Deadline: 26-May-21
The Embassy of Finland in Bangkok is seeking applications for its Fund for Local Cooperation 2021-22 to support initiatives of local Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), but funding can also be provided to science and technology communities, universities and other educational and research institutions, independent media, public corporations and cultural institutions (e.g. museums, libraries, and theatres), chambers of commerce and commercial associations, organizations in the area of export and investment promotion, businesses, cooperatives, interest groups of companies and employees, foundations and religious organizations.
In Thailand, the Embassy is currently prioritizing projects related to promoting civic engagement and the development of the civil society in the Southern Border Provinces, with a special focus on the participation of women and youth in local and national dialogues and decision-making processes.
FLC serves the Embassy as an important tool to broaden its networks and increase its impact in key areas of Finland’s foreign and development policy. The aim is to establish partnerships with a limited number of organizations.
Funding proposals will be assessed based on their relevance to local needs and priorities, and also taking into account the relevance of a project in relation to the vision and the mission of the applying organization.
The funding from FLC is project-based and as a principle the Embassy prioritizes projects with a long-term impact over once off activities such as seminars or similar events.
In assessing funding proposals the Embassy also takes into account the level of professionalism demonstrated by the applicant, including proven record of sound financial administration and cooperation with international partners.
Funding Information
- In 2021, the Embassy has a budget of max. Approx. EUR 100,000 for FLC in Thailand (Southern Border Provinces) which the Embassy foresees granting to one or several projects for a duration of max. 18 months.
- An annual audit shall be conducted on all projects receiving annual payments exceeding EUR 20,000.
- The partner organization may commission a project audit separately or as a part of the organization´s own full audit.
- The project budget may include auditing costs as administrative costs, but the total administrative costs should not exceed approximately 10 %.
Expected Outcomes
The expected outcomes of the projects are:
- Promoting the empowerment of the local civil society in the Southern Border Provinces of Thailand
- Supporting civic engagement and the involvement of women and youth in dialogues and decision-making processes
Criteria
The proposals should consist of the following:
- Cover letter addressed to the Embassy, dated and signed by an authorized representative of the organization
- Basic information of the organization, including full contact details, legal status, description of activities, financing sources (fund-raising and donors)
- Project plan, including the name, description and timeline of the project and its activities, a needs assessment and a detailed result chain or logical framework presentation (reflecting Finland’s overall goals) with a risk analysis element, information on project management and the key project persons, a clear and detailed project budget (including information on any other financing if available), information on previous experience on related projects
- Most recent annual report and (audited) financial statements and/or reports of other similar projects, where relevant
FLC Funding Cannot Be Granted
- To Finnish Non-Governmental Organisations (separate applications through the MFA unit in question)
- For projects of friendship associations in Finland (separate applications through the MFA unit in question)
- To Finnish Government agencies or public bodies (separate applications through the ICI instrument)
- To Finnish municipalities (separate applications through the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities)
- To Finnish businesses
- To the Government, ministries or municipalities of the host country
- To an unregistered association or organisation (however, taking into consideration the special circumstances in the host country)
- To support the activities of a political party
- For basic research
- For single cultural events (that have no permanent development impact)
- For charity
- For humanitarian aid
- In the form of a grant, scholarship or assistance for the applicant’s personal use
- For purchasing land
- To a Fund
- For building the capital of micro-credit systems (however, development projects and training are possible)
Selection Process
- Applicants should be legally registered civil society organizations, or other organizations listed above. For those applications shortlisted for final selection, the Embassy will assess the applicant organization’s financial and administrative capacity.
- FLC Partners are requested to apply key elements of Finnish development policy and quality standards, namely the Results Based Management (RBM), Human Rights Based Approach to Development (HRBA) and Cross-Cutting Objectives (CCOs) in their project plans.
- They are an important part of the selection criteria for FLC applications, and projects which are assessed as Human Rights blind cannot be funded.
- If needed, a capacity development plan can be part of the Project Plan for a systematic integration of the quality standards throughout the project cycle. See attachments for further details on Results Based Management, Human Rights Based Approach to Development and Cross-Cutting Objectives.
For more information, visit https://bit.ly/3bGmfXC