Sida's selection of partners follows an established process. On this page we detail the different steps.
Strategies guide the cooperation
Swedish development cooperation is governed by strategies decided by the Swedish Government. The strategies set the objectives for Swedish development cooperation and determine what Sida can or cannot support during its period of validity, usually five years. They are based either on an individual country, a region or a thematic area, such as human rights, democracy and rule of law.
The strategies include objectives for what the development cooperation should contribute to. A separate strategy outlines the objectives for humanitarian assistance.
Operationalisation of the strategies
The Strategies and Strategy objectives decided by the Government are broad. This is why Sida is responsible for operationalising them. This means that Sida determines what changes are needed to contribute to each Strategy objective, and plans for the implementation and monitoring of these objectives.
New initiatives in dialogue with suitable partners
Based on the plan set through the operationalisation, Sida decides on a number of initiatives, which together contribute to achieving the strategic goals. Projects/programmes that are implemented by partners are referred to as ’initiatives’, while ‘contribution’ is a Sida specific term for projects/programmes that are financially supported by Sida.
Before Sida decides to support a specific initiative, we assess whether the initiative is relevant in relation to the strategy. We also assess how each individual contribution complements the contributions that are already in the portfolio.
Once Sida has identified the need for a new initiative, Sida can either:
- initiate a dialogue with a potential cooperation partner, which might a current cooperation partner
- conduct a gap analysis in relation to the Strategy objectives and publish a call for proposals to identify new cooperation partners.
Does your organisation wish to apply for financial support from Sida?
Sida's selection of partners follows an established process. Please contact us for guidance regarding opportunities for cooperation within a relevant Strategy before submitting a proposal. You may contact:
- Sida’s headquarters, to get in contact with a relevant geographical or thematic unit: sida@sida.se or +46 (0)8 698 50 00.
- If your organisation has a focal point at Sida, you can turn directly to him/her.
- The Embassy in the country where the potential cooperation will take place. Find contact information at Sweden Abroad.
How an initiative comes about
Read about the overall process of applying for support for an initiative, from concept note to agreement on contribution. The process for applying for support may vary slightly depending on type of support.
Implementation and follow-up
During implementation of an initiative, the partner is responsible for monitoring and implementation. Sida will also actively follow-up on an initiative throughout its lifetime.
Results-based management
Results-based management helps us ensure that Swedish development cooperation contributes to creating opportunities for people living in poverty and under oppression to improve their living conditions.