Update: Application Period Extended Until 2.6. Midnight – Fund for Local Cooperation in Pretoria 2025 Call for Proposals from Lesotho is Open
Update: Application period extended until 2nd June 23:59 (GMT+2).
Background to this call for Proposals
The Embassy of Finland in Pretoria hereby invites civil society organizations based in Lesotho to submit project proposals to apply for funding from the Fund for Local Cooperation (FLC). The objective of this call is as follows: to promote inclusive healthcare services and human rights of the most vulnerable groups in Lesotho, who have an increased risk of infections and diseases, particularly HIV /AIDS, due to sexual and gender-based violence.
In its development policy, Finland focuses on the strengths that provide good opportunities to support sustainable development. The objectives of development cooperation are based on the Sustainable Development Goals and widely shared priorities, such as strengthening the rights of women and girls, sexual and reproductive health and rights, education, and climate action.
Finland promotes mutually beneficial trade opportunities with developing countries. Finland aims to increase private sector participation in development cooperation and funding and to strengthen developing countries’ own domestic financing.
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.
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 based in Lesotho and working in fields of healthcare and human rights sectors can apply for funding for projects in the following area:
Focal area 1: Advocating for inclusive policy and service delivery for the most vulnerable groups in Lesotho.
Application Process
The Call for Proposal application process:
Applicants send a project proposal via email to the Embassy of Finland, which will be subsequently evaluated by an evaluation panel.
The document shall be submitted by email using the application template provided by the Embassy, including the compulsory information of the applicant (Annex 1) and guidance for FLC Project proposal documents (Annex 2-6). Annexes
As mentioned above, this Call for Proposals has one focal area. Below is a summary of the objectives and the types of projects sought for funding under this focal area.
The Embassy aims to support organisation who are advocating for the rights of people affected and living with HIV and AIDS in Lesotho. It does this by channelling funding to organisations that work in the field of healthcare and human rights. More specifically, the Embassy is seeking to fund proposals, which will promote access to inclusive health care policies and service delivery addressing Human rights in Lesotho.
project will be selected for funding. Funding per project will range between 70 000 – 80 000 EUR, and can be granted for a duration of 12 to 15 Months.
Eligibility
The eligibility of all applications is reviewed based on the below mentioned set of criteria. Applicants should justify the relevance of the proposed activities and demonstrate potential for impact in line with the FLC objectives. Preference is given to result-oriented, reputable organisations with experience and necessary organizational structures in place. The projects proposed should lead to verifiable development impacts.
Eligibility:
Application may be assessed if it fulfils the following criteria::
1. Application arrived in time
2. Application is signed by authorised person
3. Applicant is a registered organisation
4. Applicant is an FLC eligible organization
4.1. Actors may include Lesothos non-governmental organisations, science and technology communities, universities and other educational and research institutions, independent media, public bodies and cultural institutions (for example, museums, libraries and theatres), chambers of commerce and commercial associations, organisations engaged in the promotion of export and investment, businesses, cooperatives, interest groups of companies and employees, foundations or religious communities.
4.2. have been operational for a minimum of three years
5. Application includes a project plan with a results analysis, risk analysis and budget (as per the instructions to applicants)
5.1. Application budget includes at least 10% of the funding from at least one other source than the Embassy. This can be cash contribution and/or in-kind contribution, but a minimum of 5% cash contribution is required. Cash contribution is considered to be funding towards the project implementation costs (travel costs, sub-contracting, procurements, etc.). In-kind contributions are consider to be use of the applicant’s goods and/or services (staff time, offices, etc.) for the project.
6. Applicant has provided latest annual report (whole organisation) including financial report
7. Applicant has provided latest audit report (whole organisation)
8. Project (theme, organisation) is ODA eligible
9. Project output contributes to the expected outcome of the FLC Programme's objective (i.e. sector/theme) in question
10. Activities to be funded are at least Human Rights sensitive.
Funding cannot support:
- 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
How to apply
Interested applicants are requested to submit a project proposal to the Embassy of Finland, by 2.6.2025.
Any clarification questions must be submitted by 22 May 2025 to [email protected]
Evaluation of the project proposal
The evaluation of the proposal will be based on the technical merits and financial feasibility of the proposed intervention.
The evaluation of the proposal will be based on the eligibility of the applicant (see part 3) and the evaluation of the proposal notes based on the below criteria:
- Relevance of the proposed project to Finland’s development policy and the priority areas of this Call for Proposals, as well as to the needs of the beneficiaries identified.
- Potential impact of the project, which is expressed in clearly defined and feasible project outputs and targeted outcomes.
- Feasibility of the implementation arrangements, approach and planned financial and human resources
- Previous documented experience and management capabilities of the applicant in the same sector/theme
Approval and awarding of the contract
The project proposals will be evaluated by the Embassy and shortlisting decisions made by mid June 2025.The Embassy reserves the right to cancel the selection process for a justified reason. No compensation will be payable to applicants for preparing a proposal, presenting it or otherwise taking part in the procedure.
- Compulsory Information of the applicant
- Detailed proposal
- Risks assessment
- Result chain
- Detailed budget
- Latest annual report and audited financial statements
- Detailed CVs
The timeline for the proposals screening and selection process as a whole is currently envisaged as follows:
STAGE I:
- Announcement of Call for proposals: 16.05.2025;
- Any clarification questions must be submitted by 22.05.2025 to [email protected];
- Deadline for submitting proposal: 2.6.2025.
STAGE II:
- Selections of full proposals for funding: June 2025;
- Contract signing: July 2025 and project starts
Applications should be submitted by email, by 2.6.2025, 23:59 (GMT +2) to the email address below. Applications submitted after the deadline will not be taken into consideration.
Phone: 012 343 0275