Prévention contre les violences basée sur le genre (VBG) et autonomisation économique des femmes

This EU action grant NDICI EuropeAid supports civil society in Mauritania to prevent gender based violence and strengthen women and girls socioeconomic empowerment with a total budget of €2,270,000 split into two lots of €1,135,000. Eligible lead applicants are non profit civil society organisations with required operational experience and proposals must form a consortium including at least two local organisations, run for 24 to 36 months, and be submitted via PROSPECT with PADOR registration. Grant sizes range from €100,000 to €500,000 per project, EU funding may cover up to 95 percent of eligible costs with minimum 5 percent co financing and projects must allocate 30 to 40 percent of eligible costs as financial support to third parties. The call follows a two stage process with concept notes due by 23 April 2026 at 18:00 Brussels time.

Objet du financement

Résumé rapide

Appel à propositions de la Délégation de l’Union européenne en Mauritanie pour soutenir la prévention des violences basées sur le genre (VBG) et l’autonomisation socioéconomique des femmes et des filles. Deux lots thématiques complémentaires : Lot 1 prévention, protection et prise en charge des VBG ; Lot 2 promotion de l’entrepreneuriat et des activités génératrices de revenus pour les femmes.

Montant total disponible:Enveloppe indicative globale : €2 270 000. Subventions maximales par projet : €1 135 000 par lot. Cofinancement UE prévu jusqu’à 95% des coûts éligibles. Durée des actions : 24 à 36 mois.

1. 1Bénéficiaires éligibles : organisations de la société civile et leurs associations à but non lucratif ; fondations. Le porteur doit être une personne morale non lucrative.
2. 2Exigences de consortium : chaque projet doit impliquer un coordonnateur et au moins deux organisations locales ou organisations communautaires de base (OCB). Si le chef de file n’est pas établi en Mauritanie, la proposition doit inclure obligatoirement au moins un codemandeur établi en Mauritanie.
3. 3Conditions d’expérience : présence opérationnelle en Mauritanie d’au moins 3 ans et expérience opérationnelle pertinente d’au moins 5 ans. Expérience sectorielle requise : minimum 3 ans dans la prévention/prise en charge des VBG pour le Lot 1 ; 3 ans d’appui au développement d’activités économiques génératrices de revenus pour le Lot 2.
4. 4Modalités : procédure restreinte en deux étapes (soumission d’une note succincte de présentation puis demande complète pour les présélectionnés). Possibilité de soutien financier à des tiers (plafond indicatif €60 000 par tiers, mécanisme doit représenter 30–40% du budget total du projet).

Lieu d’exécution:exclusivement Mauritanie. Priorités : approches fondées sur les droits humains et l’égalité de genre, renforcement des capacités des OSC locales, synergies avec politiques publiques, et promotion de l’emploi et de l’entrepreneuriat féminin.

Date limite de soumission:Date limite pour la note succincte de présentation : 23 avril 2026 à 18:00 (heure de Bruxelles). Calendrier indicatif prévoit invitation aux demandes complètes fin mai 2026 pour les présélectionnés.

Soumission en ligne obligatoire via PROSPECT; enregistrement PADOR/registre des participants requis selon les étapes. Informations et documents liés à l’appel (lignes directrices, annexes) publiés sur le portail officiel Prospectus de l’appel ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Page de l’appel sur le portail Funding & Tenders (documents, formulaires et modalités de soumission disponibles).

This is a restricted EU external action call for proposals under the NDICI (budget line 14.020220; ACT-62807) targeting Mauritania. It supports civil society-led actions to prevent gender-based violence and to strengthen the socio-economic empowerment of women and girls, aligned with EU GAP III, NDICI 2021-2027, and national Mauritanian frameworks. The total indicative envelope is €2,270,000, split into two lots of up to €1,135,000 each. The call is two-stage (concept note, then full application), submitted online via PROSPECT with mandatory PADOR registration. Actions must take place in Mauritania and last 24–36 months. EU co-financing may cover up to 95% of eligible costs; at least 30–40% of each project’s eligible costs must be re-granted as financial support to third parties.

Programme alignment and context

The action fits within the EU’s support to civil society in Mauritania to advance human rights, gender equality, and women’s and girls’ empowerment. It aligns with: the 2021–2027 MIP for Mauritania; NDICI 2021–2027; EU Gender Action Plan III (2021–2025); the EU Youth Action Plan in External Action (2022–2027); and the EU Delegation and Member States’ Civil Society Roadmap (2021–2025). Nationally, it complements Mauritania’s Strategic Plan to combat domestic violence (legal and institutional strengthening, organizational capacity, IEC/behaviour change, and victim support) and the national strategy for gender mainstreaming SNIG 2015–2025, as well as health sector priorities including PASS and PNDS. The approach is synergistic with government and Team Europe policy dialogue on gender equality, including enforcement of laws on rape and pedophilia, women’s land access, and reforms supporting women’s entrepreneurship.

Objectives, priorities, and lots

Overall objective:Contribute to the effective protection and promotion of human rights and gender equality and promote women’s entrepreneurship for the benefit of women and girls by strengthening the role, capacities, and anchorage of civil society organizations in Mauritania.

Specific objectives:OS1: Promote and strengthen prevention actions against GBV at local level, improving effective human rights of women and girls through prevention, protection, and access to existing mechanisms for integrated care, guidance, and redress. OS2: Promote and strengthen the socio-economic empowerment of women and girls in Mauritania by improving access to economic opportunities, support services, and mechanisms that enhance viability and sustainability of income-generating activities.

Thematic lots:Lot 1: Promotion and reinforcement of prevention actions against GBV at local level. Lot 2: Promotion and reinforcement of the socio-economic empowerment of women and girls in Mauritania.

Cross-cutting priorities for all proposals:1) Rights-based and gender equality approaches adapted to social, cultural, and territorial dynamics. 2) Capacity strengthening and anchorage of civil society organizations (especially local). 3) Synergy with national public policies and ongoing EU and partner interventions. 4) Promotion of economic development approaches and job creation mechanisms. Youth must be an essential stakeholder and beneficiary, and digital components must be integrated. Actions should support an enabling environment for women’s entrepreneurship and promote the social and solidarity economy against vulnerability and exclusion.

Expected approaches and required components

• Community-anchored approaches for awareness, prevention, protection, and effective rights access.
• Leveraging existing systems and services in education, health, social protection, employment, and economic inclusion.
• Individual and collective empowerment via entrepreneurship support, access to finance, and sustainable livelihoods.
• Mentoring and high-quality business development services responsive to women entrepreneurs’ needs.
• Capitalization and knowledge exchange, including on family context and savings dynamics.
• Selection process for women-led projects; capacity building on economic and entrepreneurial skills; business plan development; financing, implementation, and follow-up of selected projects.

Types of actions and activities

Eligible action duration and location:Duration: 24 to 36 months. Place of implementation: Mauritania (national territory). Actions must coordinate with authorities, development partners, and other CSOs in selected intervention zones.

Lot 1: Illustrative types of action:1) Targeted communication and awareness-raising engaging sector actors with emphasis on men and boys. 2) Community training on women’s rights in languages used in Mauritania. 3) Referral of survivors to integrated GBV services (USPEC, specialized CSOs). 4) Technical and organizational capacity building of CSOs for family and survivor follow-up and support. 5) Capacity strengthening of women, men, and youth community leaders (girls and boys) to combat GBV. Additional activities include engaging religious leaders, local authorities, political parties; sensitization in health and GBV care centers; strengthening youth clubs in schools and universities for rights promotion and anti-discrimination, including advocacy training and dialogue methods (including artistic forms).

Lot 2: Illustrative types of action:1) Develop sustainable income-generating opportunities for women and girls. 2) Strengthen entrepreneurial and socio-emotional skills (relationship, communication, negotiation) via mentoring, networking events, and workshops. 3) Support creation and sustainable growth of women-led SMEs and cooperatives through suitable and sustainable financing. 4) Equip production, storage, valorization, transformation, conservation, and commercialization units across sectors such as handicrafts, agriculture, livestock, aquaculture, blue economy, and renewable energy. 5) Facilitate market access and participation in promotion and commercialization events for local products. 6) Broker partnerships/contracts between women producers and commercialization structures. 7) Enable access to economic and financial information and opportunities; support banking or other savings systems. 8) Provide entrepreneurship training, incubation and/or acceleration, business management, marketing, commercialization techniques, business planning, financial education. 9) Offer advisory, mentoring, and proximity coaching in techno-economic management of SMEs. 10) Training for access to jobs and entrepreneurship in green and circular economy. 11) Technical training in production, transformation, and conservation in sectors such as sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, handicrafts, blue economy, and aquaculture.

Ineligible action types:Solely or mainly sponsoring participation of individuals in events; solely or mainly financing individual scholarships; actions potentially violating human rights in partner countries or with significant negative environmental or climate impact; stand-alone conferences not integrated in a broader action; actions consisting exclusively or mainly of infrastructure purchases (land, buildings, equipment, vehicles); proselytism; actions contrary to gender equality principles under the Mauritanian legal framework.

Consortium and stakeholder structure

Each project must involve a consortium or platform of civil society organizations including at least two local organizations or community-based organizations of women working on women’s entrepreneurship and economic empowerment. If the lead applicant is not legally established in Mauritania, the proposal must include at least one co-applicant legally established in Mauritania. Associates, contractors, and recipients of financial support to third parties (FSTP) are allowed under PRAG rules, each with distinct roles and constraints.

Eligibility of applicants and entities

Lead applicant:Must be a legal person; non-profit; belong to civil society organization categories and/or their associations, with priority to CSOs and/or their associations from partner countries; be effectively established or be nationals of eligible countries under NDICI rules (EU Member States; EEA; IPA III listed beneficiaries; Neighbourhood countries and Russia when applicable; ODA-recipient developing countries not in the G20 and OCTs; developing ODA-recipient G20 members and others where the action is financed under an instrument they participate in; countries granted reciprocal access; OECD members for contracts implemented in LDCs or Heavily Indebted Poor Countries); international organizations are exempt from the establishment obligation when eligible; act directly with co-applicants and any affiliated entities; meet PRAG exclusion criteria; have at least 5 years of relevant operational experience in Mauritania related to the call; have an operational presence in Mauritania for at least 3 years; for Lot 1: at least 3 years’ experience in GBV prevention and survivor support; for Lot 2: at least 3 years’ experience supporting women’s economic activities and income-generating activities.

Co-applicants and affiliated entities:Co-applicants share eligibility criteria with the lead and become beneficiaries if awarded. Foundations are also eligible as co-applicants. Affiliated entities must have a structural link with the applicant (control relationships or membership per Directive 2013/34/EU), pre-existing and independent of the action, and sign the affiliated entity declaration. Contractors and associates have distinct roles and cannot overlap with beneficiary roles.

Financial envelope, grant size, and co-financing

Financial support to third parties (FSTP):Mandatory range: 30% to 40% of the project’s total eligible costs must be allocated to FSTP. Maximum per third party: up to €60,000, with justified exceptions possible if objectives cannot otherwise be achieved. Implementers must define in the full application: overall and specific objectives, outputs, exhaustive eligible activity types, eligible recipient categories, transparent selection criteria, method to determine grant amounts, and the overall ceiling to be redistributed. Eligible FSTP recipients include: Mauritanian CSOs active in promoting women’s and girls’ rights; women-led groups, cooperatives, and SMEs; women’s community-based organizations.

Cost eligibility and budget rules

• Direct costs must comply with Article 14 of the General Conditions (Annex G).
• Contingency reserve up to 5% of estimated direct eligible costs, usable only with prior written authorization.
• Indirect costs (overheads) up to 7% of total estimated direct eligible costs (excluding volunteers and project office costs); not eligible if a beneficiary receives an EU operating grant.
• In-kind contributions are not eligible costs nor eligible as co-financing (except authorized volunteer costs at EU unit rates).
• Ineligible costs include: debt/interest; provisions for possible future losses; costs financed by other EU actions; land/building purchases unless indispensable and with end-of-action transfer; exchange losses; in-kind contributions (except volunteers); premiums in staff costs; negative bank interest; remuneration of national administration staff.

Application process, tools, and deadlines

Call structure and stages:Restricted call with two submission phases and three evaluation steps. Phase 1: Concept Note (Annex A.1) submitted online via PROSPECT in French. Phase 2: Full Application (Annex A.2) by invitation only, with Budget (Annex B) and Logframe (Annex C). Evaluation steps: 1) Administrative check and Concept Note assessment; 2) Full Application quality assessment including budget and capacity; 3) Final eligibility verification of applicants and affiliates based on supporting documents.

Submission systems and registration:Online submission via PROSPECT is mandatory, with automatic acknowledgments. Organizations must register in PADOR; lead at concept note stage and co-applicants/affiliates at full application stage. Registration in the European Commission Participant Register (PIC) is currently recommended and will become mandatory. In exceptional cases (technical, security, or confidentiality), paper submissions are permitted following strict packaging and addressing instructions. Language: French. Portal access: Funding & Tenders and PROSPECT.

Key links:Funding & Tenders opportunity page EU Funding & Tenders: Opportunity. Official Guidelines (FR) Lignes directrices à l’intention des demandeurs.

Contact and addresses for exceptional paper submissions:Delegation of the European Union in Mauritania, 42-163 Tevragh Zeina, B.P 213, Nouakchott, Mauritania. Email for queries and info session: DELEGATION-MAURITANIA-OSC@eeas.europa.eu. IT helpdesk for PROSPECT: ec-external-relations-application-support@ec.europa.eu.

Evaluation and award criteria

Concept Note evaluation (max 50 points):Assessed on relevance (20 points) and action design (30 points). A minimum of 40 points is required for preselection. Proposals are ranked, and invitations to submit full applications are issued up to 200% of the available budget by lot.

Full Application evaluation (max 100 points):Sections: 1) Financial and operational capacity (20; minimum 12 required; any score of 1 in a subsection leads to rejection); 2) Relevance (20); 3) Action design including logframe RACER indicators (15); 4) Implementation approach including M&E and third-party evaluation if applicable (15); 5) Sustainability and risk mitigation across financial, institutional, policy, environmental dimensions (15); 6) Budget and cost-effectiveness (15; cost-effectiveness scored double). Provisional selection follows ranking until budget exhaustion; a reserve list may be constituted.

Visibility, ethics, and compliance

• EU visibility is mandatory using the EU emblem and statements per the latest Communication and Visibility requirements for EU external actions; derogations may be requested for security/sensitivity reasons and must be agreed with the EU and reflected in the grant conditions.
• Zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment; self-assessment questionnaire (Annex L) required for grants above €60,000 for applicable entities.
• Compliance with environmental legislation and ILO core labor standards; anti-corruption, avoidance of extraordinary commercial expenses, conflict of interest rules, and EDES provisions apply.

Templates and application pack

• Annex A.1: Concept Note form with checklist and declaration of the lead applicant.
• Annex A.2: Full Application form with co-applicant mandates and affiliated entity declarations.
• Annex B: Budget (Excel) with detailed cost categories, contingency reserve, indirect costs, and, if used, Simplified Cost Options.
• Annex C: Logical Framework (Excel) with RACER indicators, baselines, targets, and data sources; provision for baseline studies if needed.
• Annex F: PADOR offline registration form (if online registration is not possible for technical/security reasons).
• Annex G: Standard Grant Contract, General Conditions, procurement rules (Annex IV), payment request template, narrative and financial reporting templates, ToR for expenditure verification and third-party evaluations (for financing not linked to costs), financial guarantee template, and asset transfer template.
• Annex H: Declaration of honour on exclusion and selection criteria.
• Annex J: Information on the tax regime applicable to grant contracts under the call.
• Annex K: Clarifications on financing not linked to costs.
• Annex L: Self-evaluation questionnaire on SEA-H (sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment).
• Per diem rates and project management guidance via International Partnerships resource pages.

Detailed categorization and structured extraction

Eligible Applicant Types:Civil society organizations and/or their associations; foundations as co-applicants; international organizations (establishment exemption applies when eligible); community-based organizations of women as third-party recipients under FSTP; women-led SMEs and cooperatives as third-party recipients under FSTP. Typical organizational forms include NGOs, CSOs, networks, federations, and platforms. Applicants must be non-profit legal persons. Public bodies may be associated but national administration staff costs are ineligible; private sector actors can be involved primarily as FSTP recipients or contractors, not as lead beneficiaries unless constituted as eligible non-profit CSOs in line with the call.

Funding Type:Grant. Modality is reimbursement of eligible costs (actual costs and/or simplified cost options). Includes mandatory re-granting component as financial support to third parties.

Consortium Requirement:Consortium required. Each proposal must involve a consortium or platform of CSOs and include at least two local organizations or community-based organizations of women working on women’s entrepreneurship and economic empowerment. If the lead is not established in Mauritania, at least one co-applicant must be legally established in Mauritania.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):Eligible applicant nationalities under NDICI: EU Member States; EEA and IPA III beneficiaries; Neighbourhood countries and the Russian Federation when applicable; ODA-recipient developing countries not in the G20 and OCTs; ODA-recipient G20 developing countries and others when participating under the instrument; countries granted reciprocal access by the Commission; OECD members for contracts implemented in an LDC or Heavily Indebted Poor Country. International organizations are eligible without the establishment condition. Actions must be implemented exclusively in Mauritania.

Target Sector:Human rights, gender equality, GBV prevention and protection, women’s socio-economic empowerment, entrepreneurship and MSME development, social and solidarity economy, green and circular economy, education and training, health and GBV services, social protection, employment and inclusion, agriculture and agri-food, livestock, aquaculture and blue economy, renewable energy, handicrafts, access to finance and business development services, digital inclusion.

Mentioned Countries:Mauritania. European Union is referenced as the funding body; broader geographic eligibility categories are defined by region and instruments rather than listing individual countries.

Project Stage:Implementation-focused development and deployment of services and support measures at local and national levels, including capacity building, awareness-raising, service delivery, entrepreneurship support, incubation/acceleration, market access facilitation, and investment in productive equipment. Projects include validation and demonstration of approaches in real-world settings and scale-up of existing women-led initiatives.

Funding Amount:Total envelope: €2,270,000. Maximum per lot: €1,135,000. EU co-financing: up to 95% of eligible costs. Mandatory FSTP component: 30–40% of each project’s eligible costs; up to €60,000 per third party (exceptions possible if justified).

Application Type:Restricted call with two sequential submissions: open concept note phase followed by invitation-only full application phase. Electronic submission via PROSPECT; French language. Paper submission permitted only in exceptional circumstances with strict procedures.

Nature of Support:Money. Beneficiaries receive grant funding to implement actions and to provide financial support to third parties. Non-financial services may be delivered by beneficiaries to target groups as part of funded actions but the opportunity itself provides financial support.

Application Stages:Two submission phases and three evaluation stages: 1) Administrative check and concept note evaluation; 2) Full application evaluation including budget and capacities; 3) Eligibility verification with supporting documents before award.

Success Rates:Not specified. The call preselects concept notes scoring at least 40/50 and invites a number of applicants up to 200% of the available budget per lot to submit full applications; final selection is based on ranking until budget exhaustion.

Co-funding Requirement:Yes. EU contribution may cover up to 95% of total eligible costs; at least 5% must be co-financed from non-EU sources. In-kind contributions do not count as co-financing. Indirect costs are eligible up to 7% of direct eligible costs if no EU operating grant is held.

Templates: structure of application forms:Concept Note (Annex A.1): project title, relevance to call objectives and priorities, context and needs analysis, target groups and final beneficiaries, indicative intervention logic and main activities, estimated EU contribution and co-financing percentage, visibility considerations, and declaration by lead applicant. Full Application (Annex A.2): detailed description of action with objectives, results, activities, workplan, risk and assumptions analysis, stakeholders, cross-cutting issues, M&E and evaluation plan, sustainability strategy, detailed budget (Annex B) and logical framework (Annex C) with RACER indicators and baseline/targets, co-applicant mandates, affiliated entity declarations, eligibility and exclusion declarations (Annex H), PADOR registration or offline forms (Annex F), and, where applicable, SEA-H self-assessment (Annex L). Reporting templates (Annex VI) and expenditure verification ToR (Annex VII) guide post-award obligations.

Administrative and technical notes

• Online info session: 17 March 2026, 10:00–12:00; preregister by 15 March 2026 via email with participant details; costs not reimbursed.
• Time zone: all PROSPECT dates and times are Brussels time; IT helpdesk operates Monday–Friday 08:30–18:30 Brussels time excluding EC holidays.
• One application per lead applicant; one grant per lead under this call; co-applicants/affiliates cannot participate in more than one application.
• Language of submission: French. Public-facing action title is published in the EU financial transparency system and should be clear, preferably in English, and descriptive of the project’s content.

Comprehensive summary

This EU external action call finances civil society-driven interventions in Mauritania to both prevent gender-based violence and to strengthen women’s and girls’ economic empowerment. With €2.27 million available across two lots, projects must run 24–36 months and be implemented nationally in Mauritania. Proposals must come from consortia/platforms of CSOs and include at least two local organizations or women’s community-based organizations working on women’s entrepreneurship and empowerment. If the lead is not Mauritania-established, at least one Mauritania-established co-applicant is mandatory. The call is tightly aligned with EU strategies (NDICI, GAP III, Youth Action Plan) and national frameworks (domestic violence plan, SNIG 2015–2025, health sector strategies), ensuring policy coherence and operational synergy.

Lot 1 emphasizes local GBV prevention through community sensitization, engaging men and boys, referrals to integrated care (USPEC and specialized CSOs), and capacity building of CSOs and youth clubs to promote rights and reduce discrimination. Lot 2 emphasizes women’s socio-economic empowerment through tailored financing and business support, equipping production and value-add units, market linkage and access, banking and savings support, entrepreneurship training and incubation/acceleration, and green/circular economy skills. Both lots integrate youth as essential stakeholders and embed digital components. A distinct value-added expectation is for systemic, transformational approaches that address structural barriers to women’s access to finance and technical assistance, demonstrate complementarity with existing initiatives, and deploy robust baseline and disaggregated indicators.

Financially, the EU may fund up to 95% of eligible costs, with at least 5% co-funding required from non-EU sources, and a significant, mandatory re-granting component: 30–40% of each project’s eligible costs must support third parties such as Mauritanian CSOs, women-led SMEs and cooperatives, and women’s CBOs, generally up to €60,000 per recipient (exceptions possible with justification). Cost eligibility follows PRAG, allowing a 5% contingency with prior authorization and 7% indirect costs, while excluding in-kind contributions as co-financing. The restricted process requires a French-language concept note via PROSPECT by 23 April 2026 (18:00 Brussels), followed by invited full applications with a detailed budget and logical framework. Evaluation applies rigorous relevance, design, capacity, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness criteria, with final eligibility verification before award and standard EU visibility, ethics, anti-fraud, and SEA-H safeguards. In short, this opportunity funds comprehensive, locally anchored, and scalable civil society interventions to reduce GBV and accelerate women’s economic agency across Mauritania, combining rights-based prevention and protection with market-oriented empowerment, financing, and enterprise development.

Funding Overview

This is an action grant call financed by the European Union through the NDICI instrument, supporting civil society organisations in Mauritania to promote human rights, gender equality, and women's empowerment. The call seeks to strengthen prevention of gender-based violence and support women's economic autonomy through locally-rooted, evidence-informed interventions that engage communities, civil society, and public institutions.

Reference Number:EuropeAid

Budget:€2,270,000 total budget available

Application Deadline:23 April 2026 at 18:00 Brussels time

Programme Objectives and Priorities

The call has two specific objectives aligned with Mauritania's national strategic plans for combating violence against women and institutionalising gender equality. The overall goal is to improve effective protection and promotion of human rights and gender equality, and promote women's entrepreneurship, particularly for women and girls, through strengthening the role, capacities and anchoring of civil society organisations in Mauritania.

Specific Objective 1 (OS1):Promote and strengthen prevention actions against gender-based violence at the local level. Actions should improve the effective realisation of human rights for women and girls through prevention, protection, and access to existing mechanisms for support, referral, and recourse regarding gender-based violence.

Specific Objective 2 (OS2):Promote and strengthen socioeconomic empowerment of women and girls. Actions should increase women's economic autonomy by facilitating access to economic opportunities, support services, and mechanisms contributing to the viability and sustainability of their income-generating activities.

Four cross-cutting priorities must guide all proposals:promotion of human rights and gender equality approaches accounting for social and cultural dynamics; strengthening civil society organisational capacity and local anchoring; seeking complementarities and synergies with national policies and existing EU interventions; and promoting economic development approaches and job creation support mechanisms.

Two Funding Lots

Lot 1: Prevention and Strengthening of Actions Against Gender-Based Violence at Local Level:Indicative budget: €1,135,000. Aims to strengthen prevention and support for gender-based violence victims through multidimensional approaches combining awareness-raising, protection, and rights access. Proposals should demonstrate anchoring in local realities and capacity to mobilise communities, local authorities, civil society organisations, and key actors. Eligible activity types include awareness campaigns targeting stereotypes and harmful socio-cultural practices; sensitivity training in health and community GBV response centres; capacity building for youth clubs engaged in rights promotion; and strengthening civil society and community leaders' technical and organisational capacities to support victims. Special attention will be given to innovative, context-adapted approaches and engagement with men and boys as agents of change.

Lot 2: Promotion and Strengthening of Socioeconomic Empowerment of Women and Girls:Indicative budget: €1,135,000. Supports sustainable income-generating initiatives for women and girls through entrepreneurship development, capacity building, and market facilitation. Eligible activity types include supporting existing women-led small and medium enterprises and cooperatives; financing well-structured or high-impact entrepreneurial initiatives; providing equipment for production, processing, and commercialisation; facilitating market access and participation in trade promotion events; facilitating partnerships between women producers and commercial structures; improving access to financial services and banking; strengthening entrepreneurial and socio-affective skills through mentoring, networking, and workshops; and supporting creation and sustainable development of women-led SMEs and cooperatives through adapted financing. Special emphasis on linking initiatives to employment opportunities in green economy and circular economy sectors.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible Applicants:Lead applicants must be legal entities with no profit motive, belonging to the following categories: civil society organisations, their associations, or foundations. Co-applicants must meet the same criteria. All applicants must be effectively established in or nationals of eligible countries, including EU Member States, developing countries on the OECD official development assistance list, and countries with reciprocal access agreements. Lead applicants must have at least five years of operational experience in Mauritania in domains related to the call's objectives, operational presence in Mauritania for minimum three years, and for Lot 1 minimum three years' experience in GBV prevention and support; for Lot 2 minimum three years' experience supporting economic activities and income generation for women.

Consortium Requirements:Each proposal must involve a consortium or platform of civil society organisations with at least two local organisations or grassroots community organisations working in women's entrepreneurship and economic empowerment. If the lead applicant is not legally established in Mauritania, at minimum one co-applicant must be legally established there. Lead applicants cannot submit more than one proposal and cannot be awarded more than one grant in this call, though they may be co-applicants or affiliated entities in other proposals.

Ineligible Actors and Activities:Natural persons are ineligible (except self-employed sole traders). EU bodies except the Joint Research Centre are ineligible. Ineligible action types include those consisting solely or primarily of sponsoring participation in workshops or conferences; individual study or training scholarships; actions violating human rights or with notable negative environmental or climate impacts; isolated conferences; actions composed exclusively or mainly of infrastructure costs; actions involving proselytism; and actions contrary to the principle of equality between women and men.

Funding Amounts and Conditions

Grant Size:Minimum grant per project: €100,000. Maximum grant per project: €500,000 (€1,135,000 maximum per lot). Grants must be 95 percent maximum of total eligible costs. The remaining 5 percent minimum must come from co-financing from non-EU sources.

Financial Support to Third Parties:Lead applicants may provide financial support to third parties (civil society organisations, women-led SMEs, cooperatives, grassroots community organisations) between 30 and 40 percent of total project eligible costs. Support structures must cover multiple funding levels to reach both small-scale initiatives and more established organisations. Maximum €60,000 per beneficiary unless objectives would be impossible or excessively difficult otherwise.

Eligible Costs:Direct eligible costs include staff, travel, equipment, services, and operational expenses. Indirect costs are eligible up to 7 percent maximum of total estimated direct eligible costs. A contingency reserve of maximum 5 percent of direct costs may be included, usable only with written administration approval. Ineligible costs include debt and interest; provisions for future losses; costs financed by other EU actions; land or property purchases unless essential for direct action implementation; exchange losses; in-kind contributions except volunteer labour; personnel premiums; negative interest from banks; and administrative salaries.

Project Duration and Geographic Scope

Duration:Projects must run minimum 24 months and maximum 36 months.

Geographic Scope:Actions must be implemented throughout Mauritania's national territory in perfect synergy and complementarity with other initiatives by authorities, development partners, and civil society organisations operating in target zones.

Application Process

This is a two-stage competitive call. Applicants must first submit brief presentation notes evaluated on relevance and design. Shortlisted lead applicants are then invited to submit complete applications evaluated on financial and operational capacity, relevance, design quality, implementation approach, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness. The European Commission reserves the right to reallocate unused funds between lots if insufficient quality proposals are received.

Stage 1: Brief Presentation Notes:Lead applicants must submit brief presentation notes via the PROSPECT online system (webgate.ec.europa.eu) providing estimated EU contribution and indicative percentage of co-financing. Notes are evaluated on proposal relevance to call objectives and country needs, target beneficiary clarity and strategic selection, and value-added elements such as innovation or complementarity with existing actions. Maximum score: 50 points. Only proposals scoring minimum 40 points proceed to shortlisting. Shortlisted proposals are selected based on ranking until cumulative requested contributions equal 200 percent of available budget.

Stage 2: Complete Applications:Shortlisted lead applicants submit detailed proposals including complete application form, detailed budget, logical framework, activity matrices, risk analysis, monitoring plan, and evaluation strategy. Complete applications are evaluated on financial and operational capacity (20 points); relevance (20 points); design quality (15 points); implementation approach (15 points); sustainability (15 points); and budget and cost-effectiveness (15 points). Maximum score: 100 points. Minimum score for financial and operational capacity section: 12 points, with no single sub-criterion below 1 point, otherwise automatic rejection.

Stage 3: Eligibility Verification:Top-ranked applicants and those on reserve list undergo final eligibility verification based on supporting documents including organisation statutes, financial statements, external audit reports for grants exceeding €750,000, declarations on exclusion criteria, and CV documentation.

Key Submission Requirements

• Lead applicants must register in PADOR (online participant database) with unique EuroAid ID before submission. Co-applicants and affiliated entities register at complete application stage.
• Mandatory online submission via PROSPECT system for brief notes and complete applications. Paper submissions only accepted in exceptional circumstances with documented technical or security reasons.
• Brief notes must be submitted in French by 23 April 2026, 18:00 Brussels time.
• Complete application deadline to be announced to shortlisted applicants, typically 13 July 2026.
• Supporting documents must be submitted with complete applications including organisation statutes, signed exclusion criteria declarations for grants exceeding €15,000, and financial documentation per eligibility thresholds.
• All documents not in EU official languages must be translated to French. French versions of documents in other EU official languages are strongly recommended.
• Proposals must clearly define implementation modalities, partner roles, activity timelines, and budget allocation by activity and cost category.

Important Conditions and Requirements

Ethics and Values:Applicants must have no conflicts of interest and must respect EU fundamental values including human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law, and human rights. The European Commission applies zero tolerance for misconduct including sexual exploitation, abuse, harassment, and violence. Selected applicants (and affiliated entities) must self-assess their internal policies against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment using provided questionnaire for grants exceeding €60,000. All beneficiaries must comply with environmental legislation, international labour standards, anti-corruption laws, and must ensure EU visibility as co-funder through correct display of EU emblem and funding declaration.

Visibility Requirements:All funded actions must ensure visible attribution of EU funding according to Commission communication guidelines. Exceptions may be granted in exceptional circumstances due to security concerns or local sensitivities, to be negotiated case-by-case with the EU delegation. Visibility obligations are most current standards defined at: Communication and Visibility Requirements

Expected Approaches:Proposals should mobilise community-based approaches targeting awareness, prevention, protection, and rights access; approaches leveraging existing systems and services in education, health, social protection, employment, and economic inclusion; individual and collective empowerment approaches including entrepreneurship support and sustainable livelihoods; mentoring and quality business development services for women entrepreneurs; knowledge capitalisation and exchange around family dynamics and savings mechanisms; meaningful youth engagement as essential participants and beneficiaries; digital integration across action components; promotion of female entrepreneurship through enabling environments; and social solidarity economy as protection against vulnerability and exclusion. All proposals must establish baseline with clear quantitative and qualitative indicators disaggregated by sex with specific targets and credible data sources.

Timeline

Evaluation Criteria for Brief Notes

Brief presentation notes are scored on two main areas:Proposal Relevance (20 points maximum) and Action Design (30 points maximum), for total of 50 points. Within Relevance, evaluators assess coherence with call objectives including whether expected results align with defined priorities; pertinence to country and sector-specific needs including gaps and absence of duplication; clear and strategic definition of target groups and final beneficiaries with identified needs and constraints; and value-added elements including innovation, complementarity with existing initiatives, and establishment of clear baseline with disaggregated gender-sensitive indicators. Within Design, evaluators assess intervention logic establishing clear result pathways from activities to products to outcomes to impacts; rigorous needs and stakeholder capacity analysis; clear assumptions and identified risks; activity lists linked to expected products; and integration of cross-cutting issues including environment and climate change, gender equality, disability inclusion, minority rights, youth engagement, and HIV/AIDS where relevant ¹.

Support and Contact Information

An online information session will be held on 17 March 2026 from 10:00-12:00 Brussels time. Applicants interested in attending should email DELEGATION-MAURITANIA-OSC@eeas.europa.eu before 15 March 2026 with participant names, nationalities, email addresses, and organisation name (maximum two participants per organisation). Participation fees are non-reimbursable. User manuals and learning videos are available at the PROSPECT portal for self-training before submission.

Questions and Clarifications:Applicants may send questions to DELEGATION-MAURITANIA-OSC@eeas.europa.eu minimum 21 days before relevant submission deadlines. Responses will be provided minimum 11 days before submission deadlines. No prior eligibility opinions are provided; all questions and answers are published on the DG International Partnerships website and Funding & Tenders Portal. Technical support for PADOR and PROSPECT systems should be directed to ec-external-relations-application-support@ec.europa.eu using the online help form. Support languages are English, French, and Spanish.

Physical Address for Postal Submissions:European Union Delegation in Mauritania, 42-163 Tevragh Zeina, B.P 213, Nouakchott, Mauritania. Online submission via PROSPECT is strongly preferred to avoid postal delays.

Key Success Factors for Applicants

• Strong local partnerships including minimum two grassroots community organisations working in relevant domains
• Demonstrated operational experience in Mauritania with proven track record in gender equality and/or economic empowerment
• Clear, evidence-based needs analysis and strategic beneficiary selection reflecting Mauritania's context
• Realistic budgets with appropriate cost allocations reflecting activity timelines and local costs
• Solid logical framework with specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound indicators disaggregated by sex
• Comprehensive risk analysis and realistic mitigation strategies
• Explicit complementarity and synergies with national policies and existing EU and partner interventions
• Innovation and transformational potential demonstrated through concrete examples or methodologies
• Strong sustainability mechanisms including financial, institutional, policy, and environmental dimensions
• Cost-effective approaches with clear rationale for budget allocations relative to expected results
• Meaningful engagement of youth and men as agents of change, not just objects of reform
• Digital integration and use of modern tools and systems
• Structured mechanisms for sub-grant distribution balancing small-scale and larger initiatives

Footnotes

1. 1The complete evaluation grid with detailed scoring descriptors is provided in the application guidelines Annex A.1. A score of 5 (very good) is awarded only when proposals address specifically more than the minimum number of required priorities listed in call objectives section.