Financing CSO projects

CSO INITIATIVES PLATFORM

Do you represent a CSO that implements an international solidarity project? Find out more about the AFD's CSO Initiatives Facility.

Objective: to co-finance projects or programs in the field aimed at supporting the capacity building of local civil society organizations, and to co-finance actions of general interest for CSOs in the fields of association structuring (SMA) and education for development and international solidarity (ECSI). The CSO Initiatives Facility is based on an envelope of grants allocated each year by the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs. It recognizes the right of initiative and the independence of CSOs.

Eligible CSOs: 

• French associations under the Law of 1901 (and no profit associations governed by Alsace Moselle law) that have been existed for more than three years.
• Syndicates under French law (law of 21 June 1865) involved in development initiatives, which have existed for more than three years.
• French foundations recognized as being in the public interest and implementing international solidarity initiatives, which have existed for more than three years.
• Organizations governed by local law, registered in countries eligible for official development assistance (according to the list drawn up by the OECD's Development Assistance Committee (DAC)), which have been financed at least once directly or via a French CSO on a project completed by an AFD Group entity, regardless of the amount received.

Eligible geographies: all countries eligible for official development assistance according to the list drawn up by the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the OECD (with priority given to priority countries for French cooperation), but also France for projects of education for development and international solidarity (EAD-SI), promotion or structuring of partnerships (SMA).

Procedures: once a year, AFD publishes two calls for project proposals (one for French CSOs and one for local CSOs in partner countries) inviting CSOs to submit a funding request for the following year. The call is opened for a period of two months (from mid-March to mid-May). Once their project intention has been pre-selected, CSOs submit their project between the following months of October and May.

Amount of the CSO project: the total amount of the project must be greater than or equal to €500,000; projects with a total amount between €300,000 and €500,000 may be declared eligible only in the case of specific and justified geographical and/or sectoral contexts.

AFD co-financing (%): the co-financing rate for "field" projects using French public funds, including AFD, Expertise France, the French Global Environment Facility (FFEM), the French Development Innovation Facility (FID) and French ministries (central and decentralized services), is :

• For French CSOs: a maximum of 80% of the overall project budget, all tools combined (field projects, consortiums, program agreements, multi-year partnership agreements).
• For local CSOs: 90% of the overall project budget.

SMALL-SCALE PROJECTS

Is your CSO leading a project with an amount below €300,000? AFD supports two dedicated programs:

• The facility managed by the Micro-Project Agency. The Agency cofinances projects and assists project initiators with the preparation, supervision and evaluation of their initiatives. Find out more
• The Support Program for International Solidarity Organizations from Immigration (OSIM), led by the Forum of Migrant International Solidarity Organizations (FORIM). FORIM cofinances and supports local development microprojects with an amount below €120,000. Find out more

SMALL-SCALE INITIATIVES PROGRAM – BIODIVERSITY

Do you represent an African CSO working to protect biodiversity and combat climate change? The French Facility for Global Environment (FFEM) offers you its Small-Scale Initiatives Program (PPI). Find out more

Crisis and post-crisis calls for projects (APCC)

To provide a more effective response to fragile contexts, since 2013, AFD has been developing dedicated instruments, which include calls for crisis and post-crisis projects (APCC). The APCC have been developed to be complementary to the other CSO financing tools of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (Emergency Humanitarian Fund of the Crisis and Support Center) and AFD.

Based on specifications defined by AFD, the APCC allow projects to be built jointly with CSOs or other French and international non-profit organizations. AFD also promotes a diversification in partnership frameworks between international CSOs, local CSOs and public authorities in partner countries. This allows mechanisms to be adapted to the needs of each situation in a dynamic manner and over time.

Since 2013, €83.5 million have been allocated via the APCC to international CSOs (often in consortiums) and local CSOs. While these calls for projects are open to international CSOs, they have mainly benefited French CSOs, reflecting their expertise, their knowledge of the areas in question, and the strength of the local partnerships which have been developed.

The APCC have often been financed by delegations of European Union funds, in particular the Emergency Trust Fund (ETF) and Madad Fund. They are now also financed by the Minka Peace and Resilience Fund.

THE SUPPORT FUND FOR FEMINIST ORGANIZATIONS (FSOF)

The Support Fund for Feminist Organizations was announced in 2019 by the President of the French Republic. Its goal is to support feminist civil society organizations (CSOs) operating in partner countries of France’s development policy. The fund is co-managed by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and AFD. It falls within the framework of France’s feminist diplomacy and its International Strategy for Gender Equality 2018-2022.

The Support Fund for Feminist Organizations (FSOF) will round out the other international initiatives and bilateral projects on equality issues funded by France. It will mobilize €120 million over three years (2020, 2021, 2022) to fund the activities of feminist movements around the world. It will target organizations of local civil society working to promote gender equality and the rights of women and girls. 
 

THE NGO SECTOR INNOVATION FACILITY (FISONG)

Until 2022, the FISONG was a "call for thematic projects" to enable the emergence of innovative practices led by civil society organizations, whether French or not. The themes were defined in consultation with them. Created in 2007, the FISONG has enabled the development of partnerships between French and international CSOs and AFD to co-finance innovative projects in various development sectors. 

By "innovation", AFD means the search for new modes of intervention that provide real added value in the technical, methodological, organizational and/or partnership processes implemented, and that are likely to create new dynamics and play a driving role in a sector.

The aim of the FISONG was to promote and encourage CSOs' capacity for innovation and capitalization, to create synergies between AFD and CSOs in order to improve the coordination of public policies with non-governmental cooperation initiatives, and to strengthen partnerships with CSOs as vectors of aid adapted to situations where public contracting authorities are absent or failing.

Before it was suspended in 2023, this funding tool was launched through biannual annual calls for projects, which were competitive and open to international CSOs. It provided funding for up to 90% of the cost of projects. 

Since 2016, CSOs benefiting from the FISONGs have also had free support (awareness-raising, personalized follow-up, capitalization, etc.) to help them take better account of gender in their projects.
 

Due to their technical expertise, operating methods and knowledge of local contexts and stakeholders, non-governmental organizations are often involved in AFD projects. During the appraisal stages of a project, NGOs are thereby regularly involved in the design, feasibility studies and search for innovative approaches with AFD’s teams.

NGOs may be selected, via bid invitations, by national contracting authorities (State, public or parapublic structure) for the implementation of AFD-funded projects. They can then act as implementing agencies, or support implementing agencies, in areas such as vocational training, structuring stakeholders in the agriculture sector, preventive healthcare, access to water and sanitation, etc

Access the notices of invitations to tender for AFD-funded contracts