Call for proposals directed to civil society organisations for actions in Benin

The European Commission EuropeAid is issuing a restricted two-stage call for action grants to civil society organisations for actions implemented in Benin with a total indicative budget of €2,537,000 split into Lot 1 (€2,147,000; grants €50,000–500,000) and Lot 2 (€390,000; grants €195,000–390,000). Projects should address the call priorities including culture and social inclusion, disability rights, youth inclusion, Global Gateway oversight for Lot 1 and prison conditions and reintegration for Lot 2, with expected implementation maturity and measurable results. Lead applicants must be legal persons established in an eligible country, PADOR registration is required, online submission via PROSPECT is mandatory, and the concept note deadline is 17 November 2026 at 12:00 Brussels time. Grants are primarily reimbursements of eligible costs under the standard EU grant contract with cofinancing requirements and possible financing non-linked to costs for specified indicators.

What it funds

Scope and budget

Action grants to support civil society work in Benin under NDICI thematic lines (Organisations of civil society and Human Rights and Democracy). The global envelope is €2,537,000. Projects must address the call priorities (culture and civic participation, disability inclusion, youth inclusion, Global Gateway investment accountability; and for lot 2, prison conditions and reintegration).

Who can apply

Non-profit civil society organisations (NGOs/CSOs). Lead applicants must be legal persons established under national law and have their seat in an eligible country; eligibility is focused on organisations established in Benin or EU Member States depending on priority (see guidelines). Consortia with codemandeurs and affiliated entities are allowed; PADOR registration is required.

Key dates and how to apply

Application essentials

Selection and implementation

Applications are assessed on relevance, design, capacity and cost‑effectiveness. Grants are paid as reimbursement of eligible costs and may include options simplified costs or non‑cost‑linked financing where specified. Standard EU grant contract and PRAG rules apply; monitoring, audits and visibility rules are obligatory.

Footnotes

1. 1Full call documents, guidelines, budget templates and submission portal are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Funding & Tenders Portal.

Summary and purpose

This is a restricted call for proposals published by the European Commission (DG International Partnerships / Delegation to Benin) to finance actions implemented by civil society organisations in the Republic of Benin. The global indicative budget for the call is €2,537,000. The call is split into two lots with specific thematic priorities (culture and social inclusion, disability rights, youth inclusion, Global Gateway oversight and accountability for Lot 1; prison conditions and reintegration for Lot 2). The call uses Action Grants (reimbursement of costs) and allows the use of financing non-linked to costs for identifiable results in selected cases. Online submission via PROSPECT is mandatory; registration in PADOR is required. Deadline for submission of concept notes (shortlist stage) is 17 November 2026, 12:00 Brussels time.

Key factual information (call-level)

Eligible applicant types and partners

Eligible applicants are civil society organisations. The rules require that the lead applicant (applicant chef de file) be a legal person established under the national law of an eligible country and have its seat in an eligible country. For most priorities local Beninese organisations are required or strongly prioritised; for Priority 4 (Global Gateway oversight) the eligibility of lead applicants is limited exclusively to organisations established in an EU Member State or in the Republic of Benin. The call allows: civil society organisations (including NGOs, organisations of persons with disabilities and cultural organisations), networks and federations, and international NGOs provided they partner with local Beninese co-applicants. Entities may act with affiliated entities as defined in the guidelines. Associations, non‑profit organisations and similar legal forms are eligible; public bodies as beneficiaries are excluded unless explicitly authorised in the call documents.

Funding mechanism, consortium and geographic scope

This is an Action Grant programme using reimbursement of eligible costs as the principal funding mechanism. The call permits financing non linked to costs for results-based items where explicitly allowed in the contract. Applications are submitted by a single lead applicant (coordonnateur) acting together with one or more codemandeurs and, where applicable, affiliated entities. The procedure is two-stage (short concept note followed by invitation to full application). Implementation must take place in Benin; for Priority 4 the lead applicant must be established in Benin or an EU Member State.

Sectors, priorities and project maturity

The call targets civil society and thematic priorities aligned with NDICI thematic programmes: culture and social cohesion, disability inclusion, youth inclusion and empowerment, local oversight and participation related to Global Gateway investments (ports, corridors, digitisation of customs procedures) and prison conditions/reintegration for Lot 2. Proposals should be implementation/demonstration focused with capacity strengthening, advocacy, monitoring/citizen accountability, inclusion and livelihoods elements. Expected project maturity is implementation and demonstration stage with results delivery and measurable indicators; proposals should include detailed activity plans, logical frameworks and budgets.

Financial details, co-funding and grant size

Application process and timetable

Nature of support, payments and reporting

Beneficiaries receive monetary grants. Grants are typically reimbursement of eligible costs; for certain measurable results the contract can include financing non linked to costs with payments tied to achievement of pre-agreed indicators. Pre-financing, interim payments and final balance payments are governed by Article 15 of the standard grant contract. Pre-financing guarantees may be required for pre-financing amounts above the threshold; audit, verification and reporting obligations apply including financial reports, logical framework updates and, if applicable, third party validation of FNLC results or expenditure verification by an approved practitioner. Refer to Annex G (Standard grant contract) and its annexes for full financial and contractual rules.

Evaluation, selection and success rates

Evaluation is multi-stage. Short concept notes are administratively checked then scored with a threshold (notes must achieve at least 35/50 and selection proceeds to a shortlist representing up to 200% of the budget). Full applications are assessed against selection and award criteria (capacity, relevance, design, implementation, sustainability, budget and cost-effectiveness). A three-step evaluation is described in the Guidelines: administrative check and scoring of short notes; quality assessment of full applications; final eligibility checks and verification prior to contracting. Success rates are not published; selection is competitive and depends on scores and the total requested amount compared to available funds.

Co‑funding, eligible cost rules and templates

Documentation applicants must provide

Selection criteria highlights and evaluation

Short concept notes are scored up to 50 points (relevance and design weighted x2 for design). Only concept notes obtaining at least 35/50 are shortlisted. Full applications are evaluated against selection (capacity and financial stability) and award criteria (relevance, design, implementation and sustainability, cost-effectiveness). Detailed scoring grids are included in the Guidelines. Proposals must meet minimum thresholds at selection stage (capacity threshold) or be rejected.

Compliance, audits and verification

Grantees must comply with EU contractual terms (standard grant contract Annex II general conditions). The Commission may require expenditure verification by an approved practitioner (Annex VII-A) and third‑party assessment to validate FNLC results (Annex VII-B). The beneficiary must keep accounting records and provide access for audits, verification and on‑the‑spot checks by Commission services, OLAF, the European Court of Auditors or other mandated controllers. Data protection during procedures follows Regulation (EU) 2018/1725.

Mentioned countries and region

Application practicalities and help

Submission is online only via PROSPECT. PADOR registration (or offline Annex F) is compulsory at the indicated stages. IT helpdesk supports PROSPECT users. Applicants should check the guidance and submitted templates carefully, follow the report and budget formats and respect page limits described in the full guidelines. An information webinar was scheduled and questions can be submitted to the call mailbox; all Q&A and clarifications will be published publicly to ensure equal treatment.

Unknowns, risks and selection caveats

The call documentation does not publish a fixed success rate. Applicants should be aware that only shortlisted concept notes are invited to full application, that full application budgets must be detailed and justified, and that the Commission may require expenditure verification, audit and/or third‑party validation of results (for FNLC). Applicants must ensure eligibility of partners, register in PADOR and provide all requested documentary evidence at full application stage or risk rejection at verification.

How to apply: mandatory templates and forms (quick checklist)

For official call documents, forms and downloads use the EU Funding & Tenders Portal prospect details page and the webgate document links in the call dossier EU Funding & Tenders Portal prospect details Call documents Full guidance and annexes (direct catalogue) 1

Overall concluding summary

This restricted call finances civil society actions in Benin across two thematic lots with an overall envelope of €2,537,000. It targets capacity strengthening, inclusion, culture, disability rights, youth and citizen oversight of Global Gateway investments and prison-related reintegration. The call follows a two-stage selection process (short concept note then full application by invitation). Grants are action grants (reimbursement of eligible costs), with possible result-based payments (financing non linked to costs) for pre-agreed indicators. Applicants must register in PADOR and submit via PROSPECT, complete the standard templates (Annex A, B, C), meet eligibility and co-financing rules, and accept EU contractual conditions (Annex G). The full set of guidance documents, budget and logical framework templates, and standard contract provisions (including procurement, audit, verification and third‑party assessment ToR) are published with the call and must be followed precisely.

Footnotes

1. 1Official call page and downloads: PROSPECT entry EuropeAid/187397 (documents include Annex A.1, A.2, Annex B budget spreadsheet, Annex C logical framework, Annex G standard contract and all annexes). Access via the EU Funding & Tenders portal prospect details page.

This is an open action grant call for civil society organisations for actions in Benin, with reference EuropeAid, a total budget of €2,537,000, and a submission deadline of 17 November 2026 at 12:00 Brussels time, which corresponds to 11:00 UTC.1

What the Funding Is About

The opportunity is designed to support civil society led actions in Benin, but the excerpted record does not disclose the full thematic focus or intervention logic, so applicants should treat the official guidelines and annexes as the controlling source for the exact objectives, eligible activities, expected results, and award criteria.1

Eligibility and Application Route

The lead applicant must be an organisation established under the law of an eligible country and have its registered office in an eligible country, and pre registration in PADOR is required for this call.1

If online PADOR registration is not possible, applicants must submit the offline PADOR registration form Annex F with the full proposal.1

The application package includes a concept note template, a full proposal template, Annex B budget, Annex C logical framework, Annex D identification form, Annex G standard grant contract, Annex H declaration of honour, Annex J tax regime information, Annex L SEA H self evaluation questionnaire, and the e Calls PADOR privacy statement, with documents available in English and French.1

Key Application Documents

The main documents visible in the portal record are the note succincte de présentation, the demande complète, the budget annex, the logical framework annex, and the accompanying contractual and compliance annexes.1

Practical Applicant Considerations

Applicants should plan for a two stage submission process, use Brussels time for all deadline related planning, and ensure that the PADOR profile and supporting documents are complete before submission through PROSPECT, which is mandatory for this call.1

The public record does not state the minimum or maximum grant amount, the cofinancing rate, the project duration limits, or whether consortium participation is mandatory, so these items should be checked directly in the official guidelines before submission.1

Funding and Administrative Snapshot