Update: Application Period Extended Until 2.6. Midnight - Fund for Local Cooperation in Pretoria 2025 Call for Project Proposals from Botswana 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 Botswana civil society and private sector organizations to submit project proposals to apply for funding from the Fund for Local Cooperation (FLC). The objectives of this call are two-fold: 1) to support the digitalization transformation in Botswana, and 2) strengthen democratic and accountable society that promotes human rights, with a particular focus on prevention of Gender Based Violence (GBV) and strengthening the rights of women and girls.
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.
In line with Finland’s development policy and identified development challenges in Botswana, the Embassy of Finland welcomes funding proposals in the following focus areas:
- Strengthening digital transformation in Botswana
- A democratic and accountable society that promotes human rights
Application Process
The Call for project proposal application process:
Applicants send a project proposal 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 the guidance for FLC project proposal documents (Annex 2-6). Annexes
FLC Instructions for Private Sector applicants (Please note that Annexes listed above also apply to private sector applicants)
Private company application form
As mentioned above, this Call for project Proposals has two focal areas. Below is a summary of the objectives and the types of projects sought for funding under each focal area.
Funding for focal area 1: Strengthening digital transformation in Botswana
Botswana and the European Union recently started cooperation within the project EU Support to Digital Transformation in Botswana. Finland, through the Finnish Public Management Institute – HAUS is one of the three main implementors of the project. The Embassy’s FLC funding call supports the objectives of the EU project, and the Government of Botswana
ambition to broaden the economic base and accelerate digitalisation as a key to move towards a Knowledge-Based Economy (KBE) and transition to a high-income status by 2036.
The Embassy welcomes proposals that contribute to the strengthening of the digital innovation ecosystem and/or promote digital inclusion in Botswana. The thematic focus can include piloting of new digital solutions (e.g. in fintech), acceleration of innovative digital startups, strengthening of digital skills and inclusion, bridging digital divide, etc.
Applicants can be private sector companies, innovation support organizations, universities, and civil society organisations. Further details on eligible applicants on chapter 3 Eligibility.
Embassy’s funding per project will range between 80 000 – 100 000 EUR and can be granted for a duration of 12- 15 months.
Funding for focal Area 2: A democratic and accountable society that promotes human rights. By preventing Gender Based Violence (GBV) and/or strengthening the rights of women and girls
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 Botswana.
Finland enhances the position and rights of women and girls by financing gender equality measures. Funding proposals are welcomed that Facilitate access to support services for victims of gender-based violence and support the prevention of gender-based violence, projects that raise awareness among all women and girls of their rights and their capability to claim them, such as the right to bodily autonomy and self-determination. In addressing factors that weaken the position of women and to transform social norms, it is vital to involve men and boys in the processes.
Embassy’s funding per project will be between 70 000 – 80 000 EUR and can be granted for a duration of 12 – 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 Botswana’s 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)
6. 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. Please note 30% cash is required from private sector applicants.
7. Applicant has provided latest annual report (whole organisation) including financial report
8. Applicant has provided latest audit report (whole organisation)
9. Project (theme, organisation) is ODA eligible
10. Project output contributes to the expected outcome of the FLC Programme's objective (i.e. sector/theme) in question
11. Activities to be funded are at least Human Rights sensitive.
Funding cannot be awarded to
- To the Government, ministries or municipalities of the host country
- To an unregistered association or organisation
- 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
- Finnish beneficiaries
How to apply
Interested applicants are requested to submit a proposal to the Embassy of Finland, by 2 June, 2025.
Any clarification questions must be submitted by 22 May, 2025 to: [email protected]
The proposal should be no more than 10 pages in length. Please fill in the application electronically, as no hand-written applications will be taken into consideration.
Evaluation of the project proposal
Only applications that pass the eligibility criteria (Chapter 3 Eligibility) will be evaluated. The evaluation of the proposal will be based on the technical merits and financial feasibility of the proposed intervention. Following evaluation criteria will be utilized:
- 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 proposals will be evaluated by the Embassy and decisions made in 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 proposals for funding: June 2025;
- Contract signing: July 2025 and project starts
Applications should be submitted by email, by 2.6.2025, 23:59 o’clock (GMT +2) to the email address below. Applications submitted after the deadline will not be taken into consideration.
Phone: +27 12 486 6700