Launch of call for proposals for small grants for development 2022-2023

Small grants for development support the launch of small local initiatives focused on providing solutions to acute environmental issues.
The Embassy would like to contribute to small initiatives with a positive environmental impact: in the area of air pollution, waste management, biodiversity and preservation of green spaces etc. Water-related projects are excluded.
The Embassy employs this budget to support such initiatives following a “bottom-up” approach.  It provides the  selected organization with “seed money" that allows them to later receive funding by larger donors.

Projects are chosen according to the following criteria:

• Self-assistance: encouraging own contributions and promoting local efforts.
• Sustainability: ensuring long term results and avoid dependency.
• Institution Strengthening: promoting existing institutions and avoiding the establishment of new structures.  
• Innovation: generating momentum, supporting innovative ideas.
• Suitability: supporting specific local solutions and appropriate technologies.
• Subsidiarity: our support is subsidiary to the services provided by the partner.
• Relevance for the target group and result: project managers will demonstrate who benefits from the project, to what extent and in what way.
• Competence: project managers must have the organizational skills and required capacities to carry out the project.
• Simplicity: simple and clearly delimited actions whose verification and impact are verifiable.
• One-shot: One-time support contributions to projects, which are supported and carried out by organizations.

The NGO or association must show in a credible way that it is well-managed and is able to successfully accomplish the proposed project. Criteria to this effect include the quality of the proposal, such as:

• Sound context analysis that show the rationale for the intervention.
• Definition of clear results and objectives.
• Clear implementation strategy.
• Communication and media outreach, dissemination of results and achievements if applicable.
• Sustainability of intervention.
• Realistic work-plan.
• Cost-efficiency.

Exempted from financial support through this call for proposal are activities such as:

• Projects of organizations already partners of a program with the Embassy of Switzerland and the Swiss agency for development and cooperation (SDC).
• For-profit business projects
• Projects with religious objectives
• Exclusive supply of materials (incl. vehicles)
• Contributions benefiting individuals
• Scholarships for study stays in Switzerland or study trips to Switzerland
• Consultative missions of foreign experts
• Charitable activities (fund raising events, sponsorship