Fund for Local Cooperation (FLC) in South Africa

Deadline: 10-Jan-25

The Embassy of Finland in Pretoria hereby invites South African civil society organizations and innovation support organizations to submit project proposals to apply for funding from the Fund for Local Cooperation (FLC).

Finland continues its long-term human rights policy of promoting and defending the rights of women, girls, people with disabilities, indigenous peoples and gender and sexual minorities, and other people in particularly vulnerable positions. The work to promote and defend human rights also helps the efforts to tackle human trafficking.

Objectives

• The objectives of this call are two-fold:
  • to promote circular economy   in the water and mining sector development in South Africa, and
  • A Democratic and accountable society that promotes human rights.

Priorities

• The priorities for the FLC funding of the Embassy of Finland in Pretoria include economic development and entrepreneurship, democracy and the functioning of societies. Civil society actors working in this field can apply for funding for projects in the following areas:
  • Circular Economy
    • Smart and circular solution in the water sector 
    • Smart and circular solution in the mining sector 
      • Finland’s starting point is that globally, a carbon-neutral economy is one of the key solutions to the scarcity of natural resources, the loss of biodiversity and the fight against climate change. The circular economy enables the transition to a new, more sustainable, low-emission and resource-wise economic model, in which value addition is increasingly intangible and products are replaced by various services.
      • The Embassy aims to support the development of innovative circular economy solutions in South Africa.  During this call for proposals the focus is on increasing circularity in the water and mining sectors. Priority will be given to projects that advance partnerships between South African and Finnish companies and/or institutions.
      • Two to three projects will be selected for funding.
  • A democratic and accountable society that promotes human rights
    • This focal area focuses on strengthening the role of civil society in advancing human rights. The projects sought for funding can address human rights issues faced by vulnerable groups in South Africa.
    • A maximum of 2 project partners will be selected and supported in South Africa.

Funding Information

• Priority 1: Funding per project will range between 120 000 – 200 000 EUR, and can be granted for a duration of one to two years.
• Priority 2: Funding per project will be between 80 000 – 100 000 EUR, and can be granted for a duration of one to two years.

Eligibility Criteria

• Any organisation/project selected for funding has to meet the following criteria and present the information in the proposal document:
  • be ODA eligible
  • be a South African civil society or private sector organization
  • be registered and legally competent
  • have been operational for a minimum of three years
  • have at least 10% of funding from at least one other source (not including in-kind contributions)
  • have a functional board of directors
  • be a non-partisan organization
  • demonstrate past success in related area of work to this call for proposals
  • have a solid financial management system including regular financial audits, and a reliable monitoring, evaluation and reporting system
  • have a sufficient infrastructure and human resources in South Africa
  • demonstrate experience of working with an international donor or other external financier

Ineligibility Criteria

• Funding cannot be awarded to:
  • Government entities or political parties
  • Projects in which the beneficiary is a single person, or a single family
  • Construction, purchases of land or any other one –off and ad- hoc events
  • Charity purposes, humanitarian aid, donations, scholarships
  • Finnish beneficiaries
  • Unregistered associations or organisations
  • Basic research
  • Individual cultural events (no permanent impact)
  • As a grant, scholarship or assistance for the applicant’s personal use or project;
  • Use for the capital of microloan

For more information, visit Embassy of Finland, Pretoria.