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

Sweden’s support to development programmes for Swedish or international CSOs is channelled through 15 Swedish umbrella organisations. These organisations have signed long-term partnership agreements with the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA).  The Team for Cooperation with CSOs is responsible for administering this scheme.

Project or programme grants are the most common form of SIDA’s   funding   of   Swedish   development cooperation with CSOs and are usually given for a period of three years. These grants allow civil society organisations to operate independently. In 2010 SIDA’s financial support to Civil Society Organisations amounted to SEK 1.2 billion (€125 million). A minor part is allocated to support educational programmes and raising activities, with the aim to increase awareness of development issues among the Swedish public.

Neither international CSOs nor civil society groups from the South can apply directly for any of these grants. However, grants are used by Swedish CSOs to implement development projects/programmes in close cooperation with local CSOs in the South.  In 2010, about 500 Swedish NGOs and other groups receive funding from SIDA, to implement development cooperation programmes in more than 100 countries together with more than 2000 local organisations and associations.

Not specified

As a general rule, the applicant must provide at least 10% of the total project or programme costs.

The overall goal of all projects must be to create conditions enabling poor people to improve their living conditions.
 
With its CSO cooperation, SIDA aims to enhance the capacities of local civil society to foster an environment supportive of poor people’s own efforts to improve  their  quality  of  life.  The  main  areas  of Swedish  cooperation,  as  set  out  in its policy for global development, should  serve  as  a  reference  for all activities:

• Human rights
• Democracy and good governance
• Gender equality
• Sustainable use of natural resources
• Economic growth
• Social development and welfare, including:

• HIV / AIDS prevention
• Conflict management and security
• Global public goods

The guidelines specify that the applicant must fulfill certain criteria to be eligible for funding from SIDA, and the relevant umbrella organisation will inform SIDA whether the NGO meets them. The applicant must have:

• a registered address in Sweden;

  non-profit-making or co-operative objectives;a democratic structure and open membership as well as a constitution and an elected committee;connections with development co-operation in its activities in Sweden;worked in Sweden for a minimum of two years documented by annual reports and accounts; co-operated with an organisation in the recipient country for at least one year; andfulfilled its reporting obligations in respect of any previous grants from SIDA.

  The local partner organisation will be assessed by the umbrella organisation with regards to the following requirements:

  democratic structure and a non-profit-making or co-operative orientation;working in the field of social development based on democratic principles;operations documented for at least one year; andability to assume responsibility for the proposed project (including personnel and financial resources).

  In addition, the proposed project must be cost-effective, promote the advancement of local skills and knowledge, have the capacity to mobilise local resources and be based on the assumption of responsibility by the target group.
  
  
  

Guidelines for Grants from the Appropriation for NGOs can be accessed on SIDA’s website.

Not specified; forms of co-operation can range from short-term staff training of local NGOs to larger programmes running over several years.

Framework organisations have to apply to SIDA for grants by 1 October each year.

No specifications exist regarding to a single application format. Please contact the relevant umbrella organisation for more information.

International civil society organisations interested in entering into a partnership with a Swedish NGO should contact one of the 14 umbrella organisations first, as SIDA’s support to local NGOs in the South is always channelled through them. When the local NGO has developed close co-operations with a Swedish NGO, they can present their project proposal to a Swedish umbrella organization and apply for funding. For more information on this co-operation process and the chain of agreements between local NGOs, Swedish NGOs and the umbrella organisation, please consult the SIDA’s SEKA department: www.sida.se/ngo.

On this website, you will also find the contact information for all 14 umbrella organisations.

Swedish or English

Forum  Syd  is  by  far  the  largest  Swedish organisation  with  a  framework  agreement  with SIDA, and serves  as  an  umbrella  organisation  for  around  200 Swedish CSOs working  with development cooperation.   CSOs from the South can contact Forum Syd in Stockholm or one of its regional offices to obtain more information about potential cooperation with a Swedish CSO.¹

Interested organisations should also consult SIDA’s NGO   database   for   further   information   regarding potential Swedish partner organisations and a list of development projects supported through framework agreements. It is available at: http://www.sida.se/ngodatabase

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