Deadline: 15-May-23

The French Development Agency (AFD) has announced annual Call for Expressions of Project Intentions (AMI) which are intended to preselect projects led by French or local CSOs, in partner countries, with a view to funding in 2024 to support the action of civil society organizations (CSOs) in the field of the SDGs and international solidarity.

To support the action of civil society organizations (CSOs) in the field of the SDGs and international solidarity, AFD publishes two Calls for Expression of Intent (AMI) which are intended to preselect projects led by French or local CSOs, in partner countries, with a view to funding in 2024.

The two calls for projects published by AFD’s CSO Initiatives mechanism respond to the ambitions of the Programming Law on solidarity development and the fight against global inequalities adopted on August 4, 2021 by the French Parliament. They are part of the Civil Society and Citizen Engagement Strategic Orientation Document 2023-2027 of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE)  and with AFD’s partnership strategy 2018-2023.

Equality between women and men , climate and biodiversity , fragility, complex crises, human rights and governance , education–youth–employment , health , food security and nutrition, migration are today the essential markers of official development assistance. .

AFD respects the right of initiative recognized for CSOs, which allows them to propose projects that they themselves have defined. The projects presented must give priority to promoting and strengthening civil society actors in the countries of intervention.

Sectors

• All of AFD’s sectors of competence : agriculture, environment-biodiversity-climate, urban development, energy, water and sanitation, education, professional integration and training, health and social action, productive sector and microfinance, governance (human rights , local development, control and citizen participation, equality between women and men), structuring of associations.

Funding Information

• The minimum budget for projects submitted to the AMI must now be at least €500,000/3 years (instead of the previous €300,000).
• 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.

CSO Activities

• The CSO’s major social missions must include the goal of working in the fields of sustainable development, promoting human rights, youth, gender equality, or strengthening civil society organizations.
• Projects to structure the local CSO sector (SMA) and projects focusing on sustainable development and global citizenship education carried out in the countries will be encouraged and may therefore be supported.
• CSOs whose main missions are exchange, international influence, reflection or intellectual production activities are not eligible.
• The CSO must have been financed at least once for a completed project, either directly or via a French CSO, by an entity of the AFD Group (DPA/OSC, Operations Department, Expertise France) regardless of the amount received. It may choose to renew its partnership with the French CSO, which has already supported it, as a partner in the intention it is submitting in its own name.
• The CSO must be able to demonstrate that it has carried out activities of significant scope and duration, through the implementation of development, sustainable development and global citizenship education projects and/or projects to organize the non-profit sector.

Nature of Eligible Projects

• Development projects implemented in one or more countries eligible for official development assistance, if possible in partnership with other local stakeholders. They must contribute to the achievement of sustainable development goals. The project must include measures to strengthen local stakeholders; it must involve the central and decentralized government services of the country in which the project will be implemented, unless the situation in the country does not allow it.
• All sectors are eligible: agriculture, environment-biodiversity-climate, water and sanitation, professional integration and training, healthcare and social action, urban development, energy, productive sector and microfinance, human rights, local development, control and citizen participation, gender equality and advocacy projects.
• Sustainable development and global citizenship education projects (sometimes referred to as global education or ECSI)
• Projects to structure the non-profit sector (SMA) These projects must have a national or international impact on one or more of the following pillars:
  • Structuring CSOs, capacity-building, closer alignment and convergence of actions
  • Advocacy, political dialogue, collective action
  • Professionalization and creation/dissemination of innovations in the sector and beyond
  • Contribution to the collective efforts of CSOs to strengthen public action at the local, national and multilateral level

Eligibility Criteria

• The I-CSO system ensures the financing of all types of projects (single-country and multi-country, field projects – internationally – or projects of general interest – in France-, etc.).
• Ami for French CSOS
  • French CSOs that have been in existence for more than three years and that implement projects in developing countries or actions of Education for Citizenship and International Solidarity (ECSI) and Structuration of the Associative Environment (SMA) .
  • All countries eligible for official development assistance according to the list drawn up by the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the OECD (with priority given to priority countries for French cooperation), but also France for Citizenship and International Solidarity Education (ECSI), Advocacy or Community Organization Structuring (SMA) projects.
• Ami Intended for CSOS under Local Law
  • Associations or non-governmental organizations (including trade unions) constituted in accordance with the national legislation in force in a country eligible for official development assistance according to the list drawn up by the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the OECD. They must be non-profit and act in the field of sustainable development and have already been supported by the AFD Group, directly or indirectly through a French partner, on a completed project.
  • 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 according to the list drawn up 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.
• NB : foundations are not eligible

For more information, visit AFD.