FCDO Nepal

Strengthening Inclusive Democratic Governance and Electoral Process in Nepal” through the pooled fund mechanism Nepal Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework Fund for support to Nepal 2026 elections (Jan–Dec 2026) seeks to restore public trust and foster an enabling environment for Nepal’s general election while safeguarding integrity and inclusion.

The Evidence Fund procures and manages research and evaluations that primarily benefit ODA eligible countries. Most research and evaluations paid for by the Evidence Fund are country-specific, and all respond to requests for evidence to inform programme or policy decisions. Primarily serving research requests from HMG’s Embassies and High Commissions in ODA eligible countries, and from HMG policy and strategy teams, the Evidence Fund strengthens the evidence behind the UK’s priority international development investments and development diplomacy. The Evidence Fund also invests modest amounts of non-ODA, to strengthen the evidence behind wider UK foreign policy.

The research will draw on and reference BEK’s portfolio programmes, including Green Growth Nepal, Nepal in Business, Samartha, and cross-cutting initiatives on inclusion and the Evidence and Knowledge Hub, to generate insights that strengthen delivery and inform future programming in Madhesh Province.

This is a study towards synthesising lessons about the nature, distribution, and evolution of risks from earthquake- and monsoon-triggered hazards (landslides and floods) in Nepal – based on current literature and stakeholder consultations. This study would aim to shape recommendations for FCDO’s support to the Government of Nepal, especially the implementation of the Resilience, Adaptation and Inclusion in Nepal and the Local Infrastructure Services Programme programmes, alongside advice to the Humanitarian Country Team of British Embassy Kathmandu to inform national-scale contingency planning.

This research study will focus on understanding the dynamics of the youth led large-scale nationwide demonstrations in September 2025 events and underlying tensions at inter- and intra-party, religious, ethnic, and at the sub-national (provincial and local government levels. It will explore how Nepal can respond to this civic and institutional moment by strengthening its federal and sub-national governance systems through strategically sequenced, politically feasible reforms.

The Evidence, Digital Innovation and Technology (EDIT) programme aims to enhance Nepal's evidence-based policy-making and digital development. It will build modern partnerships to improve the capacity of the Government, development partners (including BEK), and other stakeholders to use data for better policies, unlocking the data dividend and accelerating poverty reduction. The programme will support the establishment of a state-of-the-art e-Governance system, fostering an inclusive and safe environment for AI and other innovative technologies. Beneficiaries include the Government of Nepal, civil society organizations, and the general population, particularly youth and disadvantaged groups