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

The Belgian Fund for Food Security has, as of January 2010, replaced the former Belgian Survival Fund. The Fund has an integrated, multi-dimensional approach that allows it to act on all four dimensions of food security, using projects which are mutually reinforcing on strengthening capacity, economic development, and social services. It is designed to increase performance in Sub-Saharan African countries with low development indicators, with priority partner countries of Belgian Development Cooperation and in areas of high food insecurity.  

The body in charge of steering and managing the Belgian Fund for Food Security is the Directorate General for Development Cooperation (DGCD) which directly refers to the Federal Minister of Development Cooperation. Its role is to draft the development cooperation policy guidelines, to manage the cooperation instruments, allocate funds and follow-up and evaluate their use. The unit in charge of non-governmental cooperation financed through the Belgian Fund for Food Security works under the responsibility of Directorate 2 “Special Programmes and Food Security”. The Belgian Development Cooperation Agency (BTC), Belgian NGOs and multilateral organisations such as the FAO and the IFAD are also involved within this programme.

Not specified. The total budget of this fund is €250 million.

The Fund helps finance projects and programmes up to a percentage of the total budget which is set as follows:

• Maximum 85% for projects submitted by Belgian NGOs
• Maximum 60% for projects submitted by the Fund or United Nations Programmes operated by donations
• Maximum 85% for projects submitted by specialised agencies of the United Nations, operated by donations
• Maximum 45% for projects submitted by organisations working through multilateral loans
• Maximum 90% for projects submitted by Belgian Technical Cooperation

The Belgian Fund for Food Security aims at enhancing the survival chances of people threatened by hunger, malnutrition, poverty and exclusion in countries exposed to chronic food shortage. Thus, the BFFS exclusively funds long-term programmes that aim at increasing the food security of families and local communities in rural, semi-urban and urban environments. It aims at tackling the root of food supply problems by adopting a multi-sector approach with special attention to the following dimensions:
(1)    Basic social services
(2)    Defensive capabilities of people
(3)    Improving food security
(4)    Institutional capacity of local actors, both governmental and local communities and civil society in defining and implementing national strategies for improving food security.

The Belgian Fund for Food Security does not provide any food aid or direct aid.

There are three categories of eligible actors who can benefit from this grant.

•    Belgian NGOs which have been approved by the ‘Royal Decree of 14 December 2005’, relating to approvals of NGOs
•    Multilateral organisations which must be organisations, international partners in the multilateral cooperation as defined in the ‘Act of May 25 1999’.
•    External actors who are subsidised as “partner organisations”. NGOs of recipient countries can obtain the status of a “partner organisation” by submitting and renewing a “strategic partnership” with the Director General for Development Cooperation

A strategic partnership describes:

•    The intention of an organisation to follow the strategy of the Fund
•    A link between the mandate of the organisation and one or more dimensions of food security, involving some components of the fight against poverty
•    The comparative advantage of the organisation in the context of the Fund
•    An overview of the countries in which the organisation wishes to participate in a programme in priority areas of increased food security within the country of focus  

The instrument is defined in the Royal Decree creating the Belgian Fund for Food Security, signed on the 19 January 2010. However, guidelines are not yet publicly available until they have received royal approval.

Strategic framework (programme): 2010-2022

There are currently no deadlines available.

Application forms (when available) can be obtained from the DGCD.

The Fund is implemented through the following steps:

•    The Minister presents a preliminary overall integrated multidimensional strategic framework.
•    The results of this analysis are then communicated to partner organisations who are invited to confirm their motivation to participate in the programme.
•    The DGCD then coordinates with at least two of the partners interested in participating in the strategy and planning of the programme.  
•    Partner organisations identify and prepare their technical and financial projects, which also describe the procedure for cooperation with other actors in the programme.
•    The partner organisations sign a joint partnership framework agreement
•    The interested partner organisations introduce together or separately a project proposal submitted for the Minister’s approval of the programme component they want to achieve
•    The proposal is then discussed among an Assessment Committee and the cooperation attaché of the country concerned
•    Project proposals that meet the general framework criteria are assessed in terms of coherence, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability

French, Dutch.

Eligible countries are those with very low development indicators (as defined in the annual UNDP Human Development Report),  particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Preference is given for Belgium’s partner countries in Africa, although many more African countries are eligible.

The Belgian Fund for Food Security can subsidise consolidation phases of projects and programmes currently funded by the Belgian Survival Fund, as defined in Article 12 of the Act.

Non-Belgian NGOs can obtain financial support through a partnership with Belgian NGOs. ACODEV, the Belgian NGO platform, can be contacted for more general information on development cooperation and on accredited NGOs.¹ 

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¹ Contact information can be found in the NGO Platform Contact Information section of this Guide.