Call for FLC Project proposals (2024–2025) in Kyrgyzstan
The Embassy of Finland in Kyrgyzstan is seeking proposals for projects, which it will fund through the Fund for Local Cooperation (FLC) instrument in 2024–2025.
What is the Fund for Local Cooperation?
The funding through the FLC is meant to support projects by local civil society organizations. As a development policy instrument, the FLC supports the goals and principles of the Finnish development policy and priority areas, which are:
- Rights and status of women and girls
- The growth of developing countries' economies to generate more jobs, livelihoods and well-being
- Democratic and better functioning societies
- Climate change, food security, access to water and energy, as well as sustainable use of natural resources.
The Embassy of Finland in Kyrgyzstan is seeking to contribute to the two following outcomes with its FLC Programme:
- Climate change, sustainable use of natural resources and green growth.
- Education, democracy, functioning societies (including digital services).
Available funding:
Two projects will be financed in 2024 with an approximate budget of €25,000–€30,000 (twenty five thousand euros – thirty thousand euros) each, totaling no more than €60,000 (sixty thousand euros) combined.
Duration of the funded projects:
The recommended duration of the projects is 1–1.5 years. Shorter projects can be considered, if the shorter duration is duly justified. However, the projects must start before the end of the year of 2024, and should finish by the end of the year 2025.
Eligibility Criteria:
Applications that meet the following eligibility criteria may be assessed:
- Application arrived in time
- Applicant is a registered organization (please see more below)
- Applicant is an FLC eligible organization
- Application includes a project plan with a results analysis, risk analysis and budget
- Applicant has provided latest annual report (whole organisation) including financial report
- Project (theme, organisation) is ODA (official development assistance) eligible
- Project output contributes to the expected outcome of the FLC Programme's objective
- Activities to be funded are at least Human Rights sensitive.
FLC Funding cannot be granted to the following entities:
- Finnish Non-Governmental Organizations, Friendship associations in Finland, Finnish Government agencies or public bodies, Finnish municipalities, Finnish businesses
- The Government, ministries or municipalities of the host country
- An unregistered association or organization (however, taking into consideration the special circumstances in the host country)
FLC funding cannot be used for the following activities and/or expenses:
- 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 microcredit systems (however, development projects and training are possible)
- Purchase costs of machinery and equipment if that is the only or almost only purpose of the project
Core Financing
The FLC projects are, as a rule, not meant to cover the core expenditure of the partner organization. The Project Plan and Budget may include two kinds of "general" expenditure items: staff training and the direct costs related to the strategic planning of the organisation. An FLC organization can use max 10% of the fund for administration. Administration should have its own budget line so that it is clear what costs can be included in it. The project budget may include expenditure on financial management and reporting, which are marked as tasks of specific persons.
How to apply?
Local agencies/organisations must use the application form in the Attachments below and enclose the indicated attachments to the application. All applicants use the same application form in order to guarantee that all key facts are presented and to allow for better comparability. Only project proposals submitted in English will be assessed. The applications must be signed, stamped and dated. Organization’s registration certificate should be provided and all necessary documents should be sent in a single PDF file.
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. Information on these concepts can be found in the Attachments below.
FLC committee at the Embassy will evaluate the applications. Shortlisted applicants may be requested to provide additional information, including budget details. The evaluation process may take up to 2–3 months after the deadline. After that, a decision will be communicated to all applicants in written form.
Deadline:
The deadline for submitting applications within this round of call for proposals is 21 June 2024. Late applications will not be accepted.
Delivery of the applications:
- By post to the office address: Embassy of Finland, Kazakhstan, Astana, Samal 12 Business Center Astana Tower, 17th floor;
- Hand delivered to the Embassy; or
- Sent by email to [email protected] and [email protected]. (Please include both email addresses in correspondence).
Please note that email applications without scanned signed and stamped documents will not be accepted.
Selection Criteria
Project selection will be based on the following selection criteria:
- Alignment with Finland’s development policy (Link to another website.)(Link to another website.) and the above FLC 2024 thematic areas: Theme 1: Climate change, sustainable use of natural resources and green growth. Theme 2: Education, democracy, functioning societies (including digital services).
- Project outputs are clearly defined, with indicators, baseline data and risk assessment and management. The project should adhere to the principles of Results Based Management (RBM)
- The gender sensitivity of the project
- How well the project is aligned with Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA)
- Project activities are relevant, realistic and contribute to the desired outputs.
- Project budget is in line with the activities.
- Experience and management capabilities of the applicant.
- In addition, the geographic location (with priority given to projects outside Bishkek), innovation and sustainability of the projects will be considered.
Those applications meeting all the compulsory requirements will be submitted for technical assessment.
The administrative and technical assessment criteria are available in the Attachments below. For those applications accepted for technical selection, the embassy emphasizes the quality of the project and the financial/administrative capacities of the organisation. The financial/administrative capacity is analysed by the Embassy using the Checklist in the Attachments. The analysis may include a visit to the premises of the organisation.
Based on competitive scoring results, the Embassy will finally approve the best applications for funding.
Legal and Normative Context
The FLCs are governed by Finnish legislation. The local partners implementing FLC projects must abide by the relevant local legislation.
As a rule, all projects must be implemented by the local partners themselves, and only small procurements (max. 10% of the total value of the project) from external agents may be allowed. If any procurement of goods or services over this value is needed, the procurement shall be carried out in compliance with the Finnish legislation on competitive bidding.
Further information:
Please contact the Embassy through Ms. Madina Sanatova by email: [email protected] and [email protected].
Attachments:
- FLC Application Form
- Compulsory attachments to the application: Project Plan, Budget Form , Risk Assessment Matrix, Result Framework
- Guidance for the applicant – how to formulate the Project Plan
- Administrative and technical assessment criteria
- Checklist for assessment of financial and administrative capacity
- Assessment of the Human Rights Based Approach and Cross-Cutting Objectives
- General conditions for the use of state grants
- Results Based Management (RBM)
- Human Rights Based Approach to Development (HRBA)
- Cross-Cutting Objectives (CCOs)
Frequently asked questions
Can private universities be funded within this project?
Yes, based on FLC guidelines, funding can be given to universities for non-profit projects. The projects should also adhere to the other requirements listed in the Call for Proposals and Application Form.
However,
Projects carried out under FLC funding must be classified as development aid in accordance with the OECD/DAC Official Development Assistance (ODA) criteria and providing added value. Charity work or humanitarian aid cannot be supported with these funds. Support for research and cultural projects is restricted by a set of OECD DAC criteria. Support for basic research cannot be counted as development aid (= ODA eligibility). A research project must clearly promote economic development and welfare or the building of the actors' capacity in the host country. Support related to culture is accepted as development aid if the objective is to promote the host country's cultural development or the actors' capacity building. Supported projects are expected to produce sustainable development; single cultural events, e.g. different types of performances/ mere exchange of visits cannot be supported from FLCs.
Does a host organization have to co-finance the project or is it OK to rely 100% on the embassy funding?
We do not require the FLC organization to have a co-financing for the project. However, the organization should bear in mind that the funding is not meant to cover the core expenditure of the partner organization. However, the FLC organization can use a maximum of 10 % of the total budget for administration costs. The organization is also allowed to use some of its own funds for some of the project costs.
Here are some of the guidelines on co-financing: The Mission of Finland can co-finance a project with another agency if this is specifically needed for the achievement of the FLC Programme's outcomes. Co-financing arrangements need to fulfil specific requirements related to the transparency of project planning, reporting and auditing. Co-financing arrangements are tailored case by case.
The Mission of Finland cannot grant FLC funding to Funds, which then allocates financing onwards to other organizations.
Does a host organization have to provide external audit reports (from an audit company) upon receiving the funds?
External audit reports (from an audit company) are required for FLC projects if the annual payments amount to at least 20,000 euros. In these cases, the audit cost should be included in the original project budget. In some cases, where the organization is small, the Embassy can assist and enter into a framework agreement with a reliable audit company to cover the necessary audits.
The maximum amount of funding for this project cycle is €30,000 per project. Given the recommended duration, the projects will likely continue until 2024. As a rule, the disbursement of projects funds will be done in three installments. If the total amount of installments do not exceed €20,000 in a single year, an external audit will not be mandatory, and an internal audit will suffice.
In addition, the Embassy of Finland may order its own audit of the project by an external audit company, paid from its own funds, if it deems it necessary. The Embassy will likely conduct a monitoring visit by Embassy staff at least once during the project's implementation phase.
Can the organization be omitted from providing the financial statement and annual report if the organization has been recently created?
If the organization is brand new, it is not necessary to submit a zero financial report and an annual report. However, the organization should provide the embassy a written statement or some sort of other document that provides information regarding the organization and its founders. The organization needs to be able to demonstrate that its founders/staff has some experience in managing project funds and a good reputation, and that the organization has the capacity to administer the project funds in a responsible manner.