Deadline: 06-Oct-2025
The European Commission is inviting proposals to strengthen Business Membership Organizations (BMOs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Ethiopia. The focus is on supporting gender mainstreaming, youth participation, environmental, and climate change issues within key value chains. The aim is to help BMOs and CSOs improve policy representation and engage more effectively in policy dialogue.
Actions should target local and grassroots BMOs and CSOs, building their capacity and networks to engage in structured, evidence-based policy discussions. These efforts should influence government approaches to business ecosystems, particularly in agro-processing, health, energy, manufacturing, and ICT sectors. Projects must encourage partnerships among BMOs and CSOs, including women and youth organizations, to defend private sector interests and create platforms for knowledge exchange and collective advocacy.
The initiative also seeks to foster an enabling business environment by supporting advocacy and policy reviews that promote a level playing field for value chains. The total funding available is EUR 2,000,000, divided equally between CSOs and BMOs. Grants must range between EUR 250,000 and EUR 333,333.
For CSOs, eligible activities include strengthening discussion forums for inclusive value chains, boosting capacity in gender, youth, climate, financial inclusion, and digital adaptation, and raising awareness among public bodies about private sector challenges. For BMOs, support is aimed at developing sustainable business models for chambers and associations, strengthening public-private dialogue platforms, and enhancing advisory services on tax, investment, customs, and regulatory compliance.
Certain costs are not eligible, such as debts, provisions for future liabilities, costs covered by other EU grants, land or building purchases (except in specific cases), currency exchange losses, volunteer contributions, and salary costs of national administration personnel. Actions mainly focused on sponsorships for individual participation in events or scholarships, capital expenditures, or those potentially violating human rights or harming the environment are also excluded.
Eligible applicants must be legal, non-profit entities established in Ethiopia. For CSOs (Lot 1), applicants should have at least three years of operation in Ethiopia. For BMOs (Lot 2), applicants must have a membership base of over 150 companies or cooperatives and at least five years operating locally. Applicants must have prior experience managing donor-funded grants of at least EUR 250,000 in the last four years.
Lead applicants can apply individually or with co-applicants, who must meet the same eligibility criteria and will share responsibility and grant benefits if awarded. The program is designed to empower local organizations to better represent and protect private sector interests in Ethiopia’s critical economic sectors.
For more information, visit EC.
