Deadline: 9 December 2016
Irish Aid is accepting applications for its Civil Society Fund 2017 Round with an aim to support small and medium-sized Irish non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and invited international NGOs to carry out development projects of between one and three years duration.
Aims
The Civil Society Fund aims to support:
- an enabling environment for civil society to organise and engage with government and its own broader constituencies,
- the role of civil society in (i) promoting participation and good governance, (ii) ensuring pro-poor service delivery and pro-poor growth, and (iii) globally and nationally, to build a constituency for development, human rights and social justice.
Funding Information
- The maximum ceiling for the application is €200,000 per year and, in principle, the minimum grant amount is €30,000.
- This application may be for multi-annual project support (one, two or three years).
Eligibility Criteria
- The CSF 2017 scheme is open to Irish-based organisations and invited International organisations only.
- Irish Aid cannot respond to unsolicited requests from non-Irish based organisations under this funding mechanism.
- Applications cannot be considered from organisations which do not meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Country of origin: The applicant organisation must be either Irish-based, or a non-Irish based organization which has received an invitation to apply for funding.
- Organisational Status: The applicant must be a non-governmental, non-profit, civil society organisation with legal status. It must be the holder of a charity reference number (CHY) for a minimum of two years prior to the date of application. An equivalent exemption will be required for non-Irish based organisations.
- Governance: Applicants must have a formal decision-making structure (e.g. a board of trustees/directors) which can take legal responsibility for the administration and use of Irish Aid funds (all Irish applicants must have such a structure legally recognised in Ireland).
- Accounts: Applicants must submit annual accounts comprising at a minimum the Balance Sheet, the Income and Expenditure Statement, and Cash Flow statement for the two financial years prior to application. If the applicant organisation has an annual income above €100,000, these accounts must be externally and independently audited.
- Dependency on Irish Aid: Income received from Irish Aid, either directly or indirectly, must not exceed 60% of the overall organisational income of the applicant. This should be calculated based on an average of the last two years accounts.
- Funding Status: Applications will not be accepted from any organisation which is currently in receipt of funds from the Civil Society Grant Fund. Applications will not be accepted from organisations who have been approved for funding from the Irish Aid Programme Grant.
- Focus of Work: The areas of intervention by the organisation must meet the OECD DAC definition of Official Development Assistance and take place in a country classified as eligible for assistance.
- Record of Compliance: Applicants, previously in receipt of Irish Aid funds, must have a record of compliance in terms of the administration and use of such funds. Applicants with a record of non-compliance with the terms of Irish Aid contract(s) may not be considered for funding.
- Child Protection: Organisations who work with children and young adults under the age of 18 must have child protection policies in place that are in compliance with the Children First Act 2015. The website of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs may be informative in this regard. An equivalent policy is required for non-Irish organisations.
How to Apply
Interested applicants must download the Eligibility Criteria Form and submit it via email at the address given on the given website.
For more information, please visit Civil Society Fund (CSF).
