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

Hungary is an emerging donor country. The Department for International Development Co-operation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was established in October 2002 and is in charge of planning and co-ordinating Hungarian international development activities.

Since 2004, the Hungarian International Development Agency (HUN-IDA), a non-profit institution, has been the implementing agency for development co-operation programmes, while Hungarian missions abroad, non-government organisations (NGOs), the private sector and various organs of public administration participate in carrying out development projects in partner countries.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced its first call for proposals in late 2003, to provide Hungarian NGOs with centralised financial support for humanitarian and development projects  Until then, aid missions targeting crisis areas were based almost exclusively on donations from international NGOs.

In November 2003, the ministry concluded a cost-sharing agreement with the UN develoment programme on supporting the implementation of Hungarian international development projects in strategic partner countries, mainly Serbia and Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Since 2004, Hungary has implemented development projects accepted by the steering committee where it has a decisive vote. It intends to involve the widest possible circle of Hungarian NGOs, experts and companies.

Minimum € 20,000 maximum € 40,000.

At least 20–25% of the project value must be provided through an NGO’s own resources or contributions, either in cash or in kind.

• Governance
• Civil society
• Education
• Health
• Environment

• Both Hungarian and – in the case of micro projects coordinated by some embassies – foreign NGOs are eligible. 
• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs require a minimum of two years of registered existence for an NGO to be able to submit a proposal. 
• It is an advantage to be able to prove that an NGO is experienced in its field. 
• It is not necessary to work together with a partner in the South. 
• Further requirements for contracting are regulated in the regulation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The regulation is yearly revised.  

Project proposals should be in line with following Hungarian legal texts: 1989. II. Act and 217/1998 (XII. 30.) – Statutory Rule – State Budget. Guidelines are published together with the calls for proposals.

Depends on the nature of the project.

After publication, applicants have 30 days to hand in the applications.

An application form is provided in the calls for proposals, with a separate budget sample. In addition, the financial and technical capacity of the NGO has to be certified with documents as required by Hungarian Law (e.g. bank declaration, declaration from tax office).

The NGO also has to provide a detailed description of the planned project and a statement of eligibility for contracting as stated in the regulation of the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Once the call for proposals has been published, the applicant submits its project proposal to the Department for International Development Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Ministry proceeds with the evaluation, first short listing proposals based on formal criteria and then evaluating whether the projects proposed fits with Hungary’s development cooperation strategy. The decision is made by the headquarters and Hungarian embassies are consulted as well.

Hungarian

Information on Hungarian development cooperation is available at the homepage of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  Besides, the Ministry organises consultations for NGOs, who are encouraged to contact the ministry by email or telephone.

HAND can also 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.