APS/ALP/DIPS alumni are given the opportunity to propose projects of up to 5,000 USD for six months long projects. Eligibility criteria and prioritised thematic areas are announced in each grant cycle, and the grant programme require two or more alumni members to work together for a collectively designed and planned initiative in Asia.

The AIA grant programme is administered by alumni secretariat and workgroup for AIA grant administration. The secretariat and workgroup consist of alumni members who registered to work on an annual tenure [to read more about the structure of APS alumni network].

Assessment of grant applications is conducted by the APS Alumni Secretariat, in collaboration as necessary with University for Peace (UPEACE), Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU) and The Nippon Foundation (TNF).

Underlying Principles

Common Purpose: Alumni-led projects or events should be focused on areas related to peacebuilding. Every project should directly or indirectly involve alumni and be supportive of their career enhancement.

Accountability: We are accountable towards stakeholders. In order to promote optimal project effectiveness and efficient use of resources, stakeholders should be mobilised to openly express their rights, choices and concerns.

Transparency: We express who we are. We show how we raise and utilise funds. We maintain records regarding decisions that affect all stakeholders involved in our work.

Nonpartisanism: We maintain free from political, religious and regional affiliations and utilise a non-violent approach.

Coordination: We ensure that support from partners is well-coordinated and used efficiently so that resources are not duplicated, wasted or misdirected.

Project Management

Once project proposal(s) are selected, APS secretariat will sign an agreement with the selected alumni team(s). The selected Project Implementation Team(s) (PIT) will be completely responsible for conducting project activities. In some cases, government pre-approval might be required to implement the project, which alumni should be informed about before proposal submission.

Budget Proposal and Fund Disbursement

Project budgets should not exceed 5,000 USD, and may cover project-related costs, such as, but not limited to:

• Travel and accommodation of the PIT, implementing partners, beneficiaries and other project stakeholders;
• Activity-related costs (including room rental, refreshments, etc.);
• Materials;
• Specialist fees;
• Possible administration fee (ex: bank transfer charges, postal fee);
• Other, project-specific costs.

*Please note that this funding will not cover any salary, remuneration or benefits to the PIT.

After signing the project agreement, the APS Alumni Secretariat will arrange for 80% of the funds to be transferred. After completion of the project, The APS Secretariat will transfer the retained 20% of project funds upon submission of the project report. The following procedure will apply:

• Project amount will be deposited in the bank account indicated by the PIT.
• Alternatively, the APS Alumni Secretariat may also send funding via its country representatives (if any Secretariat member is located in the same country as the project implementation site)
• The final instalment (20% of project budget) will be disbursed, in accordance with actual expenses, to the indicated bank account after the submission of the Final Project Financial and Narrative reports and documentation.

Learning, Sharing and Sustainability

Successful project proposals will ensure benefits are reflective of the local context, using various means to share gained experience and learning.

During and after the implementation of selected projects, there should be at least two news/stories related to these ones publishing in local or international publications (including TV, radio, online or blogs).

The Project Implementation team should submit at least one 500-word successful story and/or short video clip of their project to the APS Alumni Secretariat. Such news would be circulated through the alumni/UPEACE Facebook page, alumni newsletters, UPEACE/Ateneo de Manila newsletter or any other media.