Call for Proposal: French Embassy Fund for Nigerian Civil Society ( Up To 80,000€)

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The Embassy of France in Nigeria launches its annual call for proposals to support projects from Nigerian Civil Society Organizations through the development fund called “French Embassy Fund for Civil Society Organizations”.

FEF fund is an instrument from the Embassy of France in Nigeria to support projects from Nigerian Civil Society Organizations (CSOs). It aims at funding small-scale, medium-scale and innovative projects and local initiatives carried out by civil society organizations.

Since 2019, multiple projects and partners have been supported, fast-tracking progress towards women’s rights, gender equality, sport and disabled people’s rights as well as and peacebuilding process across several states in Nigeria.

French Embassy Fund Priority Areas

Gender equality: Promoting gender equality, combatting gender-based violence and promoting the socio-economic integration of women by leveraging:
- Economic and social empowerment for women and girls
- Health accessibility for women, girls and vulnerable groups
- Access to education for women, girls and vulnerable groups
- Peace, security and justice for all.
Promotion of economic self-sufficiency and sustainable income-generating activities for women and girls, youth and vulnerable communities.
- Contribute to long-term growth aligned with local needs and global development goals.
- Strengthen the economic independence of communities.
- Encourage innovative and inclusive approaches to: Develop beneficiaries’ skills. Improve access to economic resources. Establish resilient and environmentally sustainable economic models.
- Focus on vulnerable groups, including women, youth, and marginalized populations.

Funding Information

The contribution by FEF should be between 30 000€ and 80 000€.
The timeframe for the project should maximum 10 months (from March to December 20251 an extension may be requested up to 18 months under exceptional circumstances.

Eligible Activities for French Embassy Fund

Priority activities:

Examples of activities that can be supported (non-exhaustive list):

Income-generating and job-creating activities;
Training and education activities;
Actions to promote the fight against gender-based violence;
Actions to improve access to social, economic, civil and political rights;
Actions aimed at empowering women and girls;
Actions to strengthen the capacities of civil society actors, thus contributing to its
structuring;
Actions to promote civic engagement;
Awareness-raising and capacity-building actions on human rights issues;
Network-building organizational development and coalition-building activities;
Innovative citizen mobilization projects etc.

Eligible Projects

The selected project should:
Respond to a need already identified by the community, directly benefiting to it in an
inclusive way and beyond the initial circle of the project holders;
Enhance the use of innovative methods and techniques or original development
dynamics;
Achieve tangible realizations or improvements that are sustainable when external funding comes to an end,
Anticipate the necessary running and maintenance costs;
Promote networking and coalition of actors.
Minimum 10% of the project’s budget shall be allocated for training and capacity building
Minimum 5% of the project’s budget is to be allocated for external communication and visibility of the project
Maximum 10% of the project’s budget can be allocated for Human Resources
Maximum 5% of the project’s budget can be allocated for equipment purchases/stationary

Ineligible Projects

Examples of projects activities that cannot be supported by FEF-OSC:
Operating costs such as salaries (maximum 10%);
Working capital or microcredit reserve funds;
Infrastructure construction or rental;
Land/property purchase or rental;
Vehicle purchase or rental;
Prestige and/or commercial operations without well-defined social and/or economic objectives;
Projects limited to seminars/conferences (transportation fees, catering costs, etc.) and/or construction work;
Projects limited to emergency and/or humanitarian related activities;
Projects limited to advocacy related activities;
One-off operations (scholarships, invitations, mission of experts, logistic support, etc.);
Annual or regular events/celebration.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants to this Fund must be member of a Nigerian Civil Society Organization (associations, foundations, NGOs, cooperatives), officially registered for at least 24 months by the Nigerian authorities;
Community-based organizations (CBOs) from vulnerable groups, youth-led organizations and women and girls-led organizations are particularly encouraged to apply;
Organizations that have already carried out projects in these areas for which this grant is requested;
The programme strongly encourages synergies, partnerships and coalitions of actors.