Civil Society, Human Rights and ESG Accountability for an Inclusive South Africa (CS HR ESG SA)

This European Commission call funds civil society organisations in South Africa to advance human rights, democracy, environmental and social governance (ESG) accountability and inclusive development under the NDICI Global Europe programmes. The total indicative budget is €5,164,000 split across two lots (Lot 1: €1,000,000–1,200,000; Lot 2: €450,000–500,000) with EU contribution between 50% and 95% of eligible costs. Eligible lead applicants are non-profit civil society organisations effectively established in an EU Member State, South Africa or other NDICI‑eligible countries, actions must be implemented in South Africa for 24–48 months and should address the call’s thematic priorities. Applications (concept note and full application) must be submitted online via PROSPECT by 23 July 2026 12:00 Brussels time and applicants must register in PADOR/Participant Register and include all required supporting documents.

What it funds

EU action grants to strengthen South African civil society on human rights, democracy, ESG and business & human rights accountability, with emphasis on communities affected by the Just Energy Transition. Eligible activities include CSO capacity building, policy dialogue and watchdog work, community accountability mechanisms, legal assistance and strategic litigation, ESG monitoring and third-party assessments.

Who can apply

Lead applicants must be legal, non-profit civil society organisations (NGOs, community-based organisations, research bodies, universities, trade unions, independent foundations, etc.) established in an eligible country. A lead applicant established outside South Africa must have a South African co-applicant. Co-applicants, affiliated entities and associates are allowed; prior PADOR registration and online submission via PROSPECT are mandatory.

Key eligibility notes:Actions must take place in South Africa (priority provinces indicated). Minimum action duration 24 months; maximum 48 months. Applicants must respect EU ethical, procurement and visibility rules and provide required annexes (logframe, budget, statutes, declaration on honour, SEA‑H self-evaluation where applicable).

1. 1Apply online via PROSPECT; register organisations in PADOR (EuropeAid ID/PIC required).
2. 2Follow the published Guidelines for Grant Applicants and use Annex A.1 (concept note) and Annex A.2 (full application) templates.
3. 3Award procedure: concept-note selection then full-application evaluation; shortlisted applicants will be checked for eligibility and supporting documents.

Money available and grant sizes

Overall indicative budget:€5,164,000 (divided between two thematic lots). The contracting authority may reallocate funds between lots if needed.

Deadlines and practical steps

Call published 24 April 2026. Deadline for concept note and full application submission (online via PROSPECT) is 23 July 2026 at 12:00 Brussels time. Applicants should register in PADOR well ahead of submission and follow the PROSPECT user guides and IT helpdesk for technical support.

1. 1Register organisation in PADOR and obtain EuropeAid ID / PIC.
2. 2Prepare concept note (Annex A.1) and full application (Annex A.2) plus Annexes B (budget), C (logframe) and required supporting documents.
3. 3Submit online in PROSPECT before 23 July 2026, 12:00 Brussels time.

Contracting authority:European Commission, DG International Partnerships. Apply and find official call documents and templates on the Funding & Tenders portal (PROSPECT/PADOR registration required).

Call reference:EuropeAid. Title: Civil Society, Human Rights and ESG Accountability for an Inclusive South Africa (CS HR ESG SA). Contracting authority: European Commission (DG International Partnerships). Publication date: 24/04/2026. Deadline for submission (Brussels time): 23/07/2026 at 12:00. Total indicative budget: €5,164,000 (two lots). Online submission mandatory via PROSPECT. PADOR registration is obligatory for legal applicants. The call is managed under the NDICI Global Europe HRD and CSO thematic programmes (2025-2027).

Programme objective:To strengthen South African civil society and improve protection and promotion of human rights, democracy and ESG accountability, with special attention to communities most affected by the Just Energy Transition and to gender equality, inclusion, anti-discrimination and climate resilience.

Funding scope, amounts and lots

Overall indicative allocation:€5,164,000 split between two lots. The contracting authority reserves the right to reallocate between lots depending on quality and number of proposals. Lot-specific sizes and eligible grant ranges are published in the guidelines.

1. 1Lot 1: Civil Society for Inclusive Governance, Resilience and ESG Participation. Grant size: minimum €1,000,000; maximum €1,200,000.
2. 2Lot 2: Human Rights, Democracy and ESG Accountability for an Inclusive South Africa. Grant size: minimum €450,000; maximum €500,000.
3. 3Overall EU contribution to any grant must be between 50% and 95% of total eligible costs. The balance must be financed by other sources or applicant contributions.

Who may apply and applicant requirements

Lead applicant eligibility (summary from guidelines):legal person, non-profit-making civil society organisation (broad definition covering NGOs, indigenous peoples' organisations, women's and youth organisations, trade unions, cooperatives, universities, research organisations, consumer and media organisations, etc.). The lead applicant must be effectively established under national law and have its head office in an eligible country (Member State of the EU, Republic of South Africa or other countries/territories as allowed by NDICI-Global Europe eligibility rules). A South African lead applicant may apply alone or with co-applicants; a lead applicant not established in South Africa must have at least one co-applicant established in South Africa. Co-applicants and affiliated entities must meet the same eligibility rules and sign mandated documents. Prior registration in PADOR and the EU Participant Register (PIC) is mandatory for organisations other than natural persons.

Types of eligible actors (detailed):Eligible applicant types include: non-governmental organisations, organisations representing indigenous peoples, women's and youth organisations, community-based organisations, trade unions and employers' associations, local authorities (when specified in call), cooperatives, academic and research institutions and other civil society actors. Public bodies established in a Member State or South Africa may be eligible in line with the guidance. Natural persons are generally not the target except where explicitly allowed.

Consortium and partnership rules

Lead applicant must be the coordinator and will be the sole interlocutor with the contracting authority. Co-applicants participate in design and implementation and share financial responsibility if they sign the mandate. Affiliated entities (structural/legal links such as control or membership) may be part of the proposal and their costs can be eligible, but they do not sign the grant contract as beneficiaries. Associates, contractors and recipients of financial support are separate roles and must not be used interchangeably. A lead applicant may submit only one application per lot and may not be awarded more than one grant per lot. Co-applicants may not appear in more than one application per lot.

Call procedure, stages and timeline

This is an open call for proposals with a two-stage selection process:first a concept note (Annex A.1) is evaluated; then pre-selected applicants are invited to submit full applications (Annex A.2). After full application evaluation, eligibility checks and supporting document verification are performed for provisionally selected applicants. Final award decision and contract signature follow. Submission is via PROSPECT; supporting documents are uploaded into PADOR when required. Indicative timetable (published): clarifications deadlines, concept-note results (expected 06/08/2026), notification of contracting authority decision (expected 21/08/2026), contract signature cycles in Aug 2026 and 2027 (reserve list).

Application stages (detailed):1. Administrative opening and eligibility checks and concept note evaluation; 2. Evaluation of full application (selection and award criteria); 3. Verification of eligibility of applicants, affiliated entities and supporting documents; 4. Award decision, notification and contract signature. Overall this is a multi-stage process (at least 3 formal evaluation stages plus eligibility checks).

Eligible actions, sectors, locations and priorities

Geographic scope:action must take place in South Africa; preference for activities in Global Gateway North-South Corridor provinces: Limpopo, Gauteng, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal. Thematic sectors and priorities: human rights, democracy and rule of law; ESG accountability and business & human rights; civil society strengthening; inclusive governance; just green and digital transitions; climate resilience; anti-corruption and public finance transparency; participation of women, youth and marginalised groups; protection of civic space online/offline; support to human rights defenders; monitoring, strategic litigation, legal aid and grievance mechanisms in sectors related to infrastructure, connectivity, energy and extractives.

1. 1Actions must be implemented in South Africa (preference to specified provinces).
2. 2Duration: between 24 and 48 months.
3. 3Typical eligible activities include capacity building, policy dialogue, citizen-monitoring/social accountability, community adaptation and resilience, CSO networks, ESG monitoring and business & human rights advocacy, legal assistance, documentation and strategic litigation, anti-corruption monitoring in ESG sectors, and digital safety measures.

Funding modalities, eligible costs and financial rules

Form of grant:reimbursement of eligible actual costs, simplified cost options may be used where authorised, financing not linked to costs (FNLC) allowed for parts or the whole action where expressly authorised. Eligible costs are defined in Article 14 of the General Conditions and in the Guidelines (Annex G/Annex II). A contingency reserve (up to 5% of direct eligible costs) may be included subject to prior written authorisation. Indirect costs may be claimed as a flat rate not exceeding 7% of direct eligible costs (with exclusions as specified). Taxes and VAT are eligible only when beneficiary can demonstrate non-recoverability; no general tax exemption with South Africa exists and beneficiaries must show attempts to recover.

Financial key points:Total indicative amount available: €5,164,000. Lot 1 grants: €1,000,000 to €1,200,000. Lot 2 grants: €450,000 to €500,000. EU contribution to any approved action must be between 50% and 95% of total eligible costs. The remainder must be financed from other sources (applicant contribution, other donors). Financial support to third parties (sub-grants) is allowed up to €60,000 per third party unless justified and permitted by the contracting authority.

Application format, templates and required annexes

Applications must be submitted online in English via PROSPECT. Applicants must also be registered in PADOR and in the EU Participant Register (PIC). The call publishes standard templates and annexes that must be used without alteration: Annex A.1 (Concept note), Annex A.2 (Full application form), Annex B (Budget worksheets 1a/€1B/1c), Annex C (Logical Framework Matrix), Annex D (Identification forms), Annex F (PADOR offline form), Annex G (Standard Grant Contract and many contract annexes), Annex H (Declaration on honour), Annex I (Tax information), Annex K (Clarifications on FNLC), Annex L (SEA-H self-evaluation questionnaire), and others. The full application form and the budget templates must be filled in following the instructions included in the Guidelines for Applicants. Failure to use the official templates or to include required annexes may lead to rejection.

1. 1Concept note (Annex A.1) – initial submission; follow the format and page/word limits.
2. 2Full application (Annex A.2) – narrative description (up to 18 pages for description, plus methodology, action plan, sustainability), Annex B budget, Annex C logframe, supporting statutory and financial documents uploaded to PADOR.
3. 3Mandatory supporting documents include statutes/articles of association, declaration on honour (Annex H), proof of legal status, latest accounts and audit report where applicable, and PADOR registration (or Annex F).

Evaluation and selection criteria

Evaluation is a structured, scored process in two main steps:concept-note evaluation (administrative checks then scoring out of 50) and full-application evaluation (selection and award criteria, score out of 100). Applications must meet eligibility criteria to be considered. Concept notes require a minimum score (30/50) to be pre-selected; the contracting authority then shortlists applications up to 300% of available budget for full application evaluation. The evaluation grid includes relevance, design, operational and financial capacity, implementation approach, sustainability, monitoring & evaluation and cost-effectiveness. For full applications, section 1 (financial and operational capacity) must score at least 12/20 or be rejected.

Key scoring points (summary):Concept note scoring focuses on relevance (20 points) and design (30 points). Full application scoring assesses financial and operational capacity (20), relevance (20), design (15), implementation approach (15), sustainability (15) and budget/cost-effectiveness (15). Certain sub-scores are multiplied for emphasis (intervention logic and cost-efficiency).

Due diligence, checks and contract conditions

Provisional selection is conditional on eligibility verification of applicants and affiliated entities. For grants exceeding thresholds, auditors' reports or self-declarations of accounts may be required. The contracting authority may require an expenditure verification (Agreed-Upon Procedures) and, where FNLC is used, a third-party assessment to validate reported results. Grant signature is under the standard grant contract (Annex G) or a contribution agreement for pillar-assessed entities. The contract includes provisions on visibility, data protection, SEA-H self-evaluation, procurement, audit rights, record keeping, transfer of equipment, and potential recovery and penalties for irregularities. See the standard grant contract (Annex G) and General Conditions (Annex II) for full contract text.

Monitoring, reporting and audit requirements

Reporting:periodic narrative and financial reports (templates in Annex VI) are required. Reporting periods are typically 12 months unless otherwise specified. Final report, contractual expenditure verification (for grants > €100,000 or other thresholds) and third-party assessment (for FNLC components; thresholds apply) are required per Article 2 of Annex II. The beneficiary must keep records for at least five years after final payment (three years for grants <= €60,000) and grant the Commission, OLAF, EPPO and ECA audit and on-site access rights. Exchange-rate and VAT rules are specified in Annex II and Annex J (tax regime information). A contractual expenditure verification AUP ToR (Annex VII-A) is available and must be followed when requested.

FNLC (Financing Not Linked to Costs) – specific notes

Where authorised, grants may be partly or wholly financed by FNLC. FNLC payments are linked to achievement of pre-agreed results measured by performance indicators. The Logframe must specify which indicators are linked to FNLC; those indicators must be copied into the Budget (Annex B) with the maximum EU contribution associated per indicator. Achievement is validated through project reporting and usually a third-party assessment; partial achievement clauses and unit/partial payment rules must be defined in the proposal. Applicants must include measurement methodologies and data sources in their logframe and may need to budget for monitoring and third-party validation. See Annex K for guidance on embedding FNLC in proposals.

Practical requirements for FNLC:When using FNLC applicants must: 1) mark FNLC indicators in the Logframe; 2) include the same indicators and amounts in Annex B (Budget FNLC tab); 3) provide baselines, targets and data sources; 4) provide technical specifications or standards to validate results; 5) budget for third-party assessment if required.

Eligible and ineligible activities (selected details)

Eligible activities are those that directly contribute to the call objectives and priorities listed in Section 1.2 of the Guidelines: CSO capacity building; CSO networks; evidence-based advocacy; social accountability mechanisms; community resilience and adaptation actions; CSO monitoring of ESG impacts; anti-corruption and transparency initiatives; legal assistance and strategic litigation; protection of human rights defenders; online/offline civic space protection; prevention and response to GBV, hate crimes and discrimination; structured participation and leadership of women, youth and marginalised groups; responsible business conduct support and human-rights and environmental due diligence engagement with private sector and financial intermediaries. Ineligible activities include individual scholarships and sponsorships, actions primarily consisting of capital expenditure or procurement only, actions consisting exclusively of research, proselytising or support to political parties, actions with significant risk of human rights violations or severe environmental harm, and actions focused mainly on legal-fees without broader strategy.

Risk management, SEA-H and ethics

Applicants must demonstrate adequate risk analysis and mitigation measures covering political, security, environmental, social and programmatic risks. A self-evaluation questionnaire on Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (SEA-H) (Annex L) is required for successful applicants (above €60,000) and is an administrative requirement. The call enforces zero-tolerance to SEA-H, anti-corruption and respect for EU core values. Projects must follow a human-rights-based approach and mainstream gender equality, inclusion and do-no-harm principles.

Submission, helpdesk and clarifications

Submission is online via PROSPECT. PADOR registration is mandatory for organisations (Annex F offline form is available where online registration is impossible). IT helpdesk: ec-external-relations-application-support@ec.europa.eu. Questions may be sent to the contracting authority until the date specified in the Guidelines (typically 21 days before the deadline); answers are published publicly to ensure equal treatment. All communication during the procedure is through PROSPECT.

Selection & success rate guidance

The contracting authority will pre-select concept notes (minimum score 30/50) and then invite full applications from the top-ranked concept notes until the aggregate requested amount equals at least 300% of the available budget. No absolute published success rate is provided in the call texts. Success probability therefore depends on evaluation scores, ranking and how many proposals meet the quality thresholds; applicants should expect only a fraction of submissions to be pre-selected.

Checks on taxes and VAT (Annex J summary)

Tax regime:VAT and indirect taxes may be considered eligible where the beneficiary (or affiliated entity) demonstrates they cannot recover them under national rules. There is no automatic tax exemption agreement with South Africa. Beneficiaries must try to obtain VAT relief or demonstrate efforts (official tax authority replies, refusals or absence of reply within the applicable legal deadline). Low-value tax exceptions and special cases (e.g. excessive recovery costs or time) exist; evidence must be provided at latest with the final report.

Templates and required documents (overview)

Mandatory application templates and contractual annexes provided by the call must be used. Key templates include: Annex A.1 (Concept note), Annex A.2 (Full application), Annex B (Budget worksheets 1a/€1B/1c and justification), Annex C (Logical Framework Matrix), Annex D (Identification Forms for entities and natural persons), Annex F (PADOR offline form), Annex G (Standard Grant Contract and models including Annexes: I Description of Action, II General Conditions, IV Procurement rules, V Payment request, VI Reporting templates, VII-A Terms of Reference for contractual expenditure verification, VII-B Terms of Reference for third party assessment, VIII Model financial guarantee, IX Transfer of ownership), Annex H (Declaration on Honour on exclusion criteria), Annex J (Taxes), Annex K (FNLC clarifications), Annex L (SEA-H self-evaluation). Applicants must upload statutes/articles, financial statements, mandate and affiliated entity statements, and any other documents requested in the Guidelines.

Eligible applicant types (concise categorisation requested)

Eligible Applicant Types (explicit):civil society organisations (NGOs), community-based organisations, trade unions/social partners, research institutes and universities, non-profit media, cooperatives, foundations, associations, public bodies in Member States or South Africa where applicable, affiliated entities with structural legal/capital links. Private for-profit enterprises generally are not eligible as lead applicants; they may be contractors or partners if appropriate and compliant with procurement rules.

Answers to requested structured questions

The following structured answers summarise the opportunity characteristics to support categorisation and decision-making.

1. 1Eligible Applicant Types: nonprofits and civil society organisations (NGOs, community-based organisations, human rights organisations, women’s/youth groups), universities and research institutes, trade unions and employers’ associations, affiliated entities with structural links, public bodies where allowed; contractors and consultants allowed for procurement; natural persons only if expressly allowed (generally not the case).
2. 2Funding Type: Primarily grant (Action Grants under NDICI Global Europe). Forms: reimbursement of eligible costs; simplified cost options where authorised; financing not linked to costs (FNLC) may be used for parts or all of a grant where expressly allowed in the call and budget.
3. 3Consortium Requirement: Other than single applicants, consortium/co-applicant options are permitted. A lead applicant not established in South Africa must include a South African co-applicant. Therefore: either single lead applicant or consortium (both allowed) depending on applicant domicile and project design.
4. 4Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): South Africa (actions must take place in South Africa). Eligible lead/co-applicant registration may be in EU Member States, South Africa or other NDICI-eligible partner countries as defined by NDICI regulation. Preference given to specified provinces (Limpopo, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal) for on-the-ground activities.
5. 5Target Sector: Human rights & democracy; Civil society strengthening; Environment and climate (climate resilience and just transition); Energy (Just Energy Transition); ESG, Business & Human Rights; Governance, anti-corruption and public finance transparency; Digital inclusion and civic space; Gender, social inclusion and protection of marginalised groups.
6. 6Mentioned Countries: South Africa (explicitly). EU and Member States referenced regarding eligibility of applicants and contracting authority. Regional references: Global Gateway North-South Corridor provinces (Limpopo, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal).
7. 7Project Stage: Implementation-ready and demonstration/advocacy stage. Applicants should demonstrate organisational experience and track-record (past 3 years) in similar actions; proposals may cover capacity building, monitoring, policy advocacy, legal assistance, community resilience and accountability mechanisms. TRL model not applicable; this is operational/civil-society programming (development, advocacy, implementation and scaling).
8. 8Funding Amount: Total call budget €5,164,000. Lot 1 grants range €1,000,000–1,200,000; Lot 2 grants range €450,000–500,000. Individual project requests must fall within lot minima and maxima. EU contribution percentage per project: min 50% and max 95% of total eligible costs. Financial support to third parties: normally up to €60,000 per third party unless specifically justified.
9. 9Application Type: Open call, mandatory online submission via PROSPECT. Two-step evaluation: concept note then full application. PADOR registration and Participant Register (PIC) mandatory. IT support available and questions must be submitted by the published deadline; replies published publicly.
10. 10Nature of Support: Monetary grants (reimbursement of eligible costs, simplified cost options or FNLC). Also non-financial expectations: capacity building, technical assistance, networks and advocacy outputs. Third-party assessments or expenditure verification services may be contracted and paid under the budget.
11. 11Application Stages: At least 3 major stages: 1) Concept note evaluation (administrative + technical scoring); 2) Full application evaluation (selection and award criteria); 3) Eligibility verification and supporting documents checks leading to award and contract signature. Additional procurement/expenditure verification and third-party assessment requirements for some awards increase the effective number of steps.
12. 12Success Rates: Not specified numerically in the call. The process will pre-select concept notes scoring above thresholds and restrict full applications to a pool whose aggregate requested amount equals at least 300% of funds available. Success therefore depends on ranking and relative quality; no historical success rate is published in the call documents.
13. 13Co-funding Requirement: Yes. EU contribution must be between 50% and 95% of total eligible costs. Thus co-funding is mandatory for any project requesting less than 100% EU funding; the minimum co-financing by other sources is typically 5% (when EU covers 95%), but applicants must ensure at least 50% of total costs are funded by sources other than the EU if the call requires that (the call sets minimum and maximum percentages).
14. 14Templates: Application forms are standard EU Annexes. Key templates applicants must complete: Annex A.1 Concept Note; Annex A.2 Full Application; Annex B Budget (worksheets 1a/€1B/1c), Annex C Logical Framework; Annex D Identification Form(s); Annex F PADOR offline registration; Annex H Declaration on Honour; Annex L SEA-H self-evaluation. The guidelines include detailed instructions on content, page limits and format. If FNLC is used, applicants must mark FNLC indicators in the Logframe and copy them into the Budget with unit values and partial-achievement rules.

Administrative and compliance highlights

Mandatory online tools and registrations:PADOR registration (or Annex F offline form if PADOR not available), PROSPECT submission, Participant Register (PIC). Applications must be in English. Supporting statutory documents, recent financial statements or audited reports (for large grants), declaration on honour and other documents must be supplied by the deadline. Failure to meet mandatory administrative requirements will lead to rejection without technical evaluation. The contracting authority may request originals or QES-signed documents during the eligibility verification stage.

Procurement and subcontracting rules:Beneficiaries undertaking procurement must follow Annex IV procurement rules, ensure competitive tendering and document selection and award decisions. Contractors and subcontractors cannot be beneficiaries/affiliated entities or recipients of financial support for the same action. Subcontracting must not cover core tasks and must be justified in Annex I.

Audit, verification and recovery

The contracting authority and the European Commission have audit and on-site access rights. For grants above thresholds, a contractual expenditure verification (AUP) by an independent practitioner (Annex VII-A) is required. For FNLC components, third-party assessments (Annex VII-B) are used to validate results. In cases of ineligible expenditure or irregularities, amounts may be recovered and penalties applied (including exclusion from EU funding and financial penalties up to 10% of the contract value in some cases).

Practical tips for applicants

1) Register early on PADOR and in the Participant Register (PIC). 2) Carefully read Annex K on FNLC if planning to use FNLC and ensure indicators are contractable, measurable and linked to budgeted amounts. 3) Use the official templates exactly and include the logical framework and budget consistency. 4) Budget appropriately for monitoring, third-party assessment (if FNLC), contractual expenditure verification and visibility requirements. 5) Ensure the organisation can provide statutory and financial documents and that co-applicant/affiliated entities sign the required mandates/statements before submission.

This summary is based exclusively on the call documentation and annexes published with reference EuropeAid on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (Guidelines for Applicants, Annexes, Standard Grant Contract). For official forms, templates, deadlines and the on-line submission portal, consult the F&T Portal and the call pages. Call prospectus & Guidelines Guidelines for applicants (PDF) Full Application template (Annex A.2) Budget templates (Annex B) Logframe template (Annex C).

Footnotes

1. 1Refer to the published Guidelines for grant applicants and annexes for full rules, templates and legal requirements. The contracting authority’s documentation contains the official templates, evaluation grids and annexes referenced in this summary and is the primary source for submission requirements.

Funding Opportunity Overview

This is a European Union grant call for proposals supporting civil society organisations in South Africa to advance human rights, democracy, environmental and social governance accountability, and inclusive development. The call is implemented under the NDICI Global Europe Civil Society Organisations and Human Rights and Democracy thematic programmes, aligned with South Africa's National Development Plan 2030 and the EU Global Gateway strategy.

Key Funding Details

Total Budget Available:€5,164,000 divided across two lots. The call is structured to support civil society strengthening and human rights protection, with funding allocated across 2025-2027 subject to budget availability.

Grant Size by Lot:Lot 1 (Civil Society for Inclusive Governance, Resilience and ESG Participation): €1,000,000 to €1,200,000 per grant. Lot 2 (Human Rights, Democracy and ESG Accountability): €450,000 to €500,000 per grant.

Co-financing Requirements:EU contribution must be between 50% and 95% of total eligible costs. The balance must come from other sources excluding the EU general budget or European Development Fund.

Application Deadline:23 July 2026 at 12:00 Brussels time. Applications must be submitted online via PROSPECT. Applicants are strongly advised not to wait until the last day due to potential technical issues.

Eligibility Criteria

Lead Applicant Requirements

The lead applicant must be a legal person, non-profit-making civil society organisation such as NGOs, women's and youth organisations, trade unions, environmental organisations, universities, or independent foundations. The organisation must be effectively established in an EU Member State, South Africa, or other eligible countries as per the NDICI-Global Europe Regulation. A lead applicant from South Africa may act individually or with co-applicants. A lead applicant not established in South Africa must act with at least one co-applicant established in South Africa.

Action Duration and Location

Actions must be implemented in South Africa with a planned duration between 24 and 48 months. There is a preference for actions taking place in the Global Gateway Strategic North-South Corridor provinces: Limpopo, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal.

Co-applicants and Affiliated Entities

Co-applicants must satisfy the same eligibility criteria as the lead applicant and must sign a mandate. Affiliated entities must have a structural link with applicants (legal, capital, or membership link) and must sign an affiliated entity statement. Associates may participate but do not receive funding except for per diem or travel costs.

Thematic Focus and Priorities

Lot 1: Civil Society for Inclusive Governance, Resilience and ESG Participation

This lot aims to strengthen South African civil society as a key actor in inclusive governance, socio-economic and climate resilience, and sustainable development. Priorities include fostering CSO engagement in just green and digital transitions, strengthening organisational and advocacy capacities of diverse CSOs, enhancing structured dialogue between CSOs and public authorities, supporting CSO watchdog roles on governance and public finance transparency, and promoting meaningful participation of women, youth and marginalised groups in CSOs and policy dialogue, particularly in communities affected by the Just Energy Transition.

Lot 2: Human Rights, Democracy and ESG Accountability

This lot empowers civil society to promote and protect human rights, democracy and the rule of law, and to enhance ESG-related accountability and business and human rights outcomes. Priorities include promoting human-rights-based approaches to environmental and climate policies, enhancing ESG accountability through CSO monitoring, supporting meaningful participation of women, youth and marginalised groups in public and political life, strengthening democratic governance and rule of law institutions, and addressing structural drivers of inequality, exclusion and violence including gender-based violence, racism and xenophobia.

Eligible Activities

Eligible activities vary by lot but include capacity-building for CSOs, establishment and strengthening of CSO networks and coalitions, evidence-based advocacy and policy dialogue, design and implementation of social-accountability mechanisms, community-level initiatives for socio-economic and climate resilience, CSO-led monitoring of ESG impacts, transparency and anti-corruption initiatives, monitoring and documentation of human rights issues, provision of legal assistance and psycho-social support to victims and human rights defenders, strategic litigation, advocacy with Parliament and oversight bodies, initiatives to prevent and respond to gender-based violence and discrimination, and actions to protect and enlarge civic space online and offline.

Ineligible Activities and Actions

The following are ineligible:actions concerned only or mainly with individual sponsorships for workshops or scholarships for studies; actions that may result in human rights violations or significant adverse environmental or climate effects; actions including proselytising activities or supporting violence; actions supporting individual political parties; actions consisting exclusively or primarily in capital expenditures or equipment procurement for applicants; actions focusing exclusively on research; actions with mainly legal fees activities; and actions that may result in human rights violations or adverse environmental or climate effects.

Budget and Cost Eligibility

Eligible Costs

Eligible costs include human resources (salaries, per diems), travel, equipment and supplies, project office costs (rent, consumables, services), other costs and services (publications, studies, evaluation, translation, conferences), and volunteers work. Indirect costs may be claimed as a flat rate not exceeding 7% of direct eligible costs excluding project office and volunteer costs. A contingency reserve of up to 5% of direct eligible costs may be included with prior written authorisation from the contracting authority.

Ineligible Costs

Ineligible costs include debts and debt service charges, provisions for losses or future liabilities, costs financed by another EU action, purchases of land or buildings except where necessary for direct action implementation with ownership transfer, currency exchange losses, in-kind contributions except volunteers work, bonuses in staff costs, negative interest charges, credit to third parties, and salary costs of national administration personnel. Taxes including VAT are eligible only if the beneficiary cannot reclaim them and can provide proof.

Application Process

Registration Requirements

Lead applicants, co-applicants and affiliated entities other than natural persons must register in PADOR (online database for organisations) and obtain a unique EuropeAid ID. Registration in the Participant Register is also mandatory. If online registration is impossible for technical or security reasons, applicants must submit the PADOR offline registration form with their application.

Application Submission

Applications must be submitted online via PROSPECT. The application consists of a concept note and full application form submitted together. Only concept notes will be evaluated initially, with pre-selected applicants then having their full applications evaluated. Applications must be in English and must include all required supporting documents by the deadline.

Required Supporting Documents

Applicants must submit:statutes or articles of association of the lead applicant, co-applicants and affiliated entities; declaration on honour certifying non-exclusion status for grants exceeding €15,000; for action grants exceeding €750,000, an external audit report or self-declaration certifying account validity for the last three financial years; and a copy of the lead applicant's latest accounts. These documents must be originals with blue ink signatures, photocopies, or scanned versions, and must be in English or translated into English if in other official EU languages.

Evaluation and Selection Process

Step 1: Administrative Checks and Concept Note Evaluation

Applications are checked for deadline compliance and completeness. Concept notes are evaluated on relevance (20 points) and design (30 points) for a maximum of 50 points. Only concept notes scoring at least 30 points are considered for pre-selection. Pre-selected applications are those whose total requested contributions equal at least 300% of the available budget.

Step 2: Full Application Evaluation

Pre-selected applications are evaluated on financial and operational capacity (20 points), relevance (20 points), design (15 points), implementation approach (15 points), sustainability (15 points), and budget and cost-effectiveness (15 points) for a maximum of 100 points. Applications scoring less than 12 points in financial and operational capacity or scoring 1 in any subsection are rejected. The highest scoring applications are provisionally selected until the available budget is reached, with remaining applications placed on a reserve list.

Step 3: Eligibility Verification

Eligibility verification is performed only for provisionally selected applications and those on the reserve list. The contracting authority verifies applicant eligibility based on supporting documents and checks for exclusion criteria. Any rejected application is replaced by the next best-placed application on the reserve list within the available budget.

Cross-Cutting Issues and Requirements

All proposals must integrate human rights-based approaches, gender equality and women's empowerment, inclusion and leave no one behind principles, environmental sustainability and climate resilience with just transition focus, ESG and business and human rights standards, and digitalisation with data protection safeguards. Proposals must address the specific needs of marginalised groups including women and girls, youth, persons with disabilities, LGBTIQ+ persons, migrants and refugees, and communities affected by the Just Energy Transition.

Grant Contract and Implementation

Successful applicants will be offered a grant contract based on the standard grant contract template. The contract specifies implementation period, financing arrangements, reporting and payment schedules, and contractual obligations. Beneficiaries must ensure visibility of EU funding through prominent display of the EU emblem and funding statement in accordance with EU guidelines. Derogations from visibility obligations may be permitted in exceptional cases due to security or local political sensitivities, subject to prior agreement with the EU.

Key Dates and Timeline

Important Considerations for Applicants

Applicants should register in PADOR well in advance and not wait until the last minute. The IT support team is available Monday to Friday 08:30-18:30 Brussels time. Questions may be sent by email to DELEGATION-S-AFRICA-CALL-FOR-PROPOSALS@eeas.europa.eu no later than 21 days before the deadline. All questions and answers are published on the DG International Partnerships website and the Funding and Tenders Portal. Applicants are advised to consult these websites regularly for updates. The contracting authority reserves the right to cancel the call at any stage. Lead applicants may not submit more than one application per lot and may not be awarded more than one grant per lot, though they may be co-applicants or affiliated entities in other applications of the same lot.

Compliance and Ethical Requirements

Applicants must comply with environmental legislation and core labour standards as defined in International Labour Organisation conventions. They must commit to and ensure respect for fundamental EU values including human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law and human rights. The European Commission applies zero tolerance for sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment. Successful applicants other than natural persons, pillar-assessed entities and governments must complete a self-evaluation questionnaire on sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment for grants exceeding €60,000. Applicants must comply with anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws and regulations. Unusual commercial expenses may result in contract termination or exclusion from EU funding.

Footnotes

1. 1The call implements three complementary EU cooperation frameworks: the Promoting and protecting human rights and democracy at country level Multiannual Action Plan 2025-2027 under the Human Rights and Democracy thematic programme, the Support to Civil Society in Partner Countries Multiannual Action Plan 2025-2027, and the South Africa Multiannual Indicative Programme 2021-2027. These frameworks are anchored in the EU Roadmap for Engagement with Civil Society, the Human Rights and Democracy Country Strategy for South Africa, and the Gender Action Plan III Country Level Implementation Plan extended until 2027.