The British Embassy in San Jose is now accepting project and activity proposals for the financial year, from 1 April 2019 until 29 February 2020.

This year the British Embassy is seeking to support projects and activities in Costa Rica and Nicaragua that focus on the following themes:

Human Rights & Democracy - for example, strengthened democratic governance and rule of law, increased equality and non-discrimination of women and disadvantaged groups and strengthened freedom of the press.

Economic Growth and Inclusion - for example: fostering economic inclusion, improving the business environment, and strengthening cyber security.

“We are looking for projects and activities that deliver real, measurable outcomes in support of development in the country,” said the Embassy statement.

This year the embassy said it is particularly interested in project proposals aimed at the following outcomes:

-Increased accountability and transparency, demonstrated, for example, through improved Transparency Index scores or stronger mechanisms for checks and balances in institutional frameworks, leading to greater alignment of policies and practices in line with international standards.

-Reforms and implementation of policies aimed at promoting conditions for open markets and improving the business environment, such as, but not limited to promoting competitiveness, streamlining processes to facilitate trade, tackling bureaucracy and reducing the potential for illicit trade.

-Improved resilience to cyber-attacks and online crime that guarantees a safe and stable online space for the public and makes the country a safer place to do business.

-Greater economic inclusion through entrepreneurship and innovation, especially for women entrepreneurs.

-Decrease in reported gender-based violence, discrimination and harassment towards women, members of the LGBT community and other marginalized groups.

-Reduction in reported harassment of and violence against journalists, improved enabling environment in which freedom of the press is protected and respected.