Applications for support

Partnership for the future

The UBS Optimus Foundation supports projects worldwide in the core areas of Children & Talents and Medical & Biological Research. To this end, management approaches organizations directly, but it is also happy to receive applications. If you wish to make an application for support for a project, we recommend that you observe the following.

Procedure for applicants

The management of the UBS Optimus Foundation follows a clearly defined procedure in processing applications. In the initial phase, we ask you to submit your application by filling out a pre-proposal. This draft will be used to decide whether support from the UBS Optimus Foundation is feasible. You will be informed of the decision in writing.
If the Foundation decides that your project is of interest, the management will contact you to discuss the further procedure.

Pre-proposal

Where to send the applications

All Applications for the Southern-Africa region Countries to
Sheila Mokoboto Zwane: sh-ubs-optimus-foundation@ubs.com

Applications within the core area 'Children & Talents' (NOT in the Southern-Africa region) to
Lioba van Dam: sh-optimus-children@ubs.com

Applications within the core area 'Medical & Biological Research'
(NOT in the Southern-Africa region) to
Susanna Hausmann-Muela: sh-optimus-research@ubs.com

Deadline for requests for support

The deadlines for submitting pre-proposals are the following:

31 October 2008
31 January 2009

You will be informed at the latest 4 months after the deadline whether support by UBS Optimus Foundation is possible or not.

Requirements of supported projects:

We support projects in our four areas of focus:
- Children & Talents:
  1. Education and upbringing
  2. Protection from violence and sexual abuse
- Medical & Biological Research:
  3. Child survival
  4.Tropical diseases (excluding HIV / AIDS)

We place high demands on the supported projects, the focus being on innovation, sustainability and the likelihood of success as well as the quality of the projects.
In order to be able to achieve the desired effect in a specific core area, the UBS Optimus Foundation concentrates on larger projects. As a rule, these receive annual financial support in the region of 100 000 to 300 000 CHF over the course of a total lifespan of three years.
Project support costs amounting to a maximum of 10% of the overall budget can be applied for.
An external evaluation is performed after 18-24 months, half the costs of which are borne by the supported project partner.
As a rule, only one project is supported per country. Southern Africa is an exception, including the following countries: Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Angola, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Lesotho and Madagascar.

Additional criteria:

Innovative or unconventional projects
Sustainable projects that aim at a leverage effect
Integrated projects with their own identity and structure
Projects that promote the advancement of young women
ZEWO, ISO certification or state approval of the applicant required.
Experienced, local NGO as applicant
No projects under CHF 100,000 per year (exception: child protection centres receive max. CHF 50,000 per year)
The pre-proposal must enclose a detailed income and expenditure budget
Promotion of young researchers
Projects mainly concerning regions south of the 30th parallel
Projects to the success of which the beneficiaries themselves contribute
Projects that are integrated into local structures and cultures or that are firmly rooted in a scientific institution
Interdisciplinary projects
Projects that are visualizable and presentable
Projects capable of being replicated in other places or under the aegis of other institutions
Projects that promise to be self-supporting (incl. financing) within five years at most

Unwanted:

Individual initiatives
Projects that do not clearly belong to one of the four main areas
Requests from capital-related companies
Project applications that reach the UBS Optimus Foundation by way of UBS employees
Organizations or institutions already receiving support from another part of UBS
Contributions to political campaigns or projects or to organizations with high political exposure
Contributions to the basic financing of institutions and other foundations
Projects in the areas of disaster relief or individual support.
Indirect promotion, i.e. support for institutions that promote research
Projects requiring supplementary financing in order to achieve their goals
Contributions to infrastructure
Contributions to exhibitions, meetings, congresses and anniversaries

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