Background	Project Duration
Grant Size	Deadline
Own Contribution	Application Forms
Funding Priorities	Application & Procedures
Grantmaking Criteria	Languages
Guidelines	Tips

The  geographic  component  of  the  Development Co-operation  instrument  (DCI)  provides  assistance to   developing   countries   in   Latin   America,   Asia, including Central  Asia  and  South Africa.  The instrument is valid for the period from 2007 to 2013.
The overall goal of the instrument is the eradication of  poverty  in  partner  countries  and  regions  in  the context of sustainable development, including pursuit of  the  Millennium  Development  Goals  (MDGs),  as well as the promotion of democracy, good governance and respect for human rights and for the rule of law.

Co-operation is intended to

• Consolidate  and  support  democracy,  the  rule  of law,   human   rights   and   fundamental   freedoms, good   governance,   gender   equality   and   related
• Instruments of international law;
• Foster the sustainable development – including political, economic, social and environmental aspects –   of   partner   countries   and   regions,   and   more particularly the most disadvantaged among them;
• Encourage  their  smooth  and  gradual  integration into the world economy;
• Help  develop  international  measures  to  preserve and   improve   the   quality   of   the   environment and    the    sustainable    management    of    global natural  resources,  in  order  to  ensure  sustainable development  including  climate  change  and  bio-diversity;
• Strengthen   the   relationship   between   the Community and partner countries and regions.

The regulation establishing the DCI was adopted on 18 December 2006, under Regulation 1905/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council "Establishing a financing instrument for development co-operation”. The geographic part of it replaced the ALA programme for developing countries in Asia and Latin America, parts of  the  TACIS  programme  (Kazakhstan,  Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan,  Turkmenistan  and  Uzbekistan)  and  the Programme for Reconstruction and Development in South Africa (EPRD), which were valid until 2006.

The DCI includes geographic and thematic programmes. The overall DCI budget for geographic programmes for the period from 2007 to 2013 is €10,057 billion.

The exact amounts of each grant are announced in the Guidelines for each call for proposal, which can be found on the Europe Aid Funding website or the delegation website of your specific country.

To get an indication of a grant size before a call for proposal is published, please refer to the “Annual Work Programmes”.
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/work/ap/index_en.htm

The percentage of own contribution or co-funding necessary, is specified in the Guidelines of each call. The status of your organisation will also effect how much of your own contribution you will be expected to provide.

Priorities are country-specific. Funds are allocated following country strategy papers which include multi-annual indicative programmes specifying the priority objectives and the indicative multi-annual financial allocations.

Furthermore, the European Commission prepares annual action programmes which specify the objectives pursued, the fields of intervention, the expected results, the management procedures and total amount of financing planned. They contain a description of the operations to be financed, an indication of the amounts allocated for each operation and an indicative implementation timetable. These documents will be available on the EC’s respective delegation website or, the Country Strategy Papers here and the annual action programmes here.

The regulation establishing the instrument provides a non exhaustive list of 26 different types of actions, which can be funded by the DCI. This encompasses ten areas of co-operation: poverty alleviation; human development; Social cohesion and employment Governance; democracy, human rights and support for institutional reforms; Trade and regional integration; Environment and sustainable development of natural resources; Water and energy; Infrastructure, communication and transport; Rural development, territorial planning, agriculture and food security; Post-crisis situations and fragile States. The actions relevant for NGOs working in the field of SRH and population programmes are as follows:

• supporting the implementation of policies aimed at poverty eradication and at the achievement of the MDGs;

  addressing the essential needs of the population with prime attention to primary education and health. promoting social cohesion, with a focus on decent work and social and fiscal policies, thereby fighting against poverty, inequality, unemployment and exclusion of vulnerable and marginalised groups;combating all forms of group-based discrimination and promoting and protecting gender equality, indigenous peoples' rights and the rights of the child,supporting an active civil society, including civil society organisations representing people living in poverty

   

  In addition to these areas of co-operation, the DCI regulation includes priorities specific to the different regions. The ones relevant for SRH NGOs are:

  In Latin America: the promotion of social cohesion (e.g. improvement in basic social services, in particular health and education); the protection of human rights, including the rights of the child and indigenous peoples’ rights.In Asia: pursuing MDGs in the field of health, including HIV/AIDS, and education; addressing governance issues to help build an active and organised civil society, and to enhance the protection of human rights, including the rights of the child.In Central Asia: fighting against HIV/AIDS;In the Middle East: addressing governance issues to help build an active and organised civil society, and to enhance the protection of human rights, including the rights of the child.In South Africa: supporting the fight against poverty, inequality and exclusion, including addressing the basic needs of the previously disadvantaged communities; addressing the HIV/AIDS pandemic and its impacts on the South African society.

The regulation establishing the DCI allows a broad range of actors to access the DCI funds: Regarding non-state actors, they have to be non-state, non-profit making actors operating on an independent and accountable basis. This includes non governmental organisations, organisations representing indigenous peoples, organisations representing national and/or ethnic minorities, local traders' associations and citizens' groups, cooperatives, trade unions, organisations representing economic and social interests, organisations fighting corruption and fraud and promoting good governance, civil rights organisations and organisations combating discrimination, local organisations (including networks) involved in decentralised regional cooperation and integration, consumer organisations, women's and youth organisations, teaching, cultural, research and scientific organisations, universities, churches and religious associations and communities, the media and any non governmental associations and independent foundations, including independent political foundations. The annual action programmes determine how assistance is provided. It will also give details about eligibility restrictions when applying for funding.

The nationality of your organisation will also determine your eligibility to apply for a grant.

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The guidelines for each action are published at the same time as the call for proposal. However, the rules and regulations which create the basis for all DCI funded programmes, can be found on the following web-site: http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/work/funding/index_en.htm

There are two main documents which regulates the practical implementation of the DCI:

1. “Practical Guide to Contract Procedures for EC External Actions” (PRAG). The updated PRAG version, after the adoption of the Lisbon treaty, is available here. The  purpose  of  the  PRAG  is  to  provide  users with  all  the  information  necessary  to  undertake procurement   or   a   grant   procedure   from   the very   first   steps   to   the   award   of   contracts.   The annexes cover both the procurement phase and the execution of contracts.
2. “Rules and Procedures”.  This document explains the   basic   principles   the   implementation   of   an action. It is available here

The duration of an action is defined in the guideline for the individual call. However, almost all actions have implementation periods exceeding 12 months.

The deadline for submission will be defined in the guideline for the specific call for proposal.
To get an indicative deadline, it is advisable to look at the “Annual work plan” available on this link: http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/work/ap/index_en.htm or the “call for proposal forecasts” available on this link: http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/work/funding/index_en.htm

Application Forms are available online, see website below, and are published at the same time as the call for proposal and the guidelines.
Each time a call for proposal is published, guidelines for that particular call is also published.  If the call for proposals is a “Restricted call”, applicants will be asked to submit a Concept Note. Thereafter, applicant whose Concept Notes have been pre-selected will be invited to submit a Full Application Form.  However, if the call for proposal is an “Open Call”, all applicants are invited to send in their Concept Notes and Full Proposals at the same time.

Management of the geographic programmes is shared by the Europe Aid Co-operation Office in Brussels and the EU Delegations. Call for proposals are published on the Europe Aid website; https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/europeaid/online-services/index.cfm?ADSSChck=1224846858672&do=publi.welcome&userlanguage=en and the delegation website; http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/delegations/web_en.htm

In order to apply for a grant, your organisation must register in the “Potential Applicants Data Online Registration” PADOR. To register in PADOR follow this link: http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/work/onlineservices/pador/index_en.htm

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In order to succeed in accessing EC funds, a good understanding of the rules and procedures of the calls are crucial. Little administrative mistakes, such as submission after the deadline or missing documents lead to an immediate rejection. NGOs considering responding to a call should carefully read the guidelines. Project objectives should directly be linked to the objectives of the call. Applicants should also read the relevant policy papers and refer to them, when appropriate.

EC officials use an EC handbook explaining how to draft and manage a proposal. This document can also be useful for NGOs especially part 2 on the logical framework approach. It is called “Aid Delivery methods – Volume 1 – Project Cycle Management Guidelines”.

NGOs with little experience in applying for EC funding should consider participating in other NGOs’ projects funded by the EC. As a junior partner they can build their capacity and get acquainted to EC requirements without taking full responsibility for a project. Consult and liaise with both the EC Delegation in the beneficiary country and the Brussels-based officials. Another information source is CONCORD Europe, the European confederation of relief and development NGOs (contact details below). You also might get support from your national NGO platform.

CONCORD Secretariat aisbl
10 Sq. Ambiorix
1000 Brussels
Belgium
Phone: +32 2 743 87 60
Fax: +32 2 732 19 34
secretariat@concordeurope.org
http://www.concordeurope.org/

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