GRANT funding amounting to $20 million is being made available for community-based organisations and committees under the Social Development Commission’s (SDC) grant call for proposals.

According to JIS News, this is the SDC’s second call for proposals for fiscal year 2021/2022, with the funding available in four categories of grants.

“The grant call for proposals is now open for the following facilities: Community Development Committee Administrative Grant; the Parish Development Committee Administrative Grant; the Local Economic Development Grant; and the Community Priority Project Grant,” said Mandel McKulsky, public relations manager at the SDC.

“Applications for these can be found on the SDC’s website at www.sdc.gov.jm and returned to the SDC office locations islandwide,” he added.

Criteria for eligibility are also on the SDC’s website, and applicants can contact their respective parish offices for support in completing the various forms.

McKulsky said 164 grants were issued from the agency’s first grant call for proposals for the fiscal year and the SDC stands ready to issue even more.

“Under the first grant call for proposals we awarded 164 grants distributed among the four grant facilities with a disbursement total of $9,277,822.24. With grant allocations for this second call being $20 million, more community development committees, parish development committees, local economic initiatives and, by extension, communities can benefit from funding. They just need to make use of this opportunity and apply,” McKulsky said.

Applications for the various grants opened on December 30, 2021 and remain open until January 31, 2022. The grants are available for administrative support for use in the growth and expansion of local economic initiatives and for the implementation of community projects or initiatives.