April 18, 2022

Employing a slightly different approach to previous years, The BEARR Trust’s 2022 Small Grants Scheme sought project proposals for two separate themes. The first strand, Project A, invited applications for projects to improve the social welfare of migrant workers and the wellbeing of their families. The second strand, Project B, was open to former BEARR grantees only. We asked for projects that would improve the wellbeing of staff and volunteers, as well as support the organisations’ resilience following two years of uncertainty during the pandemic.

98 proposals were submitted, with 70 applications for Project A and 28 for Project B. We were delighted to receive applications from all 12 of the countries BEARR works with.

The Project A proposals were varied and well thought-out, with applications ranging from supporting migrant women who were victims of gender-based violence, to improving the social integration and socio-economic empowerment of seasonal workers. Other projects themes included providing mental health support for migrants, offering pro-bono legal advice and encouraging the development of micro-enterprises for migrant women. We were pleased with the quality of applications and believe this is in part a result of the success of our Small Grants Scheme Application Webinar.

The Project B proposals we received from our former grantees demonstrated the necessity of running two separate strands. Many of the applications offered imaginative and thoughtful solutions to cope with the impact of COVID-19 on civil society, such as resilience training and wellness workshops for overwhelmed and overworked employees. Other funding requests included technical equipment and communication support to improve the efficacy of our partners’ work. We found that the challenges described by applicants not only illustrated the consequences of the pandemic, but also highlighted a stark lack of core funding. In light of these ongoing difficulties, BEARR is considering how we can further support CSOs suffering from work-related stress and employee burn-out.

Each application was reviewed by an assessment team, with the final list of successful applicants agreed by the full board of BEARR Trustees. As ever, we regret that we are unable to fund more of the projects submitted. A full list of grant winners and a description of their projects will be published in due course.