For civil society organisations

In September 2024, the Swedish government decided on a new Strategy for Sweden's Development Cooperation with Civil Society, including more transparency, innovation and new partnerships. The strategy objective, to strengthen civil society in developing countries, remains but the funding model is different and includes among other things, regular calls for proposals.

Sida has issued a first call to civil society organisations in Sweden and from around the world to express their interest in becoming partners with Sida in the new CSO Strategy.

Strategy for Sweden's Development Cooperation with Civil Society 2025–2029 on the Swedish government website (only available in Swedish)

• A total of 2,728 expressions of interest were received when the call closed in May 2024
• The expressions of interests have been assessed in several stages, including relevancy to the strategy objectives and the organisations’ governance and capacity to manage development programmes
• The process continues with 50 organisations invited to present proposals for funding by Sida. Proposals must be submitted by February 1, 2025
• The invitation is not a funding commitment, communication about funding is for planning purposes only. Each proposal will be assessed according to Sida’s routines and regulations for contribution management and proposals may be rejected or granted.

Expressions of interest from organisations in ODA-recipients countries where Swedish Embassies are envisaged to manage upcoming partnerships will be assessed at a later stage.

Civil society organisations will be able to apply for funding on several occasions during the implementation of the strategy. For example, Swedish civil society organisations will be able to apply for smaller grants (up to SEK 1 million or up to SEK 5 million) in regular calls.

Sida is currently designing the support modalities including the call for proposal process and will revert with information.

Sida's support to civil society is often channeled through our Swedish strategic partner organisations.

Sida has multi-year agreements with a number of Swedish strategic partner organisations (SPO). They work to strengthen civil society in our partner countries.

The cooperation has two overall goals:

• Strengthening the capacity of civil society in low- and middle-income countries to contribute to poverty reduction
• To promote an enabling environment for civil society organisations in partner countries

The cooperation is guided by the government’s Strategy for support via Swedish civil society organisations 2024. 

• Forum CiV
• Union to Union
• Olof Palme International Center
• Swedish Mission Council
• Afrikagrupperna
• Diakonia
• We Effect
• The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation
• Save the Children
• Act Church of Sweden
• Plan International Sweden
• RFSU
• WWF
• IM (Individuell Människohjälp)
• Kvinna till Kvinna
• Civil Rights Defenders
  Swedish Red Cross

Local CSO's also receive support through Sida's thematic and geographical units or through Swedish embassies. Either in direct cooperation with Sida or through Swedish, international or multilateral organisations.

Partnership with Sida

Sida maintains multi-year agreements with both Swedish and international humanitarian civil society organisations. These organisations are granted funding to carry out humanitarian operations that support people's immediate humanitarian needs.

The allocation of funding is based on:

• The principle of impartiality: the support is based on the needs of the affected populations, without discrimination regarding gender, ethnicity, religion or political opinion
• Sida's annual crisis analyzes that look at the needs for the coming year
• Additional allocations during the year based on world events 
• UN humanitarian appeals.

Sida's humanitarian aid is guided by the Swedish government's strategy for Sweden's humanitarian aid through Sida. The current strategy runs until 2025.

• Strategy for Sweden's humanitarian aid through Sida 2021-2025 on the government website
• Sida's work with humanitarian aid

Sida's humanitarian support is distributed between civil society organisations, the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

The civil society organisations receiving support are:

• Action Against Hunger
  Danish Refugee Council
• International Rescue Committee
• Islamic Relief
• Norwegian Refugee Council
• Oxfam UK
• Plan International Sweden
• Save the Children
• Swedish Red Cross
• Première Urgence Internationale