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

Norad provides a limited number of financial allocations to international organisations and networks to support global and regional work under the auspices of international non-governmental organisations and networks, and transnational organisations outside the UN. This support contributes to reaching the overall goals and objectives of Norwegian development cooperation within the policy priorities set by Norway.

Support is given primarily be given to international non-governmental organisations and networks with a strong foundation in the South, particularly those whom are representative champions of the interests of poor and marginalised social groups. Support is intended to strengthen the potential of South-based civil society actors for influencing international, regional and national decision-making processes. Importance shall be attached to projects conducive to strengthening capacity and competence in developing countries and promoting cross-border cooperation.

In 2009, Norad allocated NOK 179,689,000 (€150 million) to 41 international organisations and networks. In total, Norad received 87 applications from international NGOs and networks for financial support.

Normally between NOK 1-4 million (€127,301-€509,217).

Not specified.

Main thematic priority areas in 2009 are environment, gender and equality with a special emphasis on women's rights and sexual and reproductive health.

In order to be eligible, the applicant must adhere to the following criteria:

• Norad's support shall not be provided to organisations that are already receiving substantial support from other donors.
•  Organisations shall have members (organisations, countries or board members) from more than two countries.
• Support will preferably be given to organisations and networks with strong foundations in developing countries. This criterion can be fulfilled through the headquarter being localised in a developing country and/or substantial developing country participation in the form of partners, representation in governing bodies and participation in decision-making processes.
• Organisations and networks that are selected for support should provide an added value within their selected areas in the form of relevant competence, resources and development impact, and contribute to filling niches that are not adequately filled by other actors. The applicant must be able to document relevant competence in the area of intervention, effective systems for implementation and evidence of results.
• The same requirements apply to international organisations and networks as to other bilateral partners with respect to cross-cutting issues such as gender equality, sustainability, anti-corruption efforts and focus on results in the organisation's work. 
• If the organisations work at country or regional levels, their activities must be based on the principles of national ownership and of working within the framework of the developing country's planning documents. Exceptions may be made for organisations active in advocacy directed at national governments, for example in the field of good governance and human rights, including free media.
• Only international organisations either included in the OECD-DAC list of international organisations;  or whose activities are fully targeted at developing countries will be provided with core funding. Norwegian funding should be specifically earmarked for ODA countries whenever the organisations or networks in question also run activities in non-ODA countries.
• Programme and project support may be provided where the intervention is considered to be of strategic importance in its sector or in the Norwegian priority. To minimize fragmentation of Norwegian support to international organisations and networks, Norad will seek to avoid support to small-scale activities.
• The support shall contribute to strengthening Norad's knowledge base in areas where Norad takes part in the formulation and quality assurance of Norwegian development policy and assistance. Norad should therefore establish a collaborative relationship with the recipients of support within a given subject area.

Guidelines for Norad’s support to international non-governmental organisations and networks can be found online at:
http://www.norad.no/en/_attachment/124750/binary/41826?download=true

New recipients will normally enter into a one-year agreement with Norad. A multi-year agreement requires a prior, positive assessment of the organisation.

Deadline for funding in 2009 was 9th January.

There is no specific application form for this support scheme.

Partners that have an existing contract with Norad shall submit an annual work plan and an updated budget according to the contract.

Organisations applying for a new contract with Norad must adhere to the following instructions:
For core support Norad requests the organisation’s or network’s strategy. For programme support Norad requests information about goals and expected results (outcome and output) of the programme/project.

For both types of support the following information is requested:

• Plans for the application period
• Budget and financial plan (including list of other donors) for the application period
• A baseline analysis, indicators for goal attainment, risk assessment, a description of how potential risks may be mitigated, as well as an assessment of key sustainability factors (e.g. gender, environment, conflict sensitivity, institutional capacity etc.)
• Application period and amount requested in 2010

In addition, the following information is required from all applicants:

• A brief presentation of the results of the organisation's work the last three years (maximum two pages)
• A brief description of the organisation's structure (branches, offices, board members, decision making procedures, number of employees etc)
• A brief description of how the organisation is rooted in the South
• A brief description of the organisation's network and collaborating organisations
• New applicants (without a current contract under this funding scheme) must attach their statutes, strategy and audited accounts for the previous year (2008)

Norwegian or English

The Norwegian government has recently tightened its regulations regarding the selection of NGOs for Norad’s grant programmes. Therefore, all rules and guidelines should be followed scrupulously when completing the application. The local project partner should be involved in the project design as early as possible, and the responsibilities of the project partner and the applicant should be clearly defined. Organisations wishing to submit applications for co-operation agreements should have completed at least one successful project co-operation with Norad in the past. Moreover, they must demonstrate a strong popular rooting in Norway.

Interested organisations from the South should contact the local Norwegian embassy to explore the availability of local funding. Most embassies in priority countries of Norwegian developing co-operation have a separate budget to support local NGO initiatives.  Embassies or Norad’s Civil Society Section can also provide helpful information regarding Norwegian NGOs which might be looking for a local co-operation partner. Contact information for Norwegian embassies can be found here.

In 2005, Norad established an online database containing evaluation reports of Norad-funded NGO projects.