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

FISONG is open to French and non-French NGOs. Since 2007, AFD issues annual calls for proposals on topics defined jointly by AFD’s different departments in consultation with Coordination SUD (i.e. the French platform of development NGOs). The topics for FISONG are mainly in capacity building and innovation of French development assistance through pilot projects. AFD recommends that NGOs in the developing countries find partners with French and international NGOs. FISONG is currently budgeted at €5 million per year.

Under the calls for proposals in 2010, there were two thematic priorities:

• Urban Exclusion: support to public services, municipal or private for better inclusion of marginalised and excluded populations
• SRHR: Support to civil society associations to improve the demand for care for sexual and reproductive health

Urban Exclusion:  an envelope of €1.5 million shared between two and six projects.
SRHR:  an envelope of €1.5 million shared between one and five projects with a maximum of €300,000-400,000 per project.

The contribution made by AFD cannot exceed 90%. The use of other co-financing is possible.

In 2010, each FISONG required special attention to consider gender in the projects submitted. NGOs had to consider:

• Gender in the process of governance (decision making, management and evaluation)
• The establishment of such expertise for the implementation of the project (in an action research approach)

These two points will be considered as criteria for eligibility of projects.

NGOs should also develop indicators that will assess the inclusion of gender in the project at the time of evaluation.

The applicant must have:

• Knowledge of the intervention area 
• Innovation
• An intervention methodology 
• Objectives, planned outputs, effects and     risks 
• An organisation and means of     intervention 
• A local partnership 
• An analysis of the budget in relation to     the proposal 
• Prospects for sustainability

Guidelines can be found on AFD’s website. 

Three or four years

For 2010 calls for proposals, calls were published in the 2nd week of November 2009. Pre-selection of the base of the concept notes was made in Mid-December. Final selection was made at the end of February 2010.

Application material is published on AFD’s website.

AFD publishes calls for proposals. Applicants submit concept notes (4-5 pages) as the first stage of the application. At this pre-selection stage, applicants also provide their legal registration and other administrative details. Based on the concept notes and accompanying files, AFD selects a smaller number of NGOs or NGO consortia to submit full proposals and budgets. AFDs website posts templates for concept notes and full technical and financial prospects.

French

The question of the intervention area has raised many questions among NGOs.
For the AFD, it is preferable that the involved projects are in countries where France is already well-positioned through these cooperation actions in the interests of funding and sustainability.
Coordination SUD can also be contacted for more general information on development cooperation and on accredited NGOs.