Apply: AFD CSO INITIATIVESCALL FOR EXPRESSION OF OSC 2024 PROJECT INTENTION (up to 50,000 Euros in Grant)
Scheme for financing projects initiated by civil society organizations
Lehreijatt – Hodh Garbi-women’s association
To support the action of civil society organizations (CSOs) in the field of the SDGs and international solidarity, AFD is publishing two Calls for Expression of Intent (AMI) which aim to pre-select projects led by French or local CSOs, in partner countries, with a view to funding in 2025.
The two Calls for expressions of intent are open until Monday May 13, 2024 (at 6 p.m. – Paris time at the latest). Project submission must be done online via the Oscar portal. For CSOs who do not yet have an account on the Oscar portal, the opening request must be made no later than May 1, 2024 .
GENERAL FRAMEWORKAMI INTENDED FOR FRENCH CSOSAMI INTENDED FOR CSOS UNDER LOCAL LAWSUBMIT A PROJECT INTENTION
GENERAL FRAMEWORK
The two calls for projects published by the AFD’s OSC Initiatives system respond to the ambitions of the Programming Law relating to inclusive development and the fight against global inequalities adopted on August 4, 2021 by the French Parliament. They are part of the strategic orientation document civil society and citizen engagement 2023-2027 of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE) . The strategic orientations of this call are based on the conclusions of the Presidential Council for Development (CPD) and the Interministerial Committee for International Cooperation and Development (CICID), both held in 2023, on the Strategic Orientation Plan ( POS V) of the AFD which will soon be presented to the Board of Directors and on the roadmap between the AFD and CSOs, currently being renewed for 2024/2027.
Equality between women and men , climate and biodiversity , fragilities, complex crises, human rights and governance , education-youth-employment , health , food security and nutrition, migrations constitute today the essential markers of public development assistance , with a target concentration of French ODA financial effort of at least 50% for the least developed countries (LDCs) in 2024-2027.
AFD respects the right of initiative recognized to CSOs which allows them to propose projects that they have defined themselves. The projects presented must prioritize and strengthen civil society actors in the countries of intervention.
In addition to French CSOs, the law provides that civil society organizations (CSOs) in countries eligible for public development assistance can benefit from direct funding from AFD under certain conditions.
CSOs registered in countries eligible for public development assistance following the list established by the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) therefore have the possibility of requesting co-financing from the AFD CSO Initiatives system. .
CSOs under local law (including unions) are eligible as long as they have been financed at least once, directly or via a French or international CSO, on a completed project (by 2025 at the latest), by an entity from the AFD Group (MPN/OSC, operations management, Expertise France) regardless of the amount received, or by a French embassy as part of annual funding of at least €100,000 (Fonds Equipe France projects (ex -FSPI), for example).
Projects to structure the associative environment as well as education projects for sustainable development and global citizenship (sometimes called global education or Education for citizenship and international solidarity – ECSI ) carried out in the countries will be encouraged and may be supported .
Following a high number of project intentions pre-selected during AMI 2023, this AMI will focus on:
Recurrences of projects already co-financed by AFD (this implies that the evaluations of previous phases attesting to convincing results are carried out before the start of the examination of the project if pre-selected);
New strategic projects imperatively discussed upstream with MPN/OSC, in connection with major international priority deadlines for France;
Projects taking priority in least developed countries (LDCs);
Projects mobilizing VSI will be appreciated (see Infra).
Find all the details on these Calls for expressions of project intention on this page.
French CSOs whose partners are likely to respond to the CSO AMI under local law are invited to inform them of this opportunity.
AMI INTENDED FOR FRENCH CSOS
Which CSOs are eligible ?
French CSOs which have been in existence for more than three years and which implement projects in developing countries or actions of Education for citizenship and international solidarity (ECSI) and Structuring of the associative sector (SMA) . The CSO must have the financial and management capacity to carry out the project/program for which it is requesting co-financing. Thus, the average annual cost of the project must not exceed 70% of the CSO’s annual budget for the last three years, except in duly justified cases; the OSC’s minimum annual budget cannot therefore be less than €238,000.
In which countries ?
All countries eligible for public development assistance following the list established by the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the OECD (with priority given to priority countries of French cooperation), but also France for Education for citizenship and international solidarity (ECSI), advocacy or Structuring of the associative sector (SMA) projects.
Given the multiplication of complex crises, AFD will be attentive to the intentions of projects aiming to respond to the root causes or the most acute consequences of these crises: food insecurity, malnutrition, population displacements, decline of the State of law, effects of climate change, etc.) which primarily affect particularly vulnerable populations. Particular attention will be paid to project intentions for Ukraine.
In which sectors ?
All AFD sectors of expertise : agriculture, environment-biodiversity-climate, urban development, energy, water and sanitation, education, integration and professional training, health and social action, productive sector and microfinance, governance (human rights , local development, control and citizen participation, gender equality) as well as projects relating to advocacy ECSI or SMA.
The following sectors are not eligible : Francophonie, university cooperation, emergency humanitarian aid and support for volunteering.
What co-financing amounts and ceilings ?
The total amount of the project must be greater than or equal to 500,000 euros .
Projects whose total amount is between 300,000 and 500,000 euros may be declared eligible only in the case of specific and justified geographical and/or sectoral contexts or if the grant request follows on from a project whose amount was less than 500,000 euros .
AFD does not finance the entire project budget. The co-financing ceilings for projects from French public funds, including the AFD group, the French Fund for the Global Environment (FFEM), French ministries (central and decentralized services) have been increased to 80 % for all instruments ( CP, CPP, PCPA, multi-country projects, single-country projects, ECSI, SMA).
How long ?
The maximum duration of a project is three years for “ field ” and general interest projects , except in duly justified cases.
Documents to download
Call for expressions of intent 2024 French CSOs and annex 1
Appendix 2 – Oscar platform user guide
Appendix 3 – Authorization to use the Oscar platform
Appendix 4 – Model note of intent in French
FAQs
AMI INTENDED FOR CSOS UNDER LOCAL LAW
Which CSOs are eligible ?
CSOs governed by local law (including unions) are eligible this year as long as they have been financed at least once directly, via a French CSO, on a completed project (at the latest in 2024), by an entity of the AFD Group (MPN/OSC, operations management, Expertise France) regardless of the amount received, or by a French embassy as part of annual funding of more than €100,000 (Fund Equipe France projects (ex-FSPI ), For example).
National, regional or international non-profit platforms acting in the field of sustainable development and whose headquarters are located in a sustainable manner in accordance with the legislation in force in one of the countries eligible for official development assistance following the list established by the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the OECD. These platforms must have already been supported by the AFD group, directly or indirectly through a French partner, on a completed project, whatever the amount received, or by a French embassy as part of annual funding of more than €100,000 (French Equipe Fund (ex-FSPI) projects, for example).
The CSO must have the financial and management capacity to carry out the project/program for which it is requesting co-financing. Thus, the average annual cost of the project must not exceed 70% of the CSO’s annual budget for the last three years, except in duly justified cases; the OSC’s minimum annual budget cannot therefore be less than €238,000.
NB : foundations are not eligible
In which countries of intervention ?
All countries eligible for official development assistance following the list established by the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC).
In which sectors ?
L’ensemble des secteurs de compétence de l’AFD : agriculture, environnement-biodiversité-climat, développement urbain, énergie, eau et assainissement, éducation, insertion et formation professionnelle, santé et action sociale, secteur productif et microfinance, gouvernance (droits humains, développement local, contrôle et participation citoyenne, égalité femmes-hommes), structuration du milieu associatif.
Compte-tenu de la multiplication des crises complexes, l’AFD sera attentive aux intentions de projets se proposant de répondre aux causes profondes ou conséquences les plus aigües de ces crises : insécurité alimentaire, malnutrition, déplacements de populations, déclin de l’Etat de droit, effets du changement climatique…) qui touchent en premier lieu les populations particulièrement vulnérables.
Les secteurs suivants ne sont pas éligibles : francophonie, coopération universitaire, aide humanitaire d’urgence.
Quels montants et plafonds de cofinancement ?
Le montant total du projet doit être supérieur ou égal à 500 000 euros ; les projets dont le montant global se situe entre 300 000 et 500 000 euros pourront être déclarés éligibles uniquement dans le cas de contextes géographiques et/ou sectoriels spécifiques et justifiés.
L’AFD ne finance pas la totalité du budget du projet. Le taux de cofinancement maximum qui peut être apporté par l’AFD sur le dispositif I-OSC est de 90 % du budget global du projet.
Quelle durée ?
La durée maximale d’un projet est de trois ans, renouvelable.
Documents à télécharger
Appel à manifestation d’intention 2024 OSC locales et annexe 1
2024 Call for Expressions of Project Intentions for Locally Governed CSOs & app…
Convocatoria de Manifestación de Interés de proyectos 2024 y apéndice 1
Annexe 2 – Guide d’utilisation de la plateforme Oscar
Annexe 2 bis – OSCAR Users Guide – English version
Annexe 3 – Autorisation d’utilisation de la plateforme Oscar
Annexe 4 – Modèle de note d’intention en français
Annexe 4 bis – Model of the Project intention form in English
ANEXO 4 – Ficha de Manifestación de Interés de proyectos
FAQ – version française
FAQ – English version
Preguntas frecuentes
DÉPOSER UNE INTENTION DE PROJET
hand, computer
Les intentions de projets et les documents administratifs doivent être déposés directement sur l’espace dématérialisé Oscar, dédié au dépôt des documents dans le cadre du dispositif Initiatives OSC. Les intentions de projet transmises en dehors d’Oscar ne seront pas prises en compte.
To connect to the Oscar portal, CSOs will need to create a user account ; a user authorization ( model downloadable here ) is required to open this account.
Please note that CSOs who have not yet created an account on the Oscar platform must submit their account opening request no later than Monday May 1, 2024 .
https://www.afd.fr/fr/appel-manifestation-intention-projet-initiatives-osc-2024
