Renforcement des organisations de la société civile à Djibouti

EU Action Grant EuropeAid to strengthen civil society organisations in Djibouti, supporting local CSOs and community organisations to enhance governance, policy dialogue and socio-economic empowerment. Total envelope €962,000 with individual grant requests between €450,000 and €481,000 covering 70–90% of eligible costs (up to 95% if all applicants established in Djibouti), project duration 36–48 months. Restricted two-stage call: submit a concept note via the PROSPECT portal by 16 April 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time, shortlisted applicants will be invited to submit full applications and lead applicants must be non-profit NGOs registered in PADOR. Thematic priorities include strengthening CSO participation in public action and advocacy, building capacities for regional development plan implementation, and promoting economic and social empowerment of women, youth and vulnerable groups.

Type d'action

Aperçu rapide

Appel à propositions EuropeAid (Action Grants) visant à renforcer les organisations de la société civile locales et communautaires à Djibouti pour améliorer leur participation au dialogue public, leurs capacités opérationnelles et l'autonomisation économique des femmes et des jeunes.

Qui peut postuler:Organisations non lucratives personne morale (OSC/ONG) établies ou opérant à Djibouti ou dans les pays éligibles listés par l'UE; les demandeurs chef de file doivent s'enregistrer dans PADOR et soumettre en ligne via PROSPECT. Les codemandeurs, entités affiliées et autorités locales sont autorisés sous conditions.

1. 1Priorité 1: renforcement de la participation des OSC au dialogue public et plaidoyer
2. 2Priorité 2: renforcement des capacités pour la mise en œuvre des plans régionaux de développement
3. 3Priorité 3: autonomisation économique et inclusion sociale de femmes, jeunes et groupes vulnérables

Montant disponible et modalités:Enveloppe indicative totale €962000. Subventions individuelles demandées entre €450000 et €481000. Cofinancement requis: entre 70% et 90% des coûts éligibles (jusqu'à 95% si tous les demandeurs sont établis à Djibouti). Durée des actions: 36 à 48 mois ¹.

Les candidats doivent fournir la note succincte en français via PROSPECT; les demandeurs présélectionnés seront invités à soumettre la demande complète et les pièces justificatives (statuts, comptes, formulaires PADOR, etc.).

Footnotes

1. 1Lignes directrices et formulaires (A1/A2, budget, cadre logique, annexes) disponibles sur le portail de l'appel: Documents officiels.

Grant call under the Thematic Programme for Civil Society Organisations of the European Union to strengthen civil society organisations in Djibouti. Managing authority: European Commission (DG INTPA). Programme budget line: 14.020220. Total envelope: €962,000. Call status: Open for submission. Call type: Restricted call for proposals with a two-step submission (concept note, then full application) and a three-step evaluation.

Official call page:EU Funding & Tenders Portal prospect details: EU F&T Portal Listing

Guidelines for applicants (EN):Lignes directrices à l’intention des demandeurs de subventions: Guidelines PDF

Key Dates and Modality

• Publication date: 02/03/2026
• Updated: 09/03/2026
• Concept note deadline: 16/04/2026 at 17:00 Brussels time (as per Section 1 cover page of guidelines); the indicative calendar table shows 15:00 Brussels; applicants must verify the exact cut-off on the portal ¹
• Information session: 10/03/2026 at Palais du Peuple, Djibouti (registration by 09/03/2026 to DELEGATION-DJIBOUTI-COOPERATION@eeas.europa.eu; max two participants per organisation).
• Invitation to submit full applications: 23/04/2026 (indicative).
• Full application deadline: 07/06/2026 at 15:00 Brussels (indicative).
• Award notification: 08/07/2026 (indicative).
• Contract signature: 11/11/2026 (indicative).

Call Objectives and Priorities

Overall objective:Contribute to the development of an organised civil society at local level in Djibouti.

Specific objective:Strengthen the engagement of local civil society organisations (CSOs), including community-based organisations (CBOs), as key actors of good governance and sustainable development in Djibouti.

Thematic priorities (proposals must address at least one):1) Strengthen CSO participation in public action, policy dialogue and advocacy at national level, and strategic advocacy at local level for adoption of public policies supporting community and sustainable development. 2) Build capacities of local CSOs for implementation of priorities of regional development plans in collaboration with regional councils. 3) Promote economic and social empowerment of women and youth, including vulnerable groups (NEET youth, refugees, migrants, persons with disabilities, orphans, out-of-school youth, single mothers), through economic activity and local job creation.

Methodological requirements to integrate in all actions:Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA) with the five working principles; gender mainstreaming aligned with EU Gender Action Plan III; SMART and RACER indicators aligned to OPSYS/institutional indicators; balance of qualitative and quantitative indicators; robust logical framework.

Scope, Sectors, Activities and Location

Eligible sectors/themes:1. Inclusive local governance. 2. Social inclusion and addressing specific needs of vulnerable groups. 3. Civic participation (policy dialogue, advocacy, consultation mechanisms). 4. Entrepreneurship/VET/Digital. 5. Economic empowerment and social inclusion of women, youth and vulnerable groups, refugees. 6. Water and sanitation / climate change effects / renewable energy. 7. Gender and youth as cross-cutting in all sectors.

Illustrative eligible activities:Networking and exchange platforms for CSO advocacy and impact; enabling CBO participation in public policy dialogue and decision-making; financial support to third parties (sub-grants) with capacity building; inclusion of marginalised groups (women, youth, persons with disabilities, sex workers); inclusion and democratic participation of persons with disabilities; support to set up public services, advocacy, and dialogue frameworks between CSOs and local/national authorities; micro-project implementation; waste management; initiatives to strengthen participation of organisations of persons with disabilities in local development; mechanisms to retain rural girls in secondary school.

Ineligible activities (non-exhaustive):Actions mainly or solely for sponsoring participation in events; actions mainly or solely for individual scholarships; actions that can lead to human rights violations or significant negative environmental/climate impacts; one-off conferences not embedded in a broader programme; actions exclusively or primarily consisting of capital expenditures except in duly justified cases; discriminatory actions; support to individual political parties; proselytism.

Place of implementation:Djibouti city and the five interior regions of the Republic of Djibouti.

Budget, Grant Size, Duration, and Co-financing

Simplified cost options and budget rules:Permitted with clear justification and methods; indirect costs up to 7% of eligible direct costs (excluding volunteers and project office costs); contingency up to 5% with prior written authorisation; ineligible costs include debts and interest, provisions, double-funded costs, land/building purchases except if essential with transfer of ownership, exchange losses, in-kind contributions (except eligible volunteer time per EU unit costs), salary bonuses, negative interest, loans to third parties, salaries of national administrations.

Financial support to third parties (sub-grants to local actors):Allowed with a typical maximum of €60,000 per third party, unless duly justified to exceed. The full SFT scheme must be detailed in the full application (objectives, eligible activity types, eligible recipient categories, selection and award criteria, amount determination criteria, total redistributed amount). SFT must be transparent, inclusive, ensure equal treatment, include measures against conflicts of interest, and include a substantial capacity-building component and robust monitoring and reporting arrangements.

Eligibility and Partnership Requirements

Eligible applicant types (legal and organisational profile):Non-profit legal persons that are non-governmental organisations or civil society organisations. Djiboutian CSOs must be effectively registered in Djibouti as national or international associations. Applicants must have proven expertise in the intervention sectors and demonstrated management and operational capacities. They must act directly in preparation and implementation, not as intermediaries, and must not be in an exclusion situation under PRAG.

Co-applicants and other roles:Co-applicants must meet the same eligibility criteria as the lead. Public sector operators, local authorities, and their associations may participate as co-applicants. Associates may take part in activities but cannot receive grant funds other than per diems and travel; they are not required to meet eligibility criteria. Contractors are subject to procurement rules and cannot be applicants/associates. Affiliated entities are allowed when a structural link exists (control or membership), and must meet eligibility criteria; they are not beneficiaries but their costs can be eligible under the grant.

Consortium requirement:Conditional. A Djibouti-established CSO as lead may apply alone or with co-applicants. If the lead applicant is not a Djiboutian CSO, having at least one co-applicant is mandatory.

Geographic eligibility for applicants (establishment):Applicants must be effectively established in one of the following: an EU Member State; Djibouti; an EEA country; IPA II beneficiary countries; ODA-eligible countries and territories not members of the G20 (per OECD DAC list); Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) as per Council Decision 2013/755/EU; OECD Member States. Establishment is determined by statutes showing incorporation under eligible country law and registered seat in an eligible country.

Compliance, Ethics, and Cross-cutting Requirements

• Respect for EU values: human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law, human rights including minority rights.
• Zero tolerance policy on sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (SEA-H). For grants above €60,000, applicants and co-applicants (except individuals, pillar-assessed entities, and public bodies) must complete the self-evaluation questionnaire (Annex L).
• Environmental law compliance including Multilateral Environmental Agreements; core ILO labour standards.
• Anti-corruption obligations; rejection or termination in case of extraordinary commercial expenses or corruption.
• EDES: Applicants may be checked under the Early Detection and Exclusion System.

How to Apply

Submission channel:Online submission via PROSPECT is mandatory: PROSPECT submission portal.

Organisation registration:PADOR registration is mandatory for lead at concept note stage and for co-applicants and affiliates at full application stage: PADOR. Registration in the European Commission Participant Register is mandatory for leads and co-applicants; obtaining a 9-digit PIC is currently recommended and will become mandatory: Participant Register.

Language:Applications must be submitted in French.

Application type and stages:Restricted call with two submission stages: 1) Concept Note (Annex A.1), 2) Full Application (Annex A.2) upon invitation. Evaluation proceeds in three steps: administrative check and concept note evaluation; full application evaluation; eligibility verification of applicants and affiliates.

Concept Note content highlights (Annex A.1):Title and public objective text; relevance to programme objectives and priorities; problem analysis and needs; target groups and final beneficiaries; added value including innovation, complementarity, Team Europe synergies; indicative activities; indicative results and outcomes; estimated EU contribution and indicative co-financing percentage within allowed ranges; lead profile; brief on co-applicants/associates; signed lead applicant declaration (Annex A.1 Section 2). No detailed budget at this stage.

Full Application package (upon invitation) — required components:Annex A.2 Full Application Form; Annex B Detailed Budget (Excel) including justification of estimated costs and any simplified cost options; Annex C Logical Framework (Excel) with SMART and RACER indicators, baselines, targets, sources; Annex H Declaration of honour on exclusion and selection criteria; PADOR registration or Annex F offline PADOR forms with supporting documents if online registration not possible; statutes or constitutive acts of lead, co-applicants, affiliates; for financial capacity: most recent financial statements and, where required, an external audit report; any visibility or communication derogation requests; SEA-H Annex L (for grants above €60,000). All to be submitted via PROSPECT and uploaded in PADOR where instructed.

Evaluation and award criteria (selection and award):Concept Note scored out of 50 on relevance and action design; threshold of 30 points for preselection and a shortlist up to 200% of available budget. Full Application scored out of 100 covering financial and operational capacity, relevance, design and logical framework quality, implementation approach, sustainability, budget and cost-effectiveness. If Section 1 (capacity) < 12/20 or any of its sub-sections scores 1/5, the proposal is rejected. Provisional selection followed by eligibility verification and final award decision by the Contracting Authority.

Administrative and Contractual Templates

• Annex A.1 Grant application form — Concept Note
• Annex A.2 Grant application form — Full Application
• Annex B — Budget (with cost justifications and optional simplified cost options)
• Annex C — Logical Framework (results, indicators, baselines, targets, sources)
• Annex D — Identification Forms (public bodies / private or public with legal form / natural person) for identification processes
• Annex F — PADOR offline registration form
• Annex G — Standard Grant Contract (including General Conditions, procurement rules Annex IV, payment request template Annex V, narrative and financial report templates Annex VI, audit ToR Annex VII-A, non-costed financing ToR Annex VII-B, financial guarantee template Annex VIII, asset transfer template Annex IX)
• Annex H — Declaration of honour on exclusion and selection criteria
• Annex J — Information on tax regime applicable to grant contracts
• Annex K — Clarifications on financing not linked to costs
• Annex L — Self-evaluation questionnaire on SEA-H
• Daily subsistence allowance rates: EU per diem rates

Categorisation and Structured Extraction

Eligible Applicant Types:Civil society organisation; non-governmental organisation; nonprofit; local CSO/CBO; associations; foundations and networks that meet CSO/NGO definitions; public sector operators and local authorities as co-applicants; research institutes or universities if organised as non-profit CSOs; international organisations may be subject to specific derogations and rules. Individuals are not eligible as applicants.

Funding Type:Grant. Action grants under the EU Thematic Programme for Civil Society Organisations, using reimbursement of eligible costs and/or simplified cost options. May include financial support to third parties (sub-grants) within the project.

Consortium Requirement:Conditional. Single applicant allowed only if the lead is a Djibouti-established CSO. If the lead is not a Djiboutian CSO, at least one co-applicant is mandatory. Public authorities may act as co-applicants; associates allowed without funding except per diem and travel.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):Applicants must be established in an EU Member State, Djibouti, an EEA country, an IPA II beneficiary, ODA-eligible non-G20 countries and territories (per OECD DAC), OCTs under Council Decision 2013/755/EU, or OECD Member States. Project activities must be implemented in Djibouti (Djibouti city and five interior regions).

Target Sector:Civil society strengthening; governance; human rights and democracy; social inclusion; youth and gender; education and vocational training; entrepreneurship and digital; humanitarian-social interfaces; water, sanitation and hygiene; climate change adaptation and renewable energy; local economic development and job creation.

Mentioned Countries:Djibouti. Regional references include the Horn of Africa and Gulf countries in context; eligibility references include EU Member States, EEA countries, IPA II beneficiaries, OCTs, and OECD Member States as groups.

Project Stage:Implementation and capacity building, including development and validation of approaches; policy dialogue and advocacy; demonstration and delivery of services and micro-projects; scale-up potential through replication and sub-granting. Not focused on basic research.

Funding Amount:Total call envelope €962,000. Individual grant size between €450,000 and €481,000. EU co-financing rate 70%–90% of total eligible costs; up to 95% if all applicants are established in Djibouti. Sub-grants to third parties up to €60,000 per third party unless duly justified to exceed.

Application Type:Restricted open call. Two-step competitive process via PROSPECT: open submission of concept notes; invitation-only submission of full applications by shortlisted applicants.

Nature of Support:Financial: grant funding. Non-financial obligations include visibility and communication requirements, HRBA and gender mainstreaming, monitoring and evaluation, SEA-H policy self-assessment.

Application Stages:2 submission stages (concept note, full application). 3 evaluation stages: Stage 1 administrative check and concept note evaluation; Stage 2 full application evaluation; Stage 3 eligibility verification and documentation check.

Success Rates:Not published. Shortlisting after concept note aims to reduce to a cumulative requested EU contribution of approximately 200% of the available budget before full application stage.

Co-funding Requirement:Yes. Applicants must co-finance the difference between total eligible costs and EU contribution. Standard co-financing band is 10%–30% of eligible costs (EU covers 70%–90%); reduced minimum co-funding down to 5% where all applicants are established in Djibouti (EU covers up to 95%). Co-funding cannot originate from the EU budget or EDF; other donors and applicants’ own resources are allowed.

Operational, Monitoring, and Visibility Requirements

• Logical framework with SMART and RACER indicators, baselines, targets, credible data sources.
• Monitoring and reporting: narrative and financial reports per Annex VI; verification of expenditures per Annex VII where applicable; potential third-party evaluations for non-costed financing.
• Procurement by beneficiaries and affiliates must follow Annex IV rules.
• EU visibility: emblem and funding statement per current communication and visibility requirements for EU external actions; case-by-case derogations possible for security or political sensitivity with prior agreement and inclusion in the application.

Applicant Experience and Comparative Advantages

Proposals demonstrating the following will be comparatively advantaged in selection:proven expertise in sectors such as advocacy, policy dialogue, humanitarian and social action, digital, water, hygiene and sanitation, local governance, human rights, and innovative approaches to policy dialogue and public policy monitoring; strong project management experience with development partners and the EU, including positive prior performance with the EU Delegation; robust management and operational capacities including qualified human resources profiles, financial management capacity, and backstopping capability; ability to mobilise non-EU funding; capacity to sustain actions beyond EU funding.

Templates: Practical Outline for Applicants

Annex A.1 Concept Note — indicative structure:1) Title and public objective text. 2) Relevance to the call’s objectives and priorities; problem and context analysis; alignment with EU and Djibouti roadmaps. 3) Target groups and final beneficiaries; inclusivity, HRBA, gender. 4) Added value: innovation, complementarity, Team Europe synergies, scalability. 5) Objectives: overall and specific (passive voice), expected results. 6) Indicative activities and methodology, including cross-cutting issues and risk analysis. 7) Indicative location and duration (36–48 months). 8) Estimated EU contribution and % co-financing. 9) Lead applicant profile; co-applicants/associates summary. 10) Signed declaration of the lead applicant.

Annex A.2 Full Application — indicative structure:Section 1: Description of the action — context, needs, stakeholder analysis, HRBA, gender analysis; objectives hierarchy; detailed activities; methodology; risk and assumptions; M&E plan; sustainability and exit strategy; visibility and communication; environmental and climate considerations; safeguarding and SEA-H measures. Section 2: Logical Framework (Annex C) — impact, outcomes, outputs; indicators with baselines, targets, sources; risks/assumptions. Section 3: Budget (Annex B) — detailed lines, justifications, simplified cost options if any; co-funding sources; SFT scheme breakdown. Section 4: Applicants — lead, co-applicants, affiliates; roles and capacities; previous relevant experience; administrative data including PADOR IDs and PICs. Section 5: Declarations — lead and co-applicant mandates; affiliates’ declarations; Annex H declaration of honour on exclusion and selection criteria; visibility derogation request if applicable; SEA-H Annex L for grants above €60,000. Annexes: statutes/constitutive acts; latest financial statements; audit report where required; PADOR offline forms if applicable.

Annex B Budget — structure and notes:Worksheet 1: Summary budget; Worksheet 2: Detailed budget by cost categories and outputs; second column must justify estimated costs and methods for any unit costs or lump sums; identification of SFT envelope and management/capacity-building costs; contingency line up to 5% subject to prior approval; indirect costs up to 7%. Co-funding and revenue table specifying non-EU sources.

Annex C Logical Framework — structure:Impact, outcomes, outputs with SMART and RACER indicators; baselines and targets with years; means of verification; risks and assumptions; cross-cutting indicators for gender and inclusion; OPSYS-aligned institutional indicators where relevant.

PADOR and Participant Register checklist:Create or update PADOR profiles for lead at concept note and for all entities by full application; upload statutes, financial statements, audit report if required; obtain PIC in Participant Register and associate it with your organisation profile; ensure consistency across PROSPECT, PADOR, and Participant Register.

Submission checklist highlights:Concept note: correct language (French), complete fields per Annex A.1, signed lead declaration, submitted via PROSPECT before deadline. Full application: Annex A.2 form complete; Annex B budget and justifications; Annex C logframe; Annex H signed; PADOR documents uploaded (or Annex F offline forms with supporting documents if applicable); statutes/constitutive acts; latest financials and audit if required; SEA-H Annex L if applicable; submission via PROSPECT before deadline.

Contextual Rationale

The action aligns with the EU’s 2012 Communication on Civil Society, the 2017 European Consensus on Development, and the NDICI-Global Europe Thematic Programme for CSOs (MIP 2021–2027 and MAP 2025–2027). It supports Djibouti’s legal and policy environment reform for CSOs following Law No. 107/AN/24/9e L adopted on 7 March 2024, and the EU–Djibouti multiannual partnership priorities: clean and resilient city, strong institutions, and youth for growth. It leverages Global Gateway priorities in energy, transport, and digital, and the EU roadmap for engagement with CSOs in Djibouti (2022–2027) focusing on enabling environment, capacity development, and participation in public policy cycles.

Summary and Explanation

This opportunity is an EU action grant call to strengthen civil society in Djibouti. It finances 36–48 month projects led by non-profit CSOs/NGOs with strong management and sectoral expertise, aiming to enhance CSO participation in governance and policy dialogue, build capacities to implement regional development priorities, and promote the socio-economic empowerment of women, youth, and vulnerable groups. Projects must take place in Djibouti (capital and interior regions) and can include sub-granting to grassroots actors, with a typical cap of €60,000 per third party. The call strongly emphasises a Human Rights-Based Approach, gender mainstreaming per GAP III, and robust logframes with SMART and RACER indicators aligned to EU systems. The total call envelope is €962,000, with per-project EU contributions between €450,000 and €481,000, covering 70%–90% of eligible costs, and up to 95% if all applicants are established in Djibouti. It is a restricted call: applicants first submit a concise concept note via PROSPECT; shortlisted leads are invited to submit a full application with budget and logframe, and then undergo eligibility verification. Applicants must register in PADOR and in the EC Participant Register. Proposals with demonstrated advocacy, governance, WASH, digital, and human rights experience, reliable management systems, the capacity to mobilise other funds, and credible sustainability will be strongest. This call is designed to create a more capable, inclusive, and networked civil society in Djibouti that can engage constructively with state institutions, deliver tailored local services, and contribute to sustainable development and social cohesion.

Footnotes

1. 1Deadline discrepancy: The guidelines front matter states 16/04/2026 at 17:00 Brussels time, while the indicative calendar table lists 15:00 Brussels for the same date, and the portal metadata shows 2026-04-16T15:00:20Z. Applicants should strictly follow the deadline displayed in the EU Funding & Tenders Portal submission interface at the time of submission to avoid late filing.

This is a restricted call for proposals to strengthen civil society organisations (CSOs) in Djibouti through EU action grants. The call aims to contribute to the development of organised civil society at the local level and to reinforce the engagement of local CSOs, including grassroots community organisations, as essential actors in good governance and sustainable development in Djibouti.

Key Funding Details

Total Budget Available:€962,000 total envelope for the call.

Grant Amount Range:Minimum €450,000 and maximum €481,000 per grant. Grants must represent between 70 percent and 90 percent of total eligible action costs, or up to 95 percent if all applicants are established in Djibouti.

Deadline for Concept Notes:16 April 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time (15:00 Djibouti time).

Project Duration:Between 36 and 48 months.

Who Can Apply

Lead applicants must be non-profit legal entities and non-governmental organisations. Lead applicants must be effectively established in an EU Member State, Djibouti, EEA countries, IAP II beneficiary countries, developing countries on the OECD DAC aid recipient list that are not G20 members, or overseas countries and territories. CSOs of Djiboutian law must be effectively registered in Djibouti as national or international associations. If the lead applicant is not a Djiboutian civil society organisation, it must have a co-applicant. Lead applicants must have proven expertise in intervention sectors and demonstrated management and operational capacities.

Co-applicants must meet the same eligibility criteria as the lead applicant. Public sector operators, local authorities and their associations may be co-applicants. Affiliated entities with structural links to lead applicants or co-applicants may participate. Partners, contractors and financial support recipients may also be involved under specific conditions.

Thematic Priorities

Proposals must address at least one of the following priorities:

• Strengthen participation of civil society organisations in public action, political dialogue and advocacy at national level, and strategic advocacy at local level, for adoption of public policies supporting community and sustainable development
• Strengthen capacities of local CSOs for implementation of regional development plan priorities in collaboration with regional councils
• Promote economic and social empowerment of women and youth, including vulnerable groups such as unemployed youth not in education or training, refugees, migrants, persons with disabilities, orphans, out-of-school children and single mothers, through economic development activities and local job creation

Eligible Sectors and Themes

Actions must relate to one or more of the following sectors or themes:

• Inclusive local governance
• Social inclusion and addressing specific needs of vulnerable groups
• Citizen participation including political dialogue, advocacy and consultation mechanisms
• Entrepreneurship, professional training and digital skills
• Economic and social empowerment of women, youth and vulnerable groups including refugees
• Water and sanitation, climate change effects and renewable energy
• Gender and youth as cross-cutting themes across all sectors

Eligible Activities

Eligible activities include creating exchange and networking opportunities for civil society to promote advocacy and impact activities; enabling community organisations to participate in public policy dialogue and decision-making processes; supporting local actors through financial support to third parties; integrating marginalised groups; supporting inclusion of persons with disabilities; establishing public services, advocacy and dialogue frameworks between CSOs and authorities; implementing micro-projects; waste management; and creating mechanisms to retain girls in secondary schools in rural areas.

Preference will be given to actions that strengthen dialogue and consultation with local and national authorities; use innovative approaches with potential for replication at larger scale including new information and communication technologies; and are complementary with other EU programme actions or Member State initiatives in Djibouti.

Ineligible Activities

The following are not eligible:actions consisting solely or mainly of sponsoring participation in workshops, seminars, conferences or congresses; actions consisting solely or mainly of financing individual study or training scholarships; actions that may lead to human rights violations or have significant negative environmental or climate impacts; single conferences unless part of a broader programme; actions consisting exclusively or primarily of capital expenditure such as land, buildings, equipment or vehicles purchase unless particularly justified; discriminatory actions based on sex, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnic origin or income level; support for individual political parties; and actions including proselytism.

Financial Support to Third Parties

Applicants may propose to provide financial support to third parties to contribute to action objectives. The maximum support per third party is €60,000, unless achieving action objectives would otherwise be impossible or excessively difficult. Applicants must clearly justify this approach, demonstrate its added value and explain how it integrates with other project activities. Capacity building of third parties must be a substantial component. Applicants must describe monitoring and reporting modalities for third party activities.

Eligible Costs

Eligible costs are direct costs that are necessary for action implementation. These may be reimbursed as actual costs or through simplified cost options such as unit costs or flat rates. Indirect costs are eligible at a maximum flat rate of 7 percent of total estimated direct eligible costs, excluding volunteer costs and project office costs. A contingency reserve of maximum 5 percent of direct eligible costs may be included but requires prior written authorisation.

Ineligible costs include debts and debt charges; provisions for future losses; costs declared and financed by another EU-funded action; land or building purchases unless essential for direct action implementation with property transfer required; exchange losses; in-kind contributions except volunteer work; personnel bonuses; negative interest charges; credits to third parties; and remuneration costs of national administration personnel.

Application Process

This is a restricted call with a two-stage process. In the first stage, applicants submit concept notes for evaluation. Only shortlisted lead applicants are invited to submit full applications in the second stage. Applications must be submitted online through the PROSPECT portal. Lead applicants, co-applicants and affiliated entities other than natural persons must register in PADOR before submission.

Stage 1 - Concept Note Submission:Concept notes must be submitted online via PROSPECT by 16 April 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time. Concept notes will be evaluated on relevance and design of the proposed action, with a maximum score of 50 points. Only concept notes scoring at least 30 points will be retained for shortlisting. The number of shortlisted concept notes will be reduced based on ranking to those whose cumulative requested contributions equal 200 percent of available budget.

Stage 2 - Full Application Submission:Shortlisted lead applicants will be invited to submit full applications. The deadline for full applications will be communicated in the invitation letter. Full applications will be evaluated on financial and operational capacity, relevance, design, implementation approach, sustainability and budget cost-effectiveness, with a maximum score of 100 points.

Required Documents

For concept notes, applicants must provide information through the PROSPECT portal. For full applications, the following documents must be submitted: completed full application form; budget in Excel format; logical framework in Excel format; statutes or founding documents of lead applicant, co-applicants and affiliated entities; declaration of honour on exclusion criteria if grant exceeds €15,000; financial capacity documents including audit reports or signed declarations for grants exceeding €750,000 or operational grants exceeding €100,000; and copies of most recent financial statements. PADOR offline registration forms must be submitted if online registration is impossible for technical or security reasons.

Evaluation Criteria

Concept notes are evaluated on two main criteria:relevance of the action (20 points) and design of the action (30 points). Full applications are evaluated on six criteria: financial and operational capacity (20 points); relevance of the action (20 points); design of the action (15 points); implementation approach (15 points); sustainability of the action (15 points); and budget and cost-effectiveness (15 points). Proposals must score at least 12 points in the financial and operational capacity section to avoid rejection.

Methodological Requirements

All actions must incorporate a human rights-based approach demonstrating respect and promotion of fundamental rights of beneficiaries. Gender mainstreaming must be integrated to ensure all policies and programmes maximise benefits for all and contribute to ending inequality perpetuation. Objectives must be written in passive voice with SMART indicators that are specific, measurable, achievable, results-oriented and time-bound. A good balance between qualitative and quantitative indicators is required.

Visibility and Communication Requirements

Applicants must ensure visibility of EU funding through correct and visible display of the EU emblem and corresponding funding declaration. Actions must comply with the most recent EU external action communication and visibility requirements. Derogations from visibility obligations may be granted in exceptional circumstances due to security concerns, local political sensitivities or beneficiary interests, determined on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the EU.

Ethical and Values Requirements

Applicants must have no conflicts of interest with other applicants or associated parties. Grant recipients must respect environmental legislation including multilateral environmental agreements and fundamental labour standards as defined in International Labour Organisation conventions. Grant recipients must commit to respecting and upholding EU fundamental values including human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law and human rights including minority rights. The EU applies zero tolerance for misconduct affecting professional credibility, including physical abuse, threats, sexual abuse or exploitation, harassment and verbal violence.

Selected applicants other than natural persons, entities evaluated on pillars and governments must complete a self-evaluation questionnaire on internal policies against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment, except for grants of €60,000 or less. Applicants must comply with applicable anti-corruption laws and codes of conduct. Any discovery of corruption at any stage of the attribution procedure or contract execution may result in funding suspension or cancellation and exclusion from EU financing. Extraordinary commercial fees are prohibited and may result in application rejection or contract termination.

Important Dates and Timeline

Contact Information and Support

Questions about the call must be sent by email to DELEGATION-DJIBOUTI-COOPERATION@eeas.europa.eu at least 21 days before the concept note submission deadline. The administration will respond at least 11 days before the deadline. All questions and answers will be published on the DG International Partnerships website and the Funding and Tenders Portal. Technical support for PADOR and PROSPECT registration and submission is available at ec-external-relations-application-support@ec.europa.eu using the PROSPECT online assistance form. Technical support operates Monday to Friday from 08:30 to 18:30 Brussels time, excluding European Commission holidays in Belgium.

Additional Conditions

Lead applicants may submit only one application and receive only one grant in this call. Lead applicants cannot simultaneously be co-applicants or affiliated entities in another application. Co-applicants and affiliated entities cannot be co-applicants or affiliated entities in more than one application and cannot receive more than one grant. The administration reserves the right not to allocate all available funds and may cancel the call at any stage without applicants having right to compensation. Applicants who believe they have been harmed by an error or irregularity in the attribution procedure may lodge a complaint ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Detailed complaint procedures are available in section 2.12 of the PRAG (Practical Guide to Contract Procedures for EU External Actions), accessible at wikis.ec.europa.eu