OPEN CALL FOR PROPOSALS
Community Based Restorative Justice Micro Grants
Issued by the Attorney General’s Office and the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs
Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis
The reform programme is being advanced under the Justice Action Coalition Catalytic Fund and implemented in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme Multi Country Office for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean.
- Background and Reform Context
The Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis is undertaking a comprehensive programme of justice sector reform aimed at strengthening access to justice, improving proportionality in criminal responses, expanding mediation and restorative justice mechanisms, and enhancing public confidence in justice institutions.
This reform agenda reflects an acknowledgement that formal criminal justice processes alone are not sufficient to address the full spectrum of low level conflict, interpersonal harm, youth related disputes, and community tensions. In small island contexts, minor conflicts frequently escalate due to limited early intervention mechanisms, resulting in avoidable criminalisation, strained court resources, and weakened community trust.
The national reform framework seeks to rebalance this approach by:
- Developing a statutory restorative justice framework
- Establishing a Mediation Bureau and accredited mediator roster
- Expanding structured diversion and rehabilitation pathways
- Integrating mediation and restorative practices within the broader justice architecture
- Promoting community based mechanisms that complement formal court processes
Restorative justice and mediation are grounded in principles of voluntary participation, accountability, harm repair, and reintegration. These approaches provide structured opportunities for victims, offenders, and affected community members to engage in facilitated dialogue, resolve disputes constructively, and agree on proportionate outcomes. The programme aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 16 and internationally recognised standards encouraging non custodial measures, victim participation, and community based dispute resolution.
A central pillar of this reform is the recognition that justice is not delivered solely through courts and prosecutors. Effective reform requires collaboration with civil society and community based organisations that possess trust, reach, and cultural proximity within communities. These actors are often the first point of contact for individuals experiencing conflict or harm and are well positioned to facilitate early intervention, structured dialogue, referral navigation, and reintegration support.
Through this Open Call, the Attorney General’s Office and the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs seek to support credible community organisations in delivering practical restorative justice interventions that complement and strengthen the evolving national justice framework.
- Grant Overview
Grant Amount: USD 3,000 per organisation
Number of Grants: 3
Implementation Period: 4 to 6 months
Administered by: Attorney General’s Office and Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs
This Call is issued under the authority of the Attorney General’s Office and the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs within the framework of the Justice Action Coalition Catalytic Fund.
The Government reserves the right not to award all grants if proposals do not meet required standards.
- Purpose of the Grants
The grants are intended to support practical and measurable interventions that:
- Strengthen mediation and restorative justice access
- Provide structured responses to interpersonal conflict or community harm
- Facilitate referral into diversion or rehabilitation pathways
- Support reintegration and accountability
- Improve access to justice for vulnerable groups
- Increase community trust in justice reform processes
Proposals must involve structured engagement with defined participants. General awareness campaigns without participant based or case facing components will not be funded.
- Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants include:
- Registered Civil Society Organisations
- Community Based Organisations operating for at least one year
- Faith based or community development entities with formal governance structure
- Social service organisations with demonstrated programme management capacity
Applicants must demonstrate:
- Identifiable leadership and governance structure
- Basic financial management systems
- Named project lead responsible for implementation
- Capacity to ensure confidentiality and responsible handling of participant information
Ad hoc groups without governance or financial accountability mechanisms are not eligible.
Applicants must disclose any conflict of interest, including affiliation with public officials or existing contractual relationships with Government that may affect impartiality.
- Eligible Interventions
Proposals may address one or more of the following areas:
- Community mediation delivery
- Restorative dialogue facilitation
- Justice referral and case navigation support
- Reintegration and accountability interventions
- Structured community conflict resolution mechanisms
- Innovative restorative justice initiatives aligned with national reform objectives
Applicants proposing innovative approaches must clearly demonstrate:
- Alignment with restorative justice principles
- Defined participant cohort
- Clear methodology
- Measurable outputs
- Minimum Performance Requirements
All funded projects must:
- Deliver at least 4 structured engagement activities or sessions
- Engage a minimum of 15 direct beneficiaries
- Maintain anonymised participant or case tracking records
- Document outcomes achieved
- Participate in one coordination meeting
- Submit mid term and final narrative and financial reports
Projects involving mediation or dialogue must ensure voluntary participation and appropriate consent procedures.
- Selection Criteria
Applications will be assessed on:
- Alignment with restorative justice objectives
- Operational clarity and feasibility
- Community reach and credibility
- Realistic and measurable outputs
- Potential contribution to strengthening community justice mechanisms
- Timeline
- Call Opens: March 09, 2026
- Application Deadline: March 22, 2026
- Implementation: April 01, 2025.
- Submission Process
Applications must be submitted electronically through the official Microsoft Forms application link published with this Call.
Incomplete or late submissions will not be considered.
Click here to complete the Community Based Restorative Justice Micro Grants Application Form
Application Notice
Only organisations shortlisted or selected for funding will be contacted. The Attorney General’s Office and the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs thank all applicants for their interest in supporting restorative justice and community based justice initiatives in Saint Kitts and Nevis.