Core Objective: To strengthen the human capital of women and youth, enhancing their ability to defend their rights, combat gender-based violence (VBG), and promote human rights and gender equality in Madagascar.
Target Recipient Type and Size: Non-governmental organizations (NGOs), public sector operators, local authorities, and international organizations (intergovernmental). All must be non-profit. Applicants need significant capacity and experience, including a track record of implementing projects in Gender/Human Rights in Africa, coordinating consortia, and managing an average annual budget comparable to the requested grant amount.
SECTOR-SPECIFIC
Geographic Scope: Actions must be implemented in Madagascar, specifically within at least two of the following regions: Atsimo-Atsinanana, Vakinankaratra, Haute Matsiatra, and Diana. The primary focus is urban and peri-urban areas, with a view to gradually expanding to rural areas.
Key Filtering Criteria: Non-profit status, substantial organizational experience in the specified thematic areas and geographic region, proven project and consortium management capacity, and specific co-applicant nationality requirements (Madagascar + EU Member State).
Program Context: This funding opportunity is part of the 'Tomponandraikitra Isika Djiaby - Tou.te.s redevables – Madagascar' program, which runs from 2023 to 2028. It is an open call for proposals.
Financial Structure
Total Indicative Funding Envelope: 5,000,000 EUR.
Minimum Grant Amount per Action: 2,000,000 EUR.
Maximum Grant Amount per Action: 5,000,000 EUR.
Funding Rate:
Minimum percentage of total eligible costs covered: 80%.
Maximum percentage of total eligible costs covered: 95%.
Co-financing Requirement: The remaining 5% to 20% of total eligible costs must be funded from sources other than the European Union budget or the European Development Fund.
Eligible Costs:
Costs actually incurred by beneficiaries and affiliated entities.
Simplified cost options may apply.
Direct eligible costs must comply with Article 14 of the standard grant contract.
Remunerations for national administration personnel may be eligible if they relate to activities that would not be undertaken without the grant action.
A contingency reserve of up to 5% of estimated direct eligible costs is allowed, requiring prior written approval for use.
Indirect costs are eligible at a flat rate of up to 7% of the total estimated direct eligible costs (excluding volunteer costs and project office costs).
Ineligible Costs:
Debts and debt service (interest).
Provisions for losses or future debts.
Costs already financed by another EU/EDF action or program.
Purchase of land or buildings, unless strictly necessary for direct action implementation and ownership is transferred at action's end.
Exchange rate losses.
In-kind contributions (except for volunteer work).
Premiums in personnel costs.
Negative interest charged by financial institutions.
Generally, remuneration costs for national administration personnel, with the exception mentioned above.
Financial Support to Third Parties:
Beneficiaries are permitted to provide financial support to third parties.
The maximum amount of such support is 60,000 EUR per third party, unless a higher amount is specifically justified as essential for achieving the action's objectives.
Audit Requirements: For grants exceeding 750,000 EUR, the lead applicant must provide an audit report from an external approved auditor covering the last three financial years, where available and legally required. Otherwise, a signed declaration of honour is sufficient.
Financial Capacity Proof: Lead applicant must provide their latest financial statements (income statement and balance sheet) to demonstrate stable and sufficient funding.
Eligibility Requirements
Organizational Eligibility
Eligible Entity Types:
Legal entities or entities without legal personality.
Non-profit organizations (NGOs, public sector operators, local authorities, international organizations as defined by Article 159(1) of the EU financial regulation).
International organizations are exempt from the establishment requirement within specific countries.
Geographic Location Requirements:
Must be effectively established in an EU Member State, Madagascar, or other countries eligible under the Instrument for Neighborhood, Development and International Cooperation (IVCDCI) 2021-2027.
Experience Requirements (Lead Applicant Only):
Must have operated in the sectors/themes of gender equality, human rights, and Gender-Based Violence (VBG) for at least three (3) years, specifically in Africa.
Must have implemented, as lead applicant, a minimum of two (2) projects related to Gender and/or Human Rights in Africa within the last five (5) years.
Must have served as coordinator for a consortium involving at least two (2) co-applicants/partners.
Must have managed an average annual budget equal to or exceeding the requested grant amount in the last five (5) years.
Consortium Requirements
Mandatory Consortium: The lead applicant must partner with one or more co-applicants.
Specific Partnership Rules:
If the lead applicant is not established in Madagascar, they must partner with at least one co-applicant established in Madagascar.
If the lead applicant is established in Madagascar, they must partner with at least one co-applicant established in an EU Member State.
A maximum of four (4) co-applicants is allowed.
Co-applicant Eligibility: Co-applicants must meet the same eligibility criteria as the lead applicant.
Affiliated Entities: Permitted if they have a pre-existing structural link (legal or capital link) with the lead applicant or co-applicants. These entities are not direct beneficiaries but their costs may be eligible. They must also meet the same eligibility criteria as the lead applicant/co-applicants.
Project Scope Eligibility
Duration: Actions must have a planned duration between 36 and 48 months.
Implementation Location: Activities must take place in Madagascar, specifically in at least two of the following regions: Atsimo-Atsinanana, Vakinankaratra, Haute Matsiatra, and Diana, with a focus on urban and peri-urban areas.
Thematic Focus: Actions must align with gender equality and women's rights. Cross-cutting themes include climate change, good governance, and civil society strengthening. Specific sub-themes involve gender relations, human rights, VBG prevention, community education, psychosocial/legal/medical care for VBG victims, social reintegration, legislative reforms, feminism, and political participation.
Ineligible Actions:
Actions focused solely or primarily on financing individual participation in workshops, seminars, or conferences.
Actions focused solely or primarily on financing individual scholarships or training.
Actions that could lead to human rights violations or significant negative environmental/climate impacts.
Application Process
Application Process
Submission Method: Online submission via PROSPECT is mandatory. Offline submission (sealed envelope) is only permitted in exceptional cases of technical impossibility or security/confidentiality concerns.
Registration: Lead applicants, co-applicants, and affiliated entities (excluding natural persons) must register in PADOR (obtaining a EuropeAid ID) and the Commission's Participant Register (obtaining a PIC). Profiles must be kept updated.
Application Language: All application documents must be submitted in French.
Required Documentation and Format:
Brief Note (Annex A.1) and Full Application Form (Annex A.2).
Detailed Budget (Annex B - Excel format).
Logical Framework (Annex C - Excel format).
PADOR offline registration form (Annex F), if online registration is not possible.
Constitutional documents (statutes or acts of incorporation) for the lead applicant, co-applicants, and affiliated entities.
Declaration of Honour on exclusion criteria (Annex H), signed by all relevant entities (mandatory for grants > 15,000 EUR).
Financial capacity documents: Audit report (for grants > 750,000 EUR or if legally required) or a signed declaration of honour, and the latest annual financial statements (income statement and balance sheet).
All required documents must be provided as originals, photocopies, or scanned versions (with legible stamps/signatures).
Evaluation Stages:
Step 1 (Brief Note Evaluation): Initial administrative check and evaluation of brief notes for relevance and design. Only those scoring 70% or more proceed.
Step 2 (Full Application Evaluation): Comprehensive assessment of quality, budget, and organizational capacity.
Step 3 (Eligibility Verification): Final eligibility check of provisionally selected applicants based on supporting documents.
Key Dates and Deadlines
Information Session: June 12, 2025, 15:00 (Madagascar time).
Deadline for Clarification Questions: August 14, 2025, 15:00 (Brussels time).
Publication of Answers: Latest August 24, 2025.
Application Submission Deadline: September 25, 2025, 13:00:42 (Brussels time).
Notification of Brief Note Evaluation Results: November 8, 2025.
Notification of Grant Decision: December 1, 2025.
Anticipated Contract Signature: February 2, 2026.
Communication and Support
Applicants should regularly consult the DG International Partnerships website and/or 'Funding & Tenders' portal for updated information and Q&As.
Technical support for PADOR/PROSPECT is available via email ([email protected]) in English, French, or Spanish.
Post-Award Requirements
EU Visibility: Grant beneficiaries must ensure proper visibility of EU funding by displaying the EU emblem. Exceptions for security or political sensitivities may be granted.
Contractual Agreement: Successful applicants will enter into a grant contract. The proposed budget may be adjusted for arithmetical errors or ineligible costs before signature.
Monitoring and Reporting: Projects are expected to have robust monitoring and reporting systems to track progress against indicators. Evaluation activities should be planned and budgeted.
Evaluation Criteria
Step 1: Brief Note Evaluation (Max 50 points)
Relevance of the Action (Max 20 points):
Coherence with call objectives and priorities (5 points).
Relevance to the specific needs and constraints of the target country/region/sector (5 points).
Clarity and strategic selection of target groups and final beneficiaries (5 points).
Inclusion of elements providing added value (e.g., innovation, best practices) (5 points).
Design of the Action (Max 30 points):
Clarity of the intervention logic (sequence from interventions to activities, outputs, and impacts) (5 points, weighted x2 for 10 points).
Rigorous contextual analysis of needs and stakeholder capacities (5 points).
Presence of clear assumptions and consideration of risks (5 points).
Indicative activities linked to and coherent with expected outputs (5 points).
Lead applicant's stable and sufficient funding sources (5 points).
Rejection Threshold: Applications scoring less than 12 points in this section or receiving a score of 1 in any sub-section will be rejected.
Relevance of the Action (Max 20 points): (Same criteria as Step 1)
Design of the Action (Max 15 points):
Intervention logic (5 points).
Completeness and quality of the logical framework matrix, including SMART indicators (Relevant, Accepted, Credible, Easy to monitor, Robust) with baselines, targets, and data sources. Clear identification of results and indicators for non-cost-linked financing (5 points).
Rigorous contextual analysis (5 points).
Implementation Approach (Max 15 points):
Clarity and feasibility of the action plan and timeline (5 points).
Effectiveness of the monitoring, reporting, and evaluation system, including a budgeted evaluation (5 points).
Technical competence and involvement of co-applicants/affiliated entities (5 points).
Sustainability of the Action (Max 15 points):
Likelihood of durable and transformative benefits for target groups/beneficiaries (5 points).
Potential for multiplier effects (reproducibility, scaling, knowledge diffusion) (5 points).
Financial, institutional, political, and environmental sustainability of expected results (5 points).
Budget and Cost-Effectiveness (Max 15 points):
Adequacy of the estimated budget relative to expected results (5 points).
Consistency of the budget with planned activities and, for non-cost-linked financing, alignment with results/performance indicators (5 points, weighted x2 for 10 points).
Compliance & Special Requirements
Ethical and Values Compliance
Conflict of Interest: Strict avoidance of any conflict of interest or equivalent ties with other applicants or project parties.
Environmental and Labor Standards: Compliance with environmental legislation (including multilateral agreements) and fundamental labor standards as defined by ILO conventions.
EU Values: Adherence to core EU values: human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law, and human rights, including minority rights.
Zero Tolerance Policy: Commitment to a 'zero tolerance' policy for sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment. A self-assessment questionnaire (Annex L) on internal policies is required for grants exceeding 60,000 EUR.
Anti-Corruption: Compliance with all applicable anti-corruption laws, regulations, and codes of conduct. Corrupt practices will lead to rejection or termination.
Extraordinary Commercial Expenses: Prohibition of undisclosed or illegitimate commercial fees. Violations may result in contract termination or exclusion from EU/EDF funding.
Breach, Irregularities, Fraud: The contracting authority reserves the right to suspend or cancel procedures if breaches, irregularities, or fraud are detected at any stage.
Data and Systems Requirements
PADOR and PROSPECT: Mandatory online registration and application submission, facilitating efficient management and tracking. Manual submission is an exception for technical/security reasons.
Participant Identification Code (PIC): Mandatory registration in the Commission's Participant Register to obtain a PIC for future grant management.
Intellectual Property
Not specified beyond standard contractual clauses (Annex G). Generally, IP generated remains with the beneficiary, subject to EU usage rights.
Risk Management and Contextual Analysis
Conflict-Sensitive Approach: An imperative throughout implementation, requiring an understanding of local dynamics, interests, and interactions to avoid harmful actions and maximize positive impacts.
Social Risk Assessment: Proposals must include systematic evaluation of social risks and measures for their avoidance or mitigation.
Cross-Cutting Themes and Strategic Principles
Synergies and Collaboration: Projects must demonstrate active synergies with other EU-supported programs in Madagascar and with public authorities' initiatives. Emphasis on capitalizing on existing experiences and coordinating with local Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).
Actor-Oriented Approach: The approach must empower local actors and target populations as agents of change, including strengthening CSOs (especially women's and youth organizations) for monitoring, dialogue, and advocacy.
Integrated Gender Approach: Proposals must include a 'Gender Strategy and Action Plan' aligned with the EU's GAP III and CLIP Madagascar. This involves 'feminizing' project teams, prioritizing women's and feminist organizations as partners, and ensuring activities consider women's specific interests, needs, and responsibilities. Gender-disaggregated data and qualitative, transformative indicators are required for evaluation.
Accountability Mechanisms: Implementation of effective accountability mechanisms, such as complaints management and regular beneficiary satisfaction assessments.
Behavior Change Promotion: Encouragement of original approaches, tools, and adapted messages for behavior change, particularly targeting men, through interactive and popular methods (e.g., arts, social media, community radio).
Grant Details
human rights
gender equality
women's rights
youth
gender-based violence
VBG
madagascar
civil society
capacity building
advocacy
social justice
prevention
psychosocial support
legal aid
social reintegration
policy development
education
community engagement
behavioral change
EU funding
non-profit
international cooperation
social impact
inequalities
atsimo-atsinanana
vakinankaratra
haute matsiatra
diana
governance
climate change
human capital
development aid
Renforcer le capital humain des femmes et des jeunes pour améliorer leur capacité à défendre leurs droits
Grants8