Call for EOIs: Protection and Community Mechanisms for Displaced Persons (Congo DR)

Deadline: 30-Sep-2026

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is inviting national and international NGOs to submit concept notes for projects aimed at strengthening protection monitoring, prevention, and response for forcibly displaced persons and at-risk populations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The partnership opportunity responds to the country’s complex displacement and protection crisis, driven by armed conflict, intercommunal violence, and recurring forced displacement.

The programme seeks to reinforce protection systems, improve access to rights and essential services, strengthen monitoring and response mechanisms, and support affected communities through inclusive and accountable protection approaches.

About the UNHCR DRC Protection Programme

The Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to experience a large-scale displacement crisis involving internally displaced persons, refugees, and returnees.

The protection environment is affected by challenges including:

• Limited access to registration.
• Gaps in civil documentation.
• Lack of legal identity.
• Risks of statelessness.
• Gender-based violence.
• Grave violations affecting children.
• Partial coverage of protection monitoring.
• Limited access to justice and legal assistance.
• Protection risks affecting forcibly displaced and at-risk populations.

UNHCR’s strategy for 2027–2030 adopts a differentiated approach to these challenges.

In conflict-affected areas, the strategy emphasizes maintaining strong operational protection capacity. In more stable areas, the focus progressively shifts toward strengthening national, provincial, and community systems that can support inclusion and durable solutions.

Strategic Goal for 2030

The strategic impact sought by 2030 is that forcibly displaced persons, people at risk of statelessness, and host communities benefit from stronger protection systems and improved access to rights.

This includes access to asylum and other rights in accordance with international human rights and refugee law.

The approach combines operational protection capacity in areas affected by conflict with longer-term institutional and community-level strengthening in more stable settings.

Key Protection Outcomes

The programme identifies several important outcomes that organizations should address through their proposed interventions.

These include:

• Systematic registration of displaced and stateless persons.
• Improved access to legal and civil documentation.
• Prevention of statelessness.
• Quality survivor-centered gender-based violence services.
• Greater participation of affected communities in protection activities.
• Meaningful participation of women and girls in decision-making.
• Inclusive and accountable community protection mechanisms.
• Gender-sensitive approaches to protection.

Protection Monitoring and Analysis

Protection monitoring is a central component of the partnership opportunity.

Projects should contribute to strengthening the identification, analysis, and reporting of protection concerns affecting displaced and at-risk populations.

Improved protection monitoring can help organizations and authorities better understand emerging risks and support appropriate prevention and response measures.

Protection monitoring and analysis should be integrated across relevant programme outputs rather than treated as an isolated activity.

Registration and Legal Identity

Individual registration and legal identity are important protection priorities.

People affected by displacement may face barriers to obtaining official documentation and accessing systems that recognize their legal identity.

Projects can contribute to stronger registration and documentation mechanisms, helping displaced and stateless persons access rights and services.

The programme specifically prioritizes:

• Individual registration.
• Civil status documentation.
• Legal documentation.
• Legal identity.
• Prevention of statelessness.

Prevention of Statelessness

Preventing statelessness is another important component of the programme.

Organizations should support approaches that identify individuals at risk of statelessness and strengthen access to appropriate civil documentation and nationality-related systems.

Identification and referral of people at risk should be integrated into relevant protection activities.

Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Response

The programme prioritizes specialized services for gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response.

A key expected outcome is improved access to quality survivor-centered GBV services.

Projects should incorporate approaches that prioritize the safety, dignity, needs, and rights of survivors.

Gender-sensitive protection mechanisms should also ensure that women and girls can participate meaningfully in protection activities and decision-making.

Child Protection

Child protection is identified as a key operational priority.

The programme responds to grave violations affecting children and seeks to strengthen child protection systems and community protection mechanisms.

Projects should integrate child protection across relevant outputs and strengthen the capacity of authorities and community protection actors to identify and respond to risks affecting children.

Access to Justice and Legal Assistance

Access to justice and legal assistance are important components of the programme.

Organizations can contribute to strengthening mechanisms that help forcibly displaced and at-risk people understand and exercise their rights.

Legal assistance and access to justice should be integrated into broader protection systems and referral mechanisms.

Alert and Referral Mechanisms

Effective alert and referral mechanisms are essential for identifying people facing heightened protection risks and connecting them with appropriate services.

The programme therefore prioritizes strengthening:

• Alert mechanisms.
• Referral systems.
• Identification of at-risk individuals.
• Community protection mechanisms.
• Links between protection monitoring and response services.

These mechanisms can help ensure that identified protection concerns are followed by appropriate action.

Community-Based Protection

Community-based protection must be integrated across relevant programme outputs.

The approach recognizes the important role of communities and community protection actors in identifying risks, supporting prevention, and responding to protection concerns.

Projects should strengthen community-level capacity while ensuring that protection systems remain inclusive and accountable.

Participation of Women and Girls

The programme places particular emphasis on the participation of women and girls.

Affected communities should have opportunities to participate in protection activities and decision-making processes.

Community mechanisms should therefore be:

• Inclusive.
• Accountable.
• Gender-sensitive.
• Responsive to the needs of affected populations.

Meaningful participation should extend beyond consultation and allow affected people to contribute to protection priorities and decisions.

Age, Gender and Diversity

Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) is another cross-cutting requirement.

Projects should consider differences in age, gender, diversity, vulnerabilities, and protection needs when designing and implementing interventions.

AGD approaches should be integrated across relevant outputs rather than addressed separately.

Accountability to Affected Populations

Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) must also be incorporated across relevant programme outputs.

Accountability mechanisms should help ensure that affected people can provide feedback, raise concerns, and participate in decisions concerning protection activities.

This approach can help make interventions more responsive to the needs and priorities of displaced and at-risk populations.

Strengthening Authorities and Community Protection Actors

Capacity building is an important operational output.

Projects should strengthen the ability of authorities and community protection actors to identify, prevent, monitor, and respond to protection risks.

Capacity strengthening can help create more sustainable protection systems, particularly in areas where conditions are stable enough for national, provincial, and community mechanisms to take on greater responsibility.

Differentiated Approach by Context

UNHCR’s 2027–2030 strategy recognizes that protection needs and operational conditions differ across the DRC.

In conflict zones, organizations are expected to support robust operational capacity to respond to immediate and evolving protection risks.

In more stable areas, interventions should progressively strengthen national, provincial, and community systems that promote inclusion and durable solutions.

Integrated Protection Approach

Several protection themes are expected to be integrated across relevant outputs.

These include:

• Community-based protection.
• Child protection.
• Age, Gender and Diversity.
• Accountability to Affected Populations.
• Protection monitoring.
• Access to justice.
• Identification of at-risk individuals.
• Referral mechanisms.
• Gender-based violence prevention and response.

This integrated approach is intended to strengthen the overall effectiveness and coherence of protection interventions.

Who Can Apply?

The call is open to national and international NGOs legally registered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Applicants must also demonstrate:

• Operational presence in the targeted zones.
• Relevant experience in the targeted areas.
• Capacity to implement protection activities.
• Appropriate organizational and project management systems.
• Compliance with UNHCR standards.

Organizations should ensure that their proposed projects are grounded in the protection realities of their targeted geographic areas.

Concept Note Requirements

Applicants must submit a concise concept note describing the proposed intervention.

The concept note should clearly demonstrate:

• The protection problems being addressed.
• The target population.
• Geographic areas of implementation.
• Proposed activities.
• Expected results.
• Protection outcomes.
• Monitoring and response mechanisms.
• Organizational capacity.
• How cross-cutting protection principles will be integrated.

Budget Requirements

Applicants must provide a detailed budget by geographic area.

The budget should clearly demonstrate how resources will support the proposed activities and expected results in each targeted location.

A clear geographic breakdown can also help demonstrate realistic planning and appropriate resource allocation.

Required Organizational Documentation

Applications must include relevant organizational and compliance documentation.

The required materials include:

• Organizational profile.
• Governance documents.
• Proof of legal registration in the DRC.
• Relevant compliance documentation.
• Financial control information.
• Anti-fraud requirements.
• Protection against sexual exploitation and abuse requirements.

Applicants should ensure that all required documentation is complete and consistent with UNHCR standards before submission.

Selection Criteria

The selection process assesses both the quality of the proposed project and the organization’s capacity to implement it.

Only concept notes achieving at least 70 out of 100 points will be considered for partnership recommendation.

Minimum thresholds also apply to key selection criteria.

Organizations should therefore ensure that their applications address both the overall scoring requirements and the minimum standards established for specific criteria.

Submission Deadline and Method

All submissions must be made through the UN Partner Portal.

The deadline is:

30 September 2026 at 23:59 Kinshasa time.

Email submissions are not accepted.

Applicants should submit their concept notes and required documentation through the designated UN Partner Portal process before the stated deadline.

How to Prepare a Strong Concept Note

Organizations should develop a concise but evidence-based concept note that directly connects local protection needs with proposed interventions.

A strong application should clearly explain:

• The protection situation in the targeted geographic area.
• Key risks affecting displaced and at-risk populations.
• How protection monitoring will be strengthened.
• How prevention and response mechanisms will operate.
• How registration and legal documentation will be improved.
• How statelessness risks will be identified and addressed.
• How survivor-centered GBV services will be supported.
• How child protection will be strengthened.
• How access to justice and legal assistance will be improved.
• How alert and referral mechanisms will function.
• How women and girls will participate meaningfully.
• How AGD and AAP will be integrated.
• How community-based protection will be strengthened.
• How results will be monitored.
• How the intervention will contribute to longer-term protection systems.

Key Programme Priorities

Organizations preparing applications should consider the following priority areas:

• Protection monitoring.
• Protection analysis.
• Protection prevention and response.
• Individual registration.
• Civil status documentation.
• Legal identity.
• Prevention of statelessness.
• Gender-based violence prevention and response.
• Survivor-centered services.
• Child protection.
• Access to justice.
• Legal assistance.
• Alert mechanisms.
• Referral mechanisms.
• Community-based protection.
• Capacity building.
• Age, Gender and Diversity.
• Accountability to Affected Populations.
• Participation of women and girls.
• Identification and referral of at-risk individuals.
• National, provincial, and community protection systems.

Why This Programme Matters

The DRC’s prolonged displacement crisis has created complex protection needs for millions of people.

Armed conflict, intercommunal violence, and repeated displacement can make it difficult for people to obtain documentation, access justice, report protection concerns, or receive specialized services.

Strengthening protection monitoring and response mechanisms can help identify risks earlier and connect vulnerable individuals with appropriate services.

At the same time, strengthening national, provincial, and community systems can create more sustainable protection mechanisms in areas where conditions allow.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the UNHCR DRC Protection Monitoring Programme?

It is a partnership opportunity for NGOs to implement projects that strengthen protection monitoring, prevention, and response for forcibly displaced persons and other at-risk populations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Who can apply?

National and international NGOs that are legally registered in the DRC and have operational presence and relevant experience in the targeted zones can apply.

What is the main focus of the programme?

The programme focuses on protection monitoring, prevention and response, registration, legal documentation, statelessness prevention, GBV services, child protection, access to justice, community-based protection, and referral mechanisms.

What is the UNHCR strategy period mentioned in the call?

The relevant UNHCR DRC strategy covers 2027–2030.

What is the strategic impact sought by 2030?

The objective is for forcibly displaced persons, people at risk of statelessness, and host communities to benefit from reinforced protection systems and improved access to rights, including asylum.

What is the focus of the GBV component?

The programme seeks to improve access to quality, survivor-centered gender-based violence prevention and response services.

Does the programme address child protection?

Yes. Child protection is an operational priority, including strengthening responses to grave violations affecting children.

What role does community-based protection play?

Community-based protection is expected to be integrated across relevant outputs and to strengthen the ability of communities and local protection actors to identify and respond to protection risks.

What are AGD and AAP?

AGD refers to Age, Gender and Diversity, while AAP refers to Accountability to Affected Populations. Both must be integrated across relevant programme outputs.

What documents must applicants provide?

Applications require a concise concept note, detailed budget by geographic area, organizational profile, governance documents, and documentation demonstrating compliance with UNHCR standards on project management, financial controls, anti-fraud, and protection against sexual exploitation and abuse.

What is the minimum score required?

Only concept notes scoring at least 70 out of 100 points, along with meeting the minimum thresholds for key criteria, will be considered for partnership recommendation.

How must applications be submitted?

Applications must be submitted through the UN Partner Portal. Email submissions are not accepted.

What is the submission deadline?

The deadline is 30 September 2026 at 23:59 Kinshasa time.

Conclusion

The UNHCR DRC Protection Monitoring Programme provides an opportunity for national and international NGOs to strengthen protection systems for forcibly displaced persons, people at risk of statelessness, and host communities.

The programme combines protection monitoring and analysis with registration, legal documentation, GBV response, child protection, access to justice, referral mechanisms, and community-based protection. It also places strong emphasis on the meaningful participation of women and girls, AGD, AAP, and inclusive community mechanisms.

Organizations interested in applying should ensure that their concept notes clearly demonstrate local protection needs, relevant operational experience, measurable results, strong organizational systems, and compliance with UNHCR requirements. Applications must be submitted through the UN Partner Portal by 30 September 2026 at 23:59 Kinshasa time.

For more information, visit UN Partner Portal.