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

Belgium’s overall development cooperation including its non-governmental instruments is undergoing major reform. However, the financing and control of non-governmental cooperation initiatives remain in the domain of the Directorate General for Development Cooperation 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 the non-governmental cooperation with Belgian non-governmental actors works under the responsibility of Directorate 3 “Non-governmental Programmes”, different units deal with different types of Belgian non-governmental actors.

This programme involves the co-funding of projects of Belgian-authorised NGDOs from 2007 onwards; and the co-funding of programmes of authorized Belgian NGDOs from 2008 onwards

For projects with a “South”  Line the project budget must be a minimum of € 125,000.

For projects with a “North” Line, the project budget must be a minimum of € 40,000.

For programmes: Open.

80% of project costs are co-funded by the instrument. Therefore, own contributions must amount to 20%, which must be covered by funds originating in OECD countries. Only a maximum of 5% of this amount can be in-kind contributions.

Funding is allocated on the basis of a six-year strategic framework which has been elaborated by the applicant NGO and submitted to and approved by the DGCD. This strategic framework outlines the NGO’s mission and how it chooses to attain it giving information on target groups, partners, geographical zones, sectors and themes.

The instrument is articulated along two lines.
(1)    Line “North” aims at promoting equal and solid North-South relations either through fostering mobilisation of the population and political, economical and social actors of Belgium, or through international networking and actions, or in supporting and enhancing the work of NGOs engaged in the field of North-South solidarity.
(2)    Line “South” aims at directly or indirectly enhancing the socio-economic environment of disadvantaged populations in the South in a sustainable development perspective through capacity building and/or supporting actions of the applicant NGOs.

Eligible applicants are Belgian NGOs which are authorised by the DGCD as defined by the Royal Decree of 14.12.2005. These NGOs are allowed to submit strategic frameworks which are the basis for receiving funds from this instrument. A list of the 135 Belgian organisations which currently have this status can be found on the DGCD’s website.  

In order to be eligible, a project has to respond to the following criteria:
•    It must be integrated into the strategic framework
•    It must specify the expected results at the end of the project period
•    It must include a precise budget including the material, financial and human means needed for attaining the project objective
•    The criteria of pertinence, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability as defined by the Development Cooperation Committee of the OECD must be met
•    The project must be results-oriented.
•    The project proposal must give details on all expected sub-results which will lead to reaching the defined objectives. For each expected result a baseline is defined, evaluation indicators, a risk analysis and a calendar are provided. A logical framework is added
•    A project must exclusively answer to objectives of one of the two lines (either line North, or line South)

The instrument is defined in the Royal Decree relating to the subsidisation of programmes and projects proposed by authorised non-governmental development cooperation organisations signed on the 24 September 2006.

The project duration is at maximum two years.

The programme duration is three years.

Deadlines are not defined.

Application forms will be put in place by a ministerial decree but are still pending. The application package, however, has to include the following documents:
•    The current strategic framework
•    A problem analysis
•    The project/programme proposal, showing that it answers to the eligibility criteria
•    A budget
•    The forecasted cash flow
•    The proposed agreements between the applicant and other partner organisations

The application is submitted to the DGCD, directorate 3 “Non-governmental Programmes”.
Within 120 days after reception the minister will decide whether to accept the proposal.

French, Dutch.

NGOs can submit joint projects/programmes. Within these consortia one NGO takes the lead. The law encourages such partnerships, and in practice they receive higher funding.

Non-Belgian NGOs can obtain 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.