The selection of CSO partners for Sida

The assessment is based on the following criteria:

1. The potential of the intervention to contribute to change in line with the objectives of the strategy
2. The objectives and expected results of the application
3. The partnership
4. Local ownership characterises the intervention
5. Local ownership is supported by a sustainability plan for results
6. Development effectiveness is integrated in the application
7. The principles of participation; non-discrimination; openness and transparency; responsibility and accountability are included in the implementation of the action
8. Innovation
9. Assessment of performance management
10. Assessment of internal governance and control

The criteria are used by Sida to assess:

• how well the application describes the change to be achieved by the end of the project and its relevance to the CSO strategy’s objective of strengthening civil society actors in low- and middle-income countries and creating conditions for them to operate
• whether objectives and expected results are realistic, well formulated, monitorable and contribute to the CSO strategy objectives
• the extent to which planned results are relevant to civil society in low- and middle-income countries
• the added value and relevance of the applicant organisation(s) to the partnership and the expected results
• the legitimacy of the implementers in relation to the target group
• how the priorities of local partners have influenced the design of activities
• plans for the management of results after the end of the operation
• how the principles of aid and development effectiveness are applied, including alignment with local partners’ systems, funding modalities that promote local ownership, donor harmonisation, and mutual accountability and transparency in the partnership
• how the application includes the principles of participation, non-discrimination, accountability and transparency
• what new methods and innovative ways of working will be applied, and/or whether the action harnesses the opportunities of digitalisation
• systems to ensure that civil society beneficiaries are not linked to violent extremism, and that they support democratic values and human rights.

To mitigate risks and ensure sustainability, the organisation should not grow too quickly. A small increase may be possible, but will be judged on how well it fits with the strategy, available resources and the capacity of the organisation.

Sida has analysed the applications received by theme, type of civil society actor, size, target group and geography.

Sida’s conclusion is that all thematic areas prioritised in the strategy are represented in the selection of applications received and has therefore not adjusted indicative amounts at individual application level due to pluralism.

By expressing interest and/or completing the application in accordance with Sida’s announcement, you as applicants accept that neither Sida, nor any contractor or subcontractor engaged by Sida to assist in the announcement and application process, can be held liable for any damages, whether they be direct or indirect, costs, expenses or losses of any kind that may be incurred, directly or indirectly by the applicant organisation, its personnel or property, as a result of participation in the announcement and application process.

Communication, questions and guidance in relation to the drafting of the application for support will be managed through invitation-sida-cso@sida.se and this Q&A section.

There will also be room for bilateral dialogue about the application, in particular for new agreement partners to Sida. This could include identifying areas of joint interest, if requested by the applicant. However, currently Sida’s resources for bilateral dialogue are limited.

A program manager for each application will be assigned in due time. All guidance will be based on the principle of each organisation deciding how to frame the application according to its own priorities and goals, within the framework and scope of the CSO strategy.

The strategy states that support shall be flexible and allow for adaptation and adjustments to developments in the context where CSOs operate. Sida therefore encourages partners to “build in” flexibility into the planning and into the application to cater for necessary adaptations and adjustments to unforeseen changes and pre-conditions in the context in line with principles, systems and criteria described in the application.

The proposal needs to be complete to a level which allows for Sida’s appraisal of the assessment areas as included in the “Guidelines for organisations seeking financial support from Sida” as well as other criteria mentioned in the CSO strategy.

For support which includes forwarding of funds Sida needs information on criteria used for selection of partners and systems for managing partnerships. Sida expects that the application includes information on partners for the first/next-coming year.

Less detailed information may be provided for subsequent years of the implementation period. This means that detailed information on who the partners are and what they do, will not be requested as part of the application for the whole implementation period.

Partners selected to be part of Part One and Three of the strategy may choose to contribute to all strategy objectives, i.e. within both Objectives Areas (1. Strengthened capacity of civil society in developing countries and 2. An enabling environment for civil society in developing countries).

Partners selected within Part Two can only seek financial support to contribute to strategy objectives under the second Objective Area.

No, there will be case-by-case assessments. However, the assessment will be made in relation to the CSO strategy which states that, to increase local ownership, Sida should strive to increase the proportion of financial resources that reaches organisations in ODA-recipient countries.

The management of applicants within Part Three of the strategy – direct support to CSOs in ODA-recipient countries – has been put on hold until further notice. Applicants have been informed. Timelines and a tentative plan for implementation will be shared as soon as possible.

Sida uses the OECD/DAC definition of civil society organisation.
CSOs are non-market and non-state organisations outside of the family in which people organise themselves to pursue shared interests in the public domain. They cover a wide range of organisations that include membership-based CSOs, cause-based CSOs and service-oriented CSOs. Examples include community-based organisations and village associations, environmental groups, women’s rights groups, farmers’ associations, faith-based organisations, labour unions, co-operatives, professional associations, chambers of commerce, independent research institutes, and the not-for-profit media.

Based on current instructions and steering from the government, partners within the CSO strategy are free to select partners and contexts/countries in line with their respective strategies.

Opportunities for coordination, cooperation and exchange with other Swedish-funded initiatives will be explored when and where they arise.

The strategy states that organisations receiving support from the CSO strategy may explore cooperation opportunities with interventions supported via other strategies, with the aim of achieving synergies. In particular the potential synergies with the humanitarian assistance is highlighted.

Yes, if an organisation wishes to apply for funding to cover a cost-share component to an EU-grant, the cost-share component should be included in the programme proposal.

The forwarding of funds is governed by agreements and Sida will use the terminology agreement links. The agreement chain starts from the organisation which aims to be Sida’s agreement partner and continues onward as long as funds are transferred, to the end-recipient CSO. For example, from the organisation to X and from X to Y there are two agreement links.

According to the new CSO Strategy (taking effect 1 January 2025) the number of agreement chains should, as a rule, be limited to one. Well-justified exceptions may be justified.

In all three examples below, the organisation’s total budget is SEK 1 000 000. All calculations are in Swedish kronor (SEK) and we use a Swedish agreement partner to Sida for the examples.

Example A

Organisation A is Swedish, not member of a global organisation, and has no country offices. Organisation A has an agreement with a national partner organisation based in and implementing in Kenya (an ODA-recipient country). Organisation A forwards SEK 800 000 to the partner organisation. Forwarding of funds thus takes place in one link. Organisation A spends SEK 100 000 on capacity-building support for the partner organisation in Kenya.

• Key ratio 1: 80% (800 000/1 000 000)
• Key ratio 2: 10% (100 000/1 000 000)
• Key ratio 3: 10% (100 000/1 000 000) relating to operational and administrative costs in the home country

Total costs in the home country: SEK 100 000
Total costs in ODA-recipient countries: SEK 900 000

Example B

• Organisation B is Swedish and has its own country offices in ODA-recipient countries, or
• Organisation B is Swedish and is a member of a global alliance or network with national/regional/local offices that may or may not be nationally registered in ODA-recipient countries.

Organisation B has an agreement with and forwards funds to its country office or the national/regional/local office of the same alliance or network based in the ODA-recipient country. This is classified as an horizontal internal transfer. The office in the ODA-recipient country has agreements with local partner organisations and forwards SEK 800 000 to them. The forwarding of funds thus takes place in one link. Organisation B will use SEK 100 000 for capacity-building efforts in ODA-recipient countries.

• Key ratio 1: 80% (800 000/1 000 000)
• Key ratio 2: 10% (100 000/1 000 000)
• Key ratio 3: 10% (100 000/1 000 000), divided by operational and administrative costs in the home country (SEK 50 000) and operational and administrative costs for the offices in ODA-recipient countries (SEK 50 000).

Total costs in the home country: SEK 50 000
Total costs in ODA-recipient countries: SEK 950 000

Example C

Organisation C is Swedish and cooperating with informal actors. The informal actors (partners and target groups) are based in ODA-recipient countries but the agreement partner of organisation C, providing support and capacity building to the local partners/target group, is based in a non-ODA-recipient country. Forwarding funds to an organisation based in an non-ODA-recipient country is a deviation from regulations and practice and would require an individual assessment by Sida for approval of an exemption. In the example, SEK 500 000 is forwarded to informal actors directly in an ODA-recipient country via the agreement partner based in a non-ODA-recipient country. In addition, SEK 300 000 is being used for capacity-building efforts in ODA-recipient countries.

• Key ratio 1: 50% (500 000/1 000 000)
• Key ratio 2: 30% (300 000/1 000 000)
• Key ratio 3: 20% (200 000/1 000 000), divided by operational and administrative costs in the home country (SEK 100 000) and operational and administrative costs for the partner outside ODA-recipient countries (SEK 100 000).

Total costs in the home country: SEK 100 000
Total costs in ODA-recipient countries: SEK 800 000
Total costs for partners outside ODA-recipient countries: SEK 100 000

No, there will not be a ceiling amount for applications. Each organisation may state the amount for which they wish to apply.

Yes, Sida will ask invited organisations whether they are interested in applying for programme support or core support. To be able to apply for core support, all the organisation’s work must be relevant to the CSO strategy.

Core support is an un-earmarked grant for an organisation’s overall strategic plan and operations, annual work plan and budget, and is not separated from other sources of funding.

Auditing, procurement and reporting use the organisation’s own systems and procedures, but must meet international standards. Sida defines international auditing standards as ISA 700 or similar standards.

Results reporting shall cover overall results and dialogue issues for the strategic plan and shall also be relevant to the CSO strategy. Sida’s general conditions continue to apply. In addition, Sida can request information from the partner beyond the standardised annual reporting if needed. This applies to both programme and core support.

Sida has received detailed questions about core support and whether a particular organisation can receive it or not. All organisations should consider which agreement format is most suitable and Sida will then assess this in the appraisal of the full proposal to determine whether an organisation can receive core support or not.

Sida recommends partners to consider core support when forwarding funds. It is the most flexible form of funding, allowing organisations to take ownership of their operations. Programme support can also provide flexibility and adaptability when core support is not suitable.

An organisation receiving programme support from Sida can forward funds to its partners as core support, programme support or project support. The same applies to organisations receiving core support from Sida.

Further guidance was provided in an email sent on 25 November 2024 to all CSOs invited to submit an application in the “Updated instructions for application”, with a link to instructions on budget and financial reporting for core support, as well as an explanation of the key indicators.

For a full explanation of key ratios, please see Annex 1 in the email sent 8 November 2024.

The full application is written in a free format (details, such as maximum number of pages, will be provided to applicants). However, in order for Sida to assess it, it needs to contain certain basic elements. These will be set out in the ‘Guidelines for organisations seeking financial support from Sida’, which we send out to the organisations invited to apply. Sida’s aim is that, based on the information you receive, you will be able to write an application that is as complete as possible and that we will not need to return with additional questions. The aim is to make the application process as quick and efficient as possible, despite the large number of applicants. There will also be an opportunity for dialogue during the process.

The length of agreements will vary between three to five years.

Organisations that are shortlisted in the selection process and qualify to become agreement partner to Sida will be reviewed according to Sida’s regular appraisal process, including in-depth assessment of their relevancy in relation to the strategy objectives, their internal control systems, capacity to deliver results etc.

As part of the selection process Sida will carry out a simplified capacity assessment of all organisations during step three in the selection process, regardless of whether they have or recently have had agreements with Sida or a Swedish Embassy.
During the final step Sida will assess if a full review of internal management and control needs to be conducted. Where an external audit has recently been carried out, it is unlikely to be repeated.

No, Sida does not plan to use these assessments as part of the selection process. The intention is to use the same collection of information and documentation from all organisations as a basis for the selection.

No, only the host organisation is responsible for submitting the expression of interest on behalf of the consortium.

Sida welcomes consortia applications. When writing the proposal, please include the added value and role of each individual organisation, as well as for the set-up in general, in relation to the expected results.

Each organisation in the consortium will sign an agreement with Sida and will be subject to an assessment. The consortium may submit joint narrative reports to Sida. Details on financial reporting will be provided at a later stage.

There will be no further instructions from Sida on how joint proposals should look like. Bilateral dialogue will be possible as part of the assessment process, based on the incoming proposal.

Organisations invited to submit a full application can apply for programme support or core support. To be able to apply for core support all the organisation’s work must be relevant to the CSO strategy.

During the final step of the process (step four), the organisations which have been selected as potential partners for Sida are invited to submit a full application. The applications received are assessed individually, in accordance with regular procedures and guidelines, and may be approved or rejected.

Organisations based outside countries eligible for Official Development Assistance (ODA) must contribute with their own funding corresponding to 15% of the overall budget i.e. Sida contributes with 85% and the organisation with 15%.

The presented programme for which the organisation is requesting support and its budget must combine Sida’s funding and this so called own contribution.

In accordance with new instructions from the Swedish Government, Cooperation Partners based in countries not eligible for Official Development Assistance (ODA) that receive funding under the Strategy shall, from January 1, 2025, co-finance at least 15% of the total Programme budget. Cooperation Partners in ODA countries are not required to co-finance Programmes.

Own contribution shall consist of liquid funds raised, e.g. donations from the general public, companies, organisations, communities and sponsorships. The funds cannot be tied to specific requirements for use, visibility or reporting from any of the sources. Raised funds include membership fees, bequests, donations, lottery revenue and revenue from the sale of goods.

Funds that come from other grants in Sweden or abroad can be used to fulfil the own contribution requirement. The value of the organisation’s own or collected materials, i.e. goods and services, cannot be counted towards the own contribution requirement. Additionally, revenue from the sale of services and the value of the organisation’s own work cannot be counted towards the own contribution requirement.

They will be considered as administrative costs.

No – all are treated equal.

Sida has not set a minimum percentage that stays within any country outside countries eligible for Official Development Assistance (ODA). However, Sida will ensure that partners work development effectively and that as much funding as possible reaches partners in ODA countries.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes, most likely. ISRS 4400 requirements are decided by the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board.