forecast based

early action protocols for multiple hazards (floods, droughts,
heatwaves, cold waves, fires and landslides) with
geographic specific triggers and thresholds (for both
preparedness and activation) across UK priority provinces
(Karnali, Lumbini and Madhesh) by working with at-risk
communities across local governments.

• Establish and strengthen early warning systems for multi-

hazards, improve forecasting for multi-hazards, improve risk
communication (using mobile technologies, scientific arts
and murals, jingles and performances), support Bipad portal
localisation, strengthen capacity of provincial and local
emergency centers on information management, search and
rescue and foster coordination with all levels of government.

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Community Resilience and Adaptation
• Safe shelters (resilient to multi-hazards and gender,
disability, and social inclusion - GEDSI friendly), flood
resilient housing, EWS sirens, risk transfer, water
management to improve livelihoods and build resilience.

• Construction of bio-dykes and embankments for flood

protection, elevated handpumps, nature-based solutions
(bio-engineered check dams, recharge ponds, gully
protection and other innovations contextual to geography)
and prepositioned stock items relevant for early action.

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Inclusion and Localisation

• Ensure marginalised and vulnerable at-risk and landless

communities, indigenous people, (including women and
children), people with disabilities, can access government
services.

• Adopt a gender sensitive and disability inclusive

programming including women and girls and work with
socially excluded communities ensuring they have access to
and understand early warning messages.

• Ensure that early warning, early action, resilience and

adaptation options are inclusive with leave no one behind
principles and cater to needs of at-risk communities.

• Promote the use of data from GoN portals to engage with

communities and local governments. Build capacity of
communities, local governments, civil society and
community-based organizations to respond to small and
medium scale disasters.

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Shock Responsive Social Protection

• Engage with local governments to strengthen social

protection systems by enrolling people into the existing
systems (especially the vulnerable and marginalised, people
with disability, pregnant and lactating women and elderly
who remain excluded).

• Work closely with other RAIN implementing partners

delivering other components to provide coverage to protect
at risk communities from shocks.

• Design interventions that explores the linkages between

social protection, landlessness and displaced communities
and adopt an inclusive approach to target at risk
communities.

• The Technical Assistance (TA) for this will theme be

delivered by an international financial institution and the
consortium will need to collaborate and coordinate to ensure
that the activities are joined up and contributing to shared
learning outcomes.

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Eligibility
• Open only to consortia and eligible international, national and local Non-Government
Organisations (NGOs) recognised by the Social Welfare Council (SWC) as per the GoN
regulations.

• Concept notes need to clearly identify lead consortia partner and/or sub-lead for the themes
(mentioned above) based on the possible interventions. The lead organisation of the consortia
should manage the delivery and implementation in all geographies (federal, provincial and
local) and build strong partnerships within the consortia partners, thereby avoiding silos and
promoting learning. Funding from BEK will also be channelled through the lead consortia
partner who will be responsible for disbursement to sub-leads and conducting downstream
due diligence.

• Given the size of the programme and associated management complexities international
NGOs may likely be the lead and sub-lead for the themes. However, it is encouraged to
include national and local NGOs/CSOs and technical partners as consortia members.

• Lead consortia partner could be the lead for one or many sub theme(s) but must demonstrate
relevant technical experience and expertise.

• Consortia (including international, national and especially local partners) must be able to
demonstrate prior experience of having delivered similar and relevant programmes in Nepal
with a focus on early warning, early action, emergency preparedness, community resilience,
inclusion and adaptation, shock responsive social protection, and responding to humanitarian
emergencies.
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Eligibility

• Local partners should have relevant experience and expertise in the sub-themes mentioned
above where they are leading engagement with communities and local governments.

• Consortia are expected to form formal technical partnerships with UK Centres of Excellence
(Universities and/or UK Met Office) and/or Climate/Hydro-Met Centres whilst applying for the
call for proposals that could provide expertise across the themes. Technical partnerships should
support in generating evidence to support implementation and work with local partners. These
partners should have relevant experience and expertise of using research, data and evidence
to inform resilience pogramming in Nepal relating to anticipatory action. A maximum of two or a
minimum of one partner(s) across the consortium is expected.

• There is no set limit on number of consortia members, but the partnerships must be rational
and avoid inefficient and costly spread with a strong focus on inclusion and localisation.

• The lead partner is expected to ensure FCDO’s Due Diligence pillars such as governance and
internal control, ability to deliver similar projects and programmes, financial management and
stability, downstream partner management and safeguarding aspects are assured for itself and
its consortium partners.

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What are we looking for in the concept notes ?
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• A consortia that demonstrates strong collaboration with partner organisations and stakeholders
on what works and what does not for early warning, anticipatory action, adaptation, community
resilience, localisation and shock responsive social protection in Nepal.

• Use of science, technology, innovation and evidence of best practices on establishing and
strengthening early warning systems, improving forecasting for multiple hazards strengthening
risk communication, information and data management and supporting wider coordination at all
spheres of government.

• How the consortia will achieve the intended outcomes and sustain interventions’ impact beyond
the project period and leverage government's fiscal resources for disaster preparedness and
response.

• Demonstrate how the consortia activities build resilience beyond the targeted communities and
generates evidence to influence local and national policy decision making.

• Focus on inclusion and working with vulnerable, marginalised and socially excluded at risk
communities in accordance with FCDO's do-no harm principles.

• Understanding the priorities of the communities and designing agile approaches and
interventions to build resilience and adapt to climate change.

• Consortia should ensure that local partners are empowered and accountable in the partnerships
such that overhead costs are shared equitably to promote organisational development and
capacity building to enhance capabilities of the civil society organisations and NGOs.
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Geographic Priority

• BEK development programmes are focussed in Madhesh, Karnali and Lumbini provinces. The
call for concept notes expects consortia to elaborate how they would be working with at risk
communities and local governments (not based on organisations’ prior geographic footprint
and existing programming but based on risk assessments for multiple hazards).

• In Madhesh province the primary focus will be on floods followed by heatwaves, coldwaves,
droughts and fires. For Lumbini province the focus should be on floods, droughts, heatwaves,
fires coldwaves and landslides in selected at risk areas. Focus on Karnali will be limited to
floods, droughts and fires.

• BEK expects partners to have good understanding of the locations and communities where
they intend to work. Consortia are expected to demonstrate data, evidence and assessments
have been used to prioritise at risk locations across the three provinces, and how
implementation approaches will be tailored to the specific disaster risk and adaptation
challenges present across the specified priority provinces.

• However, the final geographic footprint will need to be agreed with BEK during design and
implementation. Consortia should prioritise depth and transformative impact at the local and
provincial level.

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Budget and Duration

• The overall budget for this component of RAIN is up to £10 million. The amount required per
year does not need to be split evenly across the years but an indication of spend should be
included.

• There is an expectation that at least 60% of the resources will be allocated for Madhesh and
25% for Lumbini and 15% for Karnali respectively.

• Tentative budget is required to be submitted at the Concept Note stage. Detailed financial
breakdown will be required at the invitation to full proposal stage in accordance with FCDO
Accountable Grant (AG) template.

• Funding will be made available for a maximum of 5 years (2024/25-2028/29) but will be
contingent on ODA prioritisation and funding available in outer years.

• Do note that BEK will develop a performance management framework to monitor progress of
grants and reserves the right to amend or curtail agreements if there is underperformance,
changes in FCDO priorities or lack of funding.

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Concept Note Submission and Format

• Consortia are invited to submit their concept notes in the prescribed format as mentioned
below (Arial Font 11, A4 double sided) by 23:59 hrs, Friday 10th May 2024 via email to
proposals.nepal@fcdo.gov.uk.

• Any concept notes received after this deadline will not be considered.

• Consortia are not expected to attach any annexes at the concept note stage. Figures and
tables used will not be counted within the word count limit but these should be used
proportionately.

Format and Requirements

A format will be shared via email after this call and the focus will be on: Project Details, Project
Approach and Implementation, Targeting, Gender, Disability and Social Inclusion, Coordination
and Collaboration, Monitoring and Learning, Bugdet and Value for Money, Programme
Management and Risk

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Evaluation and Selection Criteria

• BEK will evaluate the concept notes based on comprehensive selection criteria such as
programme delivery, programme management, suitability to the call and monitoring and
learning.

• BEK will then invite successful consortia to submit full proposals. Final selection will take
place in July 2024.

• BEK will not provide feedback for the unsuccessful consortia and all decisions made will be
final.

• BEK aims to inform the successful consortia(s) within 10 working days (by 24th May 2024) or
later after the submission of the concept note whether they are invited to submit a full
proposal.

• The Call for Concept Notes document will be shared after this event.

• We will be able to answer clarification questions submitted until 23:59 hrs (Nepal Time),
Wednesday 24th April 2024. Emails should be addressed to proposals.nepal@fcdo.gov.uk
We will aim to answer the questions by Monday, 29th April 2024.

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