Apply for Swiss Cooperation Programme in the Middle East 2015 – 2018! Deadline: 24 October 2016

The Embassy of Switzerland, International Cooperation Division (ICD) launches a call for project proposals of limited duration and for one-time financial support which falls under the overall goal of the Swiss Cooperation Strategy Middle East 2015-2018, which is to contribute to safe, viable and peaceful living conditions for conflict-affected and vulnerable people, reducing fragility, and preventing and transforming conflicts.

Program Interventions

In order to achieve its overall goal, Switzerland focuses on three domains of intervention:

• Basic Needs and Services (i.e. living conditions are improved for refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), vulnerable groups, and communities at risk)
• Protection (i.e. capacity and conditions to exercise rights are improved for refugees, IDPs, vulnerable groups)
• Water (i.e. resilient, sustainable and conflict sensitive water management is enhanced).

The transversal themes are: gender equality, good governance and disaster risk reduction (DRR) are inherent parts of the Strategy.

Funding criteria

• One-time financial support from ICD with a maximum amount of USD 40’000. ICD contribution will cover a maximum of 90% of the project’s budget. The submitting NGO or association must contribute with its own resources to the project.
• Operational completion must be within a maximum period of 11 months, with final reporting submitted to ICD one month after the completion of the project.
• Any local NGO or association without international HQ can apply if they are not already funded simultaneously by any other actor of the Federal Administration of Switzerland.
• The NGO or association can apply individually or as a group with other partners (a lead organisation must then be defined, representing the group towards ICD).
• Exempted from financial support through this call for proposal are activities such as study tours abroad, scholarships and charity events.

Eligibility Criteria

Projects are chosen according to the following criteria:

• Must respond to clear needs of targeted beneficiaries (vulnerable persons, including women, childrenand elderly, IDPs, refugees, poor, groups of people with special need for protection).
• Must include gender mainstreaming when possible (if not a gender-specific project).
• Must follow inclusive approaches regarding nationalities, religions, gender, etc.
• Innovative approaches to resolve complicated problem (s) or to test a new idea
• May work on reducing fragility.

How to Apply

Applicants must submit applications electronically via email.

Eligible Countries: Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar,Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Yemen and Switzerland.

For more information, please visit this link.