The Micro-Projects Scheme supports small projects in developing countries that address the root causes of poverty. Information on how to apply is compiled on this webpage and can be downloaded here.

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

Irish Aid has recently launched the Micro-Projects Scheme in recognition of the great interest among small Irish civil society organisations to take part in development activities but which – due to their limited organisational capacity and experience – are not eligible for support through the Multi-Annual Partnership Programme or the Civil Society Fund. The Micro-Projects Scheme supports small projects in developing countries that address the root causes of poverty in a strategic, cost-effective way.

Co-financing of small-scale NGO projects in developing countries

The maximum grant size is € 20,000.

Organisations will have to contribute at least 25% of the project costs.

For this scheme, Irish Aid prioritises projects that will be implemented in the following sectors:

• basic education, with a particular focus on primary education, access and poverty;
• primary health care, especially providing accessible, equitable and affordable basic health education and services targeting disadvantaged communities;
• water and sanitation, with a high level of local community involvement and long-term sustainability as well as a health education component;
• agriculture and food security;
• micro-enterprise development, including employment creation and micro-credit schemes that are sustainable;
• training, especially capacity-building for key sectors such as health, HIV/AIDS, education, agriculture, water and sanitation and training that targets women, unemployed youth, street children and the disabled;
• HIV/AIDS, with a focus on community-based prevention, treatment, care and support programmes that use established good practice; and
• democratic governance, including support for the strengthening of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, raising public awareness and participation, and improving accountability and transparency.

Applicants must be Irish civil society organisations which are recognised as charities by the Irish Revenue Commissioners or have an Irish tax clearance number in accordance with current legislation.Project proposals will be assessed under the following criteria:

• Poverty focus and relevance of the project: projects must be relevant to local needs and priorities and coherent with Irish Aid policies; projects should target the poor and contribute to addressing the root causes of poverty.
• Sustainability: projects should generally be sustainable after the funding phase; the project’s environmental impact, the degree of participation and local ownership, the links with and the level of support from the local or national government should also be considered.
• Gender: projects should mainstream gender issues and ideally promote special measures to improve the position of women and girls.
• Effectiveness and efficiency: the potential effectiveness of the project in achieving the objectives and delivering tangible benefits to the target group and the project’s potential efficiency regarding the proposed approach and implementation will be assessed.

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Please refer to the explanatory notes, which can be accessed on the Irish Aid website.

Not specified

Applications may be submitted at any time.

The application form can be downloaded from the Irish Aid website.

Since no deadlines apply, interested organisations can apply at any time by submitting the completed application forms and proof of their charitable status electronically to microprojects@dfa.ie.

The ‘Explanatory Notes for Grant Application Form’ serve as guidelines for filling out the application form and give a sample of a correct budget layout.

After completion of the project, a final report including a short narrative (three to five pages) and a full financial report must be submitted to Irish Aid.

English

All organisations should follow the relevant guidelines carefully and make sure their projects address one of the priority sectors of the Micro-Projects scheme. This scheme is open for Irish NGOs only. However, these NGOs might want to implement their projects in co-operation with a local partner. Therefore, interested organisations based in developing countries should get in touch with 

 Dóchas, the Irish Association of NGOs, to explore potential partnerships with Irish organisations applying for this scheme.top