RDPP partnerships are selected based on the focus of the three thematic areas and the four engagement principles. Read More Here.
Identification of new partners is based on a selection process through:
• Competitive calls open for all potential partners through the RDPP website and other platforms;
• Invited calls based on mapping and analysis of the targeted sector and country context;
• Direct negotiation for strategically important partnerships in the areas of research, advocacy and innovation based on an analysis of needs and gaps and relevance of the topic and the comparative advantage of potential partners
Call for New Partnerships
The RDPP call for concept notes for new partnerships is now open until 1st October 2019.
• Download the document detailing the call for concept notes for new partnerships and how to apply here.
• Download the concept note template here.
Dates for co-creation:
The dates for co-creation will be as follows:
• In Jordan: 21st (afternoon only on the first day) to 23rd October + 28th October + 30th October
• In Jordan or in Iraq depending on partner and location of main office: 24th October + 26th to 27th October (morning only on the last day) + 31st of October + 2nd of November
• In Lebanon: 25th (afternoon only on the first day) to 27th November + 2nd to 3rd December
• In Lebanon: 28th to 30th November (morning only on the last day) + 4th (afternoon only on the first day) to 6th December (morning only on the last day)
All workshops are planned to be approximately five working days with time in between for working on writing the programme document and annexes. On the final day of the workshop the commitment letter is expected to be signed, thereby the project implementation can commence the day after.
Please specify in the concept note by ticking the box to indicate that you are interested in participating in a co-creation workshop and specify the dates your organization and co-applicant/s would be available. If available for more than one of the proposed workshops, kindly indicate both.
Questions and Answers for the call for new partnerships will be posted below.
PARTNER WITH US
- Are the call for concept notes documents available in Arabic?
The call documents are only available in English. Concept notes must be submitted in English.
- Can one organization apply as both applicant and co-applicant in different thematic areas?
As stated in the call for concept notes viiii. Eligibility criteria:
One entity can only submit one concept note per country, whether as a main applicant or co-applicant.
- Request for Skype meeting to discuss cooperation.
All requests for information and questions related to the call for new partnerships has to be submitted in writing to the email address stated in the call (rdppme@um.dk) Answers to all questions will be posted here on the website.
- We would like to clarify what is the possibility to combine activities of priority A and B possibly C. While on the bottom of page 2 it says that combination of outcomes and thematic areas is encouraged in the section of the target group on the page 6 it says that the vulnerability criteria will be prioritized for thematic area B, and it will not be not prioritized for area A. So it seems that is quite difficult to combine the two areas when there are 2 different target groups. Also the Advocacy C2 seems to be like a standalone theme. Could you please explain how does RDDP sees integration of different priority areas and if this integration will give an advantage to the project proposal during evaluation.
As stated in the call for concept notes section II:
Concept notes with an integrated programme design covering more than one of the outcome areas and thematic areas are encouraged.
As stated in the call thematic area C2 Advocacy:
Applications for this thematic area are limited to organisations with proven capacity and technical skills in advocacy. Partnerships under this thematic area will be limited to a single or maximum two partnerships.
For further detail on the selection process, please refer to the partner selection table B in Annex 2 of the programme document.
- We would like to know if there are any eligibility criteria for NGOs to apply?
As stated in the call for concept notes:
viiii. Eligibility criteria:
Non-profit organisations, who do not act as economic actors in the specific context of the engagement can apply. The applicant/s have to have demonstrated expertise in the sector of operation and the geographical area of intervention.
All applicant/s to the concept note including co-applicants need to be registered entities with the relevant national authorities in the country/ies in which the project intends to be implemented.
One entity can only submit one concept note per country, whether as a main applicant or co-applicant.
The partnership strategy of RDPP II has a strong commitment to localisation. This entails that partnerships with national actors will be prioritised in the selection process, as also outlined in the RDPP II Programme Document and its Annex 2. Applicants are encouraged to consider this in their application and project design.
Applications from applicants listed as ineligible to receive funds from EU or the other contributing donors to the RDPP II will be automatically disqualified.
Clarification: for regional or multi-country applications, the applicant/s or co-applicant/s need to be registered in the country the entity will implement in.
Clarification: for concept notes covering Iraq, applicants and co-applicants should be registered as legally required deliver to the proposed activities, including with the Federal and/or Regional authorities as required.
- For a regional project, does the implementing entity need to be registered in all countries the project will be implemented in?
As stated in the call viiii. Eligibility criteria:
All applicant/s to the concept note including co-applicants need to be registered entities with the relevant national authorities in the country/ies in which the project intends to be implemented.
Clarification: for regional or multi-country applications, the applicant/s or co-applicant/s need to be registered in the country the entity will implement in.
Clarification: for concept notes covering Iraq, applicants and co-applicants should be registered as legally required deliver to the proposed activities, including with the Federal and/or Regional authorities as required.
- Does a registration in country of project implementation have to be completed or can it be in process?
Applicant/s who can submit documentation that their registration process has been initiated are accepted as eligible.
- It is mentioned that applicants and co-applicants need to be registered with relevant national authorities in the country(ies) of implementation. In our case we are considering implementing via partners in Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon via HQ in Denmark and our regional office in Beirut, and therefore seek clarification on the necessity of all entities being registered in all countries, and specifically if the organisation needs to be registered in all the countries?
As stated in the call for concept notes viiii. Eligibility criteria:
All applicant/s to the concept note including co-applicants need to be registered entities with the relevant national authorities in the country/ies in which the project intends to be implemented.
For clarification on regional or multi-country applications, then the applicant/s or co-applicant/s need to be registered in the country the entity implements in.
- It is mentioned that one can only submit one concept note per country. As this call is also a regional call where one can opt for implementation in several countries the question remains if we can submit just one concept note covering our envisaged multi-country projects?
As stated in the call for concept notes viiii. Eligibility criteria:
One entity can only submit one concept note per country, whether as a main applicant or co-applicant.
If a proposed project is regional or multi-country in scope it is possible to submit only one concept note covering multiple countries.
- Kindly clarify who is eligible for this call.
As stated in the call viiii. Eligibility criteria:
Non-profit organisations, who do not act as economic actors in the specific context of the engagement, can apply. The applicant/s have to have demonstrated expertise in the sector of operation and the geographical area of intervention.
All applicant/s to the concept note including co-applicants need to be registered entities with the relevant national authorities in the country/ies in which the applicant/s or co-applicant/s intends to implemented.
One entity can only submit one concept note per country, whether as a main applicant or co-applicant/s.
The partnership strategy of RDPP II has a strong commitment to localisation. This entails that partnerships with national actors will be prioritised in the selection process, as also outlined in the RDPP II Programme Document and its Annex 2 (available on the RDPP website). Applicants are encouraged to consider this in their application and project design.
Applications from applicants listed as ineligible to receive funds from EU or the other contributing donors to the RDPP II will be automatically disqualified.
- Is there a criteria by which you will be selecting applicants for the ‘co-creation’ process?
Applicants can indicate on the concept note template their interest in participating in the co-creation process. After selection of the successful concept notes, the selection of applicants for the co-creation process will be made based on their interest and the assessed need/added value for both the applicant/s and RDPP of a co-creation process. As stated in the call the RDPP has limited capacity to offer for co-creation workshops for all applicants, therefore only a few applicants will be invited for co-creation workshops.
- For the full project proposal – what would be the anticipated deadline be? Can you share any details on what the format of this would be?
Once successful applicants have been notified and feedback provided, proposals would be submitted as soon as possible with the aim to have commitments for partnership before the end of 2019.
- Can we pay organisations that are not part of the applying consortium to do specific tasks/activities meaning including them in the RDPP budget, or is it only organisations that are part of the applying consortium that can include costs in the budget?
Organisations, which will receive a sub-grant to implement part of the project should be included as co-applicants. An entity, which is identified through procurement to provide specific service, would not be eligible as co-applicant.
- Will there be a separate call for research grants at later time, and if yes approx. when could we expect such a call?
As specified in the call, while proposals may include a component of analysis or research to inform the project or support advocacy, the research outcome area is not covered in this call. Research partners or specific research pieces will be identified separately. Research partners may be contracted through a later call for concept notes or through direct negotiation.
- We would like our organization to partner with you in financing projects in Iraq?
The opportunity to partner with the RDPP is open through the call for concept notes. Please follow the instructions in the call for concept notes document on our website to apply.
- Our organisation is a Non-governmental organisation registered in Syria. Can we submit for the call for concept notes 2019?
This call for concept notes covers projects to be implemented in Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq.
As stated in the call:
viiii. Eligibility criteria:
All applicant/s to the concept note including co-applicants need to be registered entities with the relevant national authorities in the country/ies in which the project intends to be implemented.
- We are a locally registered Iraqi organization who have the capacity to implement similar projects. Can we apply for this call for concept note?
As stated in the call for concept notes
viiii. Eligibility criteria:
Non-profit organisations, who do not act as economic actors in the specific context of the engagement, can apply. The applicant/s have to have demonstrated expertise in the sector of operation and the geographical area of intervention.
All applicant/s to the concept note including co-applicants need to be registered entities with the relevant national authorities in the country/ies in which the project intends to be implemented.
Clarification: for concept notes covering Iraq, applicants and co-applicants should be registered as legally required deliver to the proposed activities, including with the Federal and/or Regional authorities as required
The partnership strategy of RDPP II has a strong commitment to localisation. This entails that partnerships with national actors will be prioritised in the selection process, as also outlined in the RDPP II Programme Document and its Annex 2.
National NGOs are considered national actors.
- We are trying to determine whether grants will be subject to Danish MFA or EU rules and regulations?
As stated in the call:
v. Partner management:
Partnerships will be managed under the Danida financial guidelines, which are available here.
Partnerships will be subject to Danish MFA guidelines.
- We have started the registration process that it is still ongoing. Nevertheless, although we do not have the final registration number, we can work in the country with the receipt for file submission. So, are we eligible to participate as co-applicants?
Applicant/s, who can submit documentation that their registration process has been initiated, are accepted as eligible.
- We were wondering, for the RDPP II Call for concept notes, if our concept note could address both livelihood and protection or if we had to focus only on one "thematic area".
It is both possible to submit concept notes, which addresses one or more of the thematic areas and/or one or more of the sub-components under each of the thematic areas.
- We like to ask about the geographical coverage of the proposal. As I've read in the call for concept note you are targeting KRI region in Iraq, can we target the areas outside of the KRI region (Salah Al-Din to be specific) or does it have to be KRI and the areas surrounding it?
As stated in the call ii. Geographical coverage:
With the Syrian displacement as the core focus for the programme, the RDPP II covers Jordan, Lebanon and Northern Iraq. Northern Iraq is defined as the geographical area of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (Governorates of Erbil, Sulaymaniyah and Duhok) and the governorates bordering these i.e. Ninawa, Salah al-Din, Kirkuk, and Diyala.
The concept note can include activities in Salah al-Din, if well justified and the approach is in line with the targeting criteria specified in the call.
- Can individual consultants apply for research in mentioned topics and countries within framework of RDDP call.
As stated in the call section II. Call for concept notes:
Through this call for concept notes RDPP is open to receive submissions contributing to one or more of the thematic and outcome areas (Livelihoods (A 1 and 2), Protection (B1 and 2), Advocacy (C2)) in the Programme Document and specified below. Concept notes with an integrated programme design covering more than one of the outcome areas and thematic areas are encouraged. While projects may
include a component of analysis or research to inform the project or support advocacy, the research outcome area is not covered in this call and partners will be contracted separately, thus only the advocacy component of thematic area C is covered here.
RDPP is not looking to contract standalone research related to thematic area A or B through this call.
- Could you please clarify to us if a partnership is mandatory under this call or a single applicant can submit the concept note?
An applicant can submit a concept note by itself.
Please note as stated in the call viiii. Eligibility criteria:
The partnership strategy of RDPP II has a strong commitment to localisation. This entails that partnerships with national actors will be prioritised in the selection process, as also outlined in the RDPP II Programme Document and its Annex 2. Applicants are encouraged to consider this in their application and project design.
- In the first sentence of the call it says that “the Regional Development and Protection Programme (RDPP) for Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq aims at supporting civil society, host governments, donors and other stakeholders in understanding and mitigating the impact of protracted forced displacement from Syria.” However, this focus on Syrian refugees and their host community only seems to be emphasized in thematic area A2. Does this mean that in other thematic areas IDPs and host communities could also be considered separate from Syrian refugees? We see that this call would fit greatly for the needs of IDPs and returnees in a certain location, where there are high livelihoods and social cohesion needs – while no Syrian refugees are present.
As stated in the call iii. Targeting:
Concept notes should respond to the needs of refugees and host communities, as well as IDPs and migrant workers (where relevant) within the same geographical or sectoral areas of intervention.
And ii. Geographical coverage:
With the Syrian displacement as the core focus for the programme, the RDPP II covers Jordan, Lebanon and Northern Iraq. Northern Iraq is defined as the geographical area of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (Governorates of Erbil, Sulaymaniyah and Duhok) and the governorates bordering these i.e. Ninawa, Salah al-Din, Kirkuk, and Diyala.
Concept notes may be country specific or multi-country/regional. Within each country geographical priority areas are those identified as particularly affected by the Syrian displacement crisis.
Concept notes that do not include a focus on the impact of Syrian displacement would not be considered eligible.
- Can a single NGO apply its concept note or should it be a concept noted submitted by a group of NGOs (consortia)?
An applicant can submit a concept note by itself.
Please note as stated in the call viiii. Eligibility criteria:
The partnership strategy of RDPP II has a strong commitment to localisation. This entails that partnerships with national actors will be prioritised in the selection process, as also outlined in the RDPP II Programme Document and its Annex 2. Applicants are encouraged to consider this in their application and project design.
- We are keen to apply to the RDPP call for new partnerships and would like to attend the co-creation workshop, is it possible to register prior to submitting a concept note?
Please specify in the concept note by ticking the box to indicate that you are interested in participating in a co-creation workshop.
Dates for the workshops will be posted on the website in due course.
- We would like to ask whether or not if we can cover Anbar province in our concept note proposal....
ii. Geographical coverage:
With the Syrian displacement as the core focus for the programme, the RDPP II covers Jordan, Lebanon and Northern Iraq. Northern Iraq is defined as the geographical area of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (Governorates of Erbil, Sulaymaniyah and Duhok) and the governorates bordering these i.e. Ninawa, Salah al-Din, Kirkuk, and Diyala.
Anbar is unfortunately not covered by the RDPP call for new partnerships.
- Would you kindly advise on whether private sector partners are eligible to apply for a new partnership with RDPP in a consortium with an international and national NGO under the call for concept notes for RDPP II?
As stated in the call viiii. Eligibility criteria:
Non-profit organisations, who do not act as economic actors in the specific context of the engagement, can apply.
- We would like to clarify the wording on page 7: Our organisation have previously been a partner to RDPP. We would like clarification on the eligibility criteria on page 7:“All applicant/s to the concept note including co-applicants need to be registered entities with the relevant national authorities in the country/ies in which the project intends to be implemented.” Our organization – is a member of our international network organisation and in Lebanon we work under the registration of the local entity of our international network. In other words, we are not registered independently in Lebanon, and instead have a signed agreement with the national entity of our organization in regards to our scope of work in Lebanon. Does this prohibit us from applying to the RDPP Phase II funding call?
As stated in the call “All applicant/s to the concept note including co-applicants need to be registered entities with the relevant national authorities in the country/ies in which the project intends to be implemented.”
If the applicant and co-applicant/s are able to legally operate in the country of the implementation through the registration of a national entity of their organisation or registration of a partner organization, then the applicant or co-applicant/s are eligible.
- May you please advise whether UN agencies are eligible for second phase funding?
As stated in the call for concept notes viiii. Eligibility criteria:
Non-profit organisations, who do not act as economic actors in the specific context of the engagement, can apply.
The partnership strategy of RDPP II has a strong commitment to localisation. This entails that partnerships with national actors will be prioritised in the selection process, as also outlined in the RDPP II Programme Document and its Annex 2. Applicants are encouraged to consider this in their application and project design.
- As part of our reflection regarding your call we would like to know if you prioritize local NGOs for this call as lead or only as partners? And if we are going to implement a project with an INGOs, are you going to prioritize other submissions with only local NGOs as implementers?
As stated in the call
viiii. Eligibility criteria:
The partnership strategy of RDPP II has a strong commitment to localisation. This entails that partnerships with national actors will be prioritised in the selection process, as also outlined in the RDPP II Programme Document and its Annex 2. Applicants are encouraged to consider this in their application and project design.
Please see the RDPP programme document and annex 2 for more details on the approach to localization.
- In response to the Call for New Partnerships we would like to ask a question. In the Q&A it is mentioned: Question: does the implementing entity need to be registered in all countries the project will be implemented in? Clarification: for regional or multi-country applications, the applicant/s or co-applicant/s need to be registered in the country the entity will implement in. Does that mean that the Lead Applicant should be registered in each country, even if it will implement activities itself only in 2 of the 3 countries whereas consortium partners will implement in the 3rd country? Or is it suffice if each consortium member is registered only in the country where it directly implements activities?
Please see viiii. Eligibility criteria:
All applicant/s to the concept note including co-applicants need to be registered entities with the relevant national authorities in the country/ies in which the project intends to be implemented.
The applicant or co-applicant/s only need to registered in the countries they will implement in.
- Is the call for proposals available in word format?
The Call for new Partnerships is available only in PDF
- We have raised this call with a local partner in Iraq, who we would like to work with, and they are willing to work with us. However, they are also planning to submit with another INGO. I am wondering, if there is any limit on the number of proposals that a local organisation can be a part of?
As stated in the call viiii. Eligibility criteria:
One entity can only submit one concept note per country, whether as a main applicant or co-applicant.
- If we decide to actually target more than one country, please advise if it would be better to have different country proposals (i.e. one per country), or if you would have a preference for one agency to submit a multi-country proposal covering more than one country; or does this depend on the topic.
The RDPP cannot comment on individual submissions.
- Can we submit one multi-country proposal (covering two countries) focusing on the same topic adapted to each country and one country proposal focusing on another topic (for the third country)
Multi-country proposals or single country proposals are accepted.
It is possible to submit more than one proposal as long as there is not more than one proposal covering each country.
- In case we do submit more than one proposal, please confirm that we can still aim for a budget 1 m Euros (with no maximum) for each.
As stated in the call vii. Available budget:
Concept notes should have a minimum total budget of 1 million Euro. There is no upper limit.
- Are non-profit organizations eligible, that are duly registered as "international organisations" with the relevant national authorities in the country of project implementation but who's statues have been established in another country?
As stated in the call viiii. Eligibility criteria:
Non-profit organisations, who do not act as economic actors in the specific context of the engagement, can apply. The applicant/s have to have demonstrated expertise in the sector of operation and the geographical area of intervention.
All applicant/s to the concept note including co-applicants need to be able to legally operate through registration with the relevant national authorities in the country/ies in which the project intends to be implemented. If the applicant and co-applicant/s are able to legally operate in the country of the implementation through the registration of a national entity of their organisation or registration of a partner organization, then the applicant or co-applicant/s are eligible.
An organisation can have its statutes established outside of the country/ies of implementation, as long as it is also registered in the country of implementation.
- As there is the option to select "International organisation with one / more national partners" in Annex 2 of the Concept note format, are there opportunities to contractually include organizations that are established in a Member State of the European Union?
Co-applicant/s can be be comprised of any eligible entity, however as stated in the viiii. Eligibility criteria:
The partnership strategy of RDPP II has a strong commitment to localisation. This entails that partnerships with national actors will be prioritised in the selection process, as also outlined in the RDPP II Programme Document and its Annex 2. Applicants are encouraged to consider this in their application and project design
- Will Memorandums of Understanding concluded with local governmental institutions be considered as partnerships with local entities?
National actors are defined in the RDPP programme document as “national actors are understood to include all actors with origin in Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon i.e. government institutions and non-governmental organisations. It is not an indication of the geographical coverage of the actor, i.e. a local actor only working in a specific city or location is still considered a national actor.”
A partner is defined as an entity, which has a significant, defined role in the implementation of the project. The entity does not have to manage grants to be a partner.
- Is there the opportunity for sub-granting to organizations or should all partners be handled as co-applicants?
All partners that will receive a sub-grant should be specified as co-applicants.
- Can local for-profit organizations be considered as co-applicants and/or sub-grantees?
As stated in the call viiii. Eligibility criteria:
Non-profit organisations, who do not act as economic actors in the specific context of the engagement, can apply.
- Would a Partnership established through a Memorandum of Understanding be considered a "local partnership", or does "local partnership" only refer to sub-granting and/or including co-applicants?
A partnership established through a Memorandum of Understanding would be considered a "local partnership", if it is with a national actor. Partners do not have to receive sub-grants.
- Concerning the guidance for Iraq; The sentence “With the Syrian displacement as the core focus for the programme, the RDPP II covers Jordan, Lebanon and Northern Iraq. Northern Iraq is defined as the geographical area of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (Governorates of Erbil, Sulaymaniyah and Duhok) and the governorates bordering these i.e. Ninawa, Salah al-Din, Kirkuk, and Diyala” can be read as general “displacement affected population in the governorates bordering Kurdistan Region of Iraq” i.e. IDPs, refugees, returnees and host communities? In other words, do returnee communities figure amongst the target groups for Iraq as well?
As stated in the call iii. Targeting: Concept notes should respond to the needs of refugees and host communities, as well as IDPs and migrant workers (where relevant) within the same geographical or sectoral areas of intervention.
And ii. Geographical coverage: With the Syrian displacement as the core focus for the programme, the RDPP II covers Jordan, Lebanon and Northern Iraq. Northern Iraq is defined as the geographical area of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (Governorates of Erbil, Sulaymaniyah and Duhok) and the governorates bordering these i.e. Ninawa, Salah al-Din, Kirkuk, and Diyala.
Returnee communities would be considered along with host communities. However, concept notes which do not consider a focus on the impact of Syrian displacement would not be considered eligible.
- There is an error while trying to download the template of the concept note from the link http://rdpp-me.org
The link is working. The call for proposals and template is available here
- Is it possible to apply as a consortium of international NGOs with local partners? I.e. 2 INGOs and 2 local partners?
Partnerships or consortiums with one national or international lead applicant and one or more national or international co-applicant/s are eligible.
- Can you confirm if Nineveh Governorate included in the RDPP call for concept notes?
As stated in the call ii. Geographical coverage:
With the Syrian displacement as the core focus for the programme, the RDPP II covers Jordan, Lebanon and Northern Iraq. Northern Iraq is defined as the geographical area of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (Governorates of Erbil, Sulaymaniyah and Duhok) and the governorates bordering these i.e. Ninawa, Salah al-Din, Kirkuk, and Diyala.
- If a partner submits more than one proposal, and these proposals get approved, will it still have only one partnership contract with RDPP or will the partnership contracts correspond to the number of projects.
In general, one commitment letter would be issued per concept note. If a partner is successful in the submission of more than one concept notes for several countries, the partner can hold more than one commitment letter. This can be decided between the partner and the RDPP programme management during the process of developing the full proposal.
- Considering the emphasis that your Programme Document places on research in TPC and considering the minimal data available on work conditions, child labour and barriers to women’s employment, particularly in the North, is it possible to include a small research or data collection component in this proposal despite the fact that it is not a thematic priority area (C1) in this call?
As stated in the call:
RDPP is open to receive submissions contributing to one or more of the thematic and outcome areas (Livelihoods (A 1 and 2), Protection (B1 and 2), Advocacy (C2)) in the Programme Document and specified below.
Proposals may include a component of analysis or research to inform the project or to support advocacy.
- Is it a requirement for both the Applicant and Co-Applicants to each be registered in all countries in which the programme will be implemented? If three separate entities (one applicant and two co-applicants) are implementing the programme, is it sufficient that they be registered only in the country in which they are implementing? For example, if Organization 1 is registered in and implementing in Lebanon, Organization 2 is registered in and implementing in Jordan, Organization 3 is registered in and implementing in Iraq, is that sufficient to satisfy application requirements?
Please see viiii. Eligibility criteria:
All applicant/s to the concept note including co-applicants need to be registered entities with the relevant national authorities in the country/ies in which the project intends to be implemented.
The applicant or co-applicant/s only need to registered in the countries they will implement in. So, in your example of organization 1, 2 and 3 would be eligible.
- In a proposal targeting two of the eligible Countries a co-applicant (International Organization) can be registered in only one of them and implement activities in just the Country where it is registered? Or is it compulsory to be registered in all the target Countries even if activities run by that specific partner will be implemented in only one Country?
As stated in the call for concept notes viiii. Eligibility criteria:
All applicant/s to the concept note including co-applicants need to be registered entities with the relevant national authorities in the country/ies in which the project intends to be implemented.
For clarification on regional or multi-country applications, then the applicant/s or co-applicant/s need to be registered in the country the entity implements in.
- For what concern Lebanon, can an international NGO be considered eligible (as applicant and/or as co-applicant) even if its registration process is on-going?
Applicant/s who can submit documentation that their registration process has been initiated are accepted as eligible.
- We are planning to apply with a project based in North Iraq, our organization is officially registered in Iraq and in Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), one of our potential partner is an international NGO registered in KRG but not in Iraq, are they eligible as partner?
As stated in the call for concept notes viiii. Eligibility criteria:
All applicant/s to the concept note including co-applicants need to be registered entities with the relevant national authorities in the country/ies in which the project intends to be implemented.
Clarification: All applicant/s to the concept note including co-applicants need to be able to legally operate through registration with the relevant national authorities in the country/ies in which the project intends to be implemented. Applicant/s, who can submit documentation that their registration process has been initiated, are accepted as eligible
If the applicant and co-applicant/s are able to legally operate in the country of the implementation through the registration of a national entity of their organisation or registration of a partner organization, then the applicant or co-applicant/s are eligible.
For concept notes covering Iraq, applicants and co-applicants should be registered as legally required deliver to the proposed activities, including with the Federal and/or Regional authorities as required.
- Section 14, Proposed budget in DKK, in the concept note template mentions there should be ‘clear linkages between specific budget lines and proposed outputs’ . Please could you explain how you would like to see this. Can we add additional lines to the budget template to specify program activity costs for example?
The level of detail provided in the concept notes should be at the overall level of main budget lines as outlined in the template. Lines for outcomes can be added to the budget template, however the page limit of the concept note may not be exceeded.
- Can an organization submit country-specific proposals and a regional proposal at the same time? For example, we were thinking of submitting a livelihoods and protection focused concept notes for Jordan and Iraq separately and an additional advocacy focused concept note at a regional level covering Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq
As stated in the call viiii. Eligibility criteria:
One entity can only submit one concept note per country, whether as a main applicant or co-applicant.
Concept notes may be country specific or multi-country/regional. It is possible to submit more than one proposal as long as there is not more than one proposal covering each country.
- What is regarded as 'decent work' in Thematic Area 1 and in relation to Lebanon?
Please refer to the RDPP programme document for further information on the definition of ‘decent work’
- The call states: ''One entity can only submit one concept note per country, whether as a main applicant or co-applicant'' and also states: ''Concept notes may be country specific or multi-country/regional'' Can one entity submit a concept note that targets an intervention in Jordan and Lebanon?
One entity may submit a concept note covering more than one country, if there is a regional or multi-country rationale to the project.
- Can one entity submit a proposal within one thematic area but different priority areas for example, A1 in Lebanon and A2 in Jordan?
As stated in the call RDPP is open to receive submissions contributing to one or more of the thematic and outcome areas (Livelihoods (A 1 and 2), Protection (B1 and 2), Advocacy (C2)) in the Programme Document
The interventions proposed in concept notes should be tailored to the specific country context and the applicant organisations expertise. They can target different priority areas in different countries.
- The downloadable template document is not available on the link provided http://rdpp-me.org can this be provided again?
The link has been checked and it working.
- Can our concept note cover Anbar and Salah al-Din?
As stated in the call ii. Geographical coverage:
With the Syrian displacement as the core focus for the programme, the RDPP II covers Jordan, Lebanon and Northern Iraq. Northern Iraq is defined as the geographical area of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (Governorates of Erbil, Sulaymaniyah and Duhok) and the governorates bordering these i.e. Ninawa, Salah al-Din, Kirkuk, and Diyala.
Anbar is unfortunately not covered by the RDPP call for new partnerships
- Can projects in thematic area B (Upholding and expanding the protection space) have a small component of health (such as SRH) to complement GBV services?
The thematic areas as outlined in the Programme Document are the priority areas for RDPP, but we are open for proposals to include other elements in the concept notes. As stated in the Call, priority under B1 is supporting enhanced capacity of national actors.
- We noticed one condition on eligibility criteria, can you please confirm that UN agencies are eligible to apply to the call?
As stated in the call for concept notes viiii. Eligibility criteria:
Non-profit organisations, who do not act as economic actors in the specific context of the engagement, can apply.
The partnership strategy of RDPP II has a strong commitment to localisation. This entails that partnerships with national actors will be prioritised in the selection process, as also outlined in the RDPP II Programme Document and its Annex 2. Applicants are encouraged to consider this in their application and project design.
- Is the Partnership contract for RDPPII similar to phase I or changes have made by applying EU legislation and contracts on Development and Cooperation?
Please see v. Partner management:
Partnerships will be managed under the Danida financial guidelines which are available here
Partnerships with UN agencies are managed under the “General Guidelines for Accounting and Auditing of Grants channelled through Multilateral Organisations”
- We would like to ask the following question; can a consortium apply with two national and two international originations. According to the concept note template the options provide are listed below - Does the third option (international organization with more national partners) also allow for an international organization as the lead with co-applicants of two national organisations and another international organisations, who will provide a specific innovative element within the programme?
Yes, option 3 (international organization with more national partners) would also cover a consortium with an international applicant as lead applicant and an international and one or more national organisations as co-applicants
- Are non-profit organizations eligible, that are duly registered as "international organisations" with the relevant national authorities in the country of project implementation but who's statues have been established in another country?
As stated in the call viiii. Eligibility criteria:
Non-profit organisations, who do not act as economic actors in the specific context of the engagement, can apply. The applicant/s have to have demonstrated expertise in the sector of operation and the geographical area of intervention.
All applicant/s to the concept note including co-applicants need to be able to legally operate through registration with the relevant national authorities in the country/ies in which the project intends to be implemented. If the applicant and co-applicant/s are able to legally operate in the country of the implementation through the registration of a national entity of their organisation or registration of a partner organization, then the applicant or co-applicant/s are eligible.
An organisation can have its statutes established outside of the country/ies of implementation, as long as it is also registered in the country of implementation.
- As there is the option to select "International organisation with one / more national partners" in Annex 2 of the Concept note format, are there opportunities to contractually include organizations that are established in a Member State of the European Union?
Co-applicant/s can be comprised of any eligible entity, however as stated in the viiii. Eligibility criteria:
The partnership strategy of RDPP II has a strong commitment to localisation. This entails that partnerships with national actors will be prioritised in the selection process, as also outlined in the RDPP II Programme Document and its Annex 2. Applicants are encouraged to consider this in their application and project design.
National actors are defined in the RDPP programme document as “national actors are understood to include all actors with origin in Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon i.e. government institutions and non-governmental organisations. It is not an indication of the geographical coverage of the actor, i.e. a local actor only working in a specific city or location is still considered a national actor.”
- Will Memorandums of Understanding concluded with local governmental institutions be considered as partnerships with local entities?
A partner is defined as an entity, which has a significant, defined role in the implementation of the project. The entity does not have to manage grants to be a partner.
- Is there the opportunity for sub-granting to organizations or should all partners be handled as co-applicants?
All partners that will receive a sub-grant should be specified as co-applicants.
- Can local for-profit organizations be considered as co-applicants and/or sub-grantees?
As stated in the call viiii. Eligibility criteria:
Non-profit organisations, who do not act as economic actors in the specific context of the engagement, can apply.
- Would a Partnership established through a Memorandum of Understanding be considered a "local partnership", or does "local partnership" only refer to sub-granting and/or including co-applicants?
A partnership established through a Memorandum of Understanding would be considered a "local partnership", if it is with a national actor. Partners do not have to receive sub-grants.
- At p. 7, chapter 'viiii' of the call for concept notes is mentioned 'Applications from applicants listed as ineligibles to receive funds from EU or the other contributing donors to the RDPP II will be automatically disqualified'. Does it refers to the need for local CBO that are partners in our project to be enrolled in PADOR? Could you please clarify which eligibility criteria apply to this call for concept notes?
The reference to “Listed as ineligible to receive funds by EU or other contributing donors” is related to the EU restrictive measures in the lists provided at www.sanctionsmap.eu (“EU restrictive measures”) and the EDES system and similar listings by the other contributing donors to RDPP II. As Danish regulations apply, EU restrictions in terms of nationality of organizations does not apply. There is no requirements for applicants or co-applicants to be registered in PADOR.
- Are non-profit organizations eligible, that are duly registered as "international organizations" with the relevant national authorities in the country of project implementation but who's statues have been established in another country?
Non-profit organizations, who do not act as economic actors in the specific context of the engagement, can apply. The applicant/s have to have demonstrated expertise in the sector of operation and the geographical area of intervention.
All applicant/s to the concept note including co-applicants need to be able to legally operate through registration with the relevant national authorities in the country/ies in which the project intends to be implemented. If the applicant and co-applicant/s are able to legally operate in the country of the implementation through the registration of a national entity of their organization or registration of a partner organization, then the applicant or co-applicant/s are eligible.
- As there is the option to select "International organization with one / more national partners" in Annex 2 of the Concept note format, are there opportunities to contractually include organizations that are established in a Member State of the European Union?
An organization can have its statutes established outside of the country/ies of implementation, as long as it is also registered in the country of implementation.
Co-applicant/s can be be comprised of any eligible entity, however as stated in the viiii. Eligibility criteria:
The partnership strategy of RDPP II has a strong commitment to localisation. This entails that partnerships with national actors will be prioritised in the selection process, as also outlined in the RDPP II Programme Document and its Annex 2. Applicants are encouraged to consider this in their application and project design.
National actors are defined in the RDPP programme document as “national actors are understood to include all actors with origin in Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon i.e. government institutions and non-governmental organizations. It is not an indication of the geographical coverage of the actor, i.e. a local actor only working in a specific city or location is still considered a national actor.”
- Will Memorandums of Understanding concluded with local governmental institutions be considered as partnerships with local entities?
A partner is defined as an entity, which has a significant, defined role in the implementation of the project. The entity does not have to manage grants to be a partner. A partnership established through a Memorandum of Understanding with a national entity would be considered a local partnership. Partnerships with an international entity is considered international partnerships (not local).
- Is there the opportunity for sub-granting to organizations or should all partners be handled as co-applicants?
All partners that will receive a sub-grant should be specified as co-applicants. Co-applicant/s cannot be economic actors i.e. cannot be for-profit.
- Can local for-profit organizations be considered as co-applicants and/or sub-grantees?
As stated in the call viiii. Eligibility criteria:
Non-profit organizations, who do not act as economic actors in the specific context of the engagement, can apply.
- Would a Partnership established through a Memorandum of Understanding be considered a "local partnership", or does "local partnership" only refer to sub-granting and/or including co-applicants?
A partnership established through a Memorandum of Understanding would be considered a "local partnership", if it is with a national actor. Partners do not have to receive sub-grants.
- Would you kindly advise on whether private sector partners are eligible to apply for a new partnership with RDPP in a consortium with an international and national NGO under the call for concept notes for RDPP II?
As stated in the call viiii. Eligibility criteria:
Non-profit organisations, who do not act as economic actors in the specific context of the engagement, can apply.
All partners that will receive a sub-grant should be specified as co-applicants. Co-applicant/s cannot be economic actors i.e. cannot be for-profit.
- Should the concept note be accompanied by the letter of intents signed with each one of the partners, including the local partners and the certificate of registration in Jordan for the international NGO and local partners.
Please follow the instructions on the first page of the concept note template. The application comprises the concept note template plus the log frame. No other attachments or documents are accepted at this stage.
You can state the registration status and arrangements with the partners in the concept note.
- At p. 7, chapter 'viiii' of the call for concept notes is mentioned 'Applications from applicants listed as ineligibles to receive funds from EU or the other contributing donors to the RDPP II will be automatically disqualified'. Does it refers to the need for local CBO that are partners in our project to be enrolled in PADOR? Could you please clarify which eligibility criteria apply to this call for concept notes?
The reference to “Listed as ineligible to receive funds by EU or other contributing donors” is related to the EU restrictive measures in the lists provided at www.sanctionsmap.eu (“EU restrictive measures”) and the EDES system and similar listings by the other contributing donors to RDPP II. As Danish regulations apply, EU restrictions in terms of nationality of organizations does not apply. There is no requirements for applicants or co-applicants to be registered in PADOR.
- In order to define the budget to be included in the concept note, which exchange rate to DDK shall we apply?
The budget have to be submitted in DKK and will be committed in DKK. The organization should apply own guideline for exchange rate conversion to DKK at the stage of the concept note.
Please see the financial guidelines on http://amg.um.dk/en/Tools/financial-management/accounting-and-auditing (National NGOs as lead applicants “General Guidelines for Accounting and Auditing of Grants channelled through National NGO's” and for International NGOs as lead applicants “General Guidelines for Accounting and Auditing of Grants channelled through Governmental, Parastatal and International Organisations”)
- Are cash assistance intervention for the beneficiaries envisaged in this call for concept notes(for example: cash for protection)?
Please see the Programme Document description of the thematic areas. The RDPP is a nexus programme and are in general aiming to support more sustainable intervention strategies/modalities, unless well justified.
- I would appreciate to know whether our Foundation, which is headquartered in Switzerland, is eligible for funding for the RDPP? The Foundation has already a presence in Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq.
viiii. Eligibility criteria:
Non-profit organisations, who do not act as economic actors in the specific context of the engagement, can apply. The applicant/s have to have demonstrated expertise in the sector of operation and the geographical area of intervention.
Applications from applicants listed as ineligible to receive funds from EU or the other contributing donors to the RDPP II will be automatically disqualified.
For clarification: “Listed as ineligible to receive funds by EU or other contributing donors” is related to the EU restrictive measures in the lists provided at www.sanctionsmap.eu (“EU restrictive measures”) and the EDES system and similar listings by the other contributing donors to RDPP II. As Danish regulations apply, EU restrictions in terms of nationality of organizations does not apply.
All applicant/s to the concept note including co-applicants need to be registered entities with the relevant national authorities in the country/ies in which the project intends to be implemented.
All applicant/s to the concept note including co-applicants need to be able to legally operate through registration with the relevant national authorities in the country/ies in which the project intends to be implemented. If the applicant and co-applicant/s are able to legally operate in the country of the implementation through the registration of a national entity of their organisation or registration of a partner organization, then the applicant or co-applicant/s are eligible.
- As mentioned in the guidelines, “One entity can only submit one concept note per country...”, then could an entity submit two different concept notes if not tackling same country, with one regional project as one of them?
As stated in the call viiii. Eligibility criteria:
One entity can only submit one concept note per country, whether as a main applicant or co-applicant.
- For eligibility, is an organization eligible if it can’t benefit from EU grants, but it can benefit from at least one of the other contributing donor members?
An entity could submit more than one concept note but they may not cover the same country.
For eligibility, the call states that viiii. Eligibility criteria:
Non-profit organisations, who do not act as economic actors in the specific context of the engagement, can apply. The applicant/s have to have demonstrated expertise in the sector of operation and the geographical area of intervention.
Organisations “listed as ineligible to receive funds by EU or other contributing donors” is related to the EU restrictive measures in the lists provided at www.sanctionsmap.eu (“EU restrictive measures”) and the EDES system and similar listings by the other contributing donors to RDPP II. As Danish regulations apply, EU restrictions in terms of nationality of organizations does not apply.
- For areas of operations, are they any specific areas for Jordan and Lebanon than the ones mentioned in the Vulnerability Assessments of both countries?
As stated in the call ii. Geographical coverage:
Within each country geographical priority areas are those identified as particularly affected by the Syrian displacement crisis.
Applicants are expected to use their knowledge of the context and available sources to select and justify the locations proposed in their concept note.
- In reference to viiii. Eligibility criteria: One entity can only submit one concept note per country, whether as a main applicant or co-applicant. Does this therefore mean that we can submit one concept note per country, but for more than one country? For example, can we submit one concept note for Iraq and one concept note for Lebanon? Two concept notes in total.
Applicants can submit only one concept note per country either as main applicant or co/applicant. Applicants can submit a concept note covering more than one country (a regional concept note) or a concept note for each country they wish to implement activities in.
- The first link in the RDPP call document on page 1 seems corrupted, can RDPP resend?
The RDPP website is accessible here http://rdpp-me.org/
- Budget: Are there limitations for the allocation of support costs as direct costs?
There is no defined limit for support costs of direct costs, but support costs are expected to be at a reasonable level.
- Budget: our organisation employs a global fair share allocation method for direct support costs would RDPP accept an allocation method?
We are unfortunate not aware of what the global fair share allocation method implies in our organizational strategy and have not been able to find information regarding this on your website. Kindly send us more information to enable us to answer the question.
- In our organizational model the country office has a local registration but implements projects in partnership with European headquarters as lead applicants, not necessarily registered in the country of implementation for cost effectiveness reasons. Can such a setup be allowed if the role and added value of all parties including local partners is duly justified?
As stated in the call:
viiii. Eligibility criteria:
Non-profit organisations, who do not act as economic actors in the specific context of the engagement, can apply. The applicant/s have to have demonstrated expertise in the sector of operation and the geographical area of intervention.
All applicant/s to the concept note including co-applicants need to be able to legally operate through registration with the relevant national authorities in the country/ies in which the project intends to be implemented. If the applicant and co-applicant/s are able to legally operate in the country of the implementation through the registration of a national entity of their organisation or registration of a partner organization, then the applicant or co-applicant/s are eligible.
- Should sub-budget lines be included under the budget line 'project activity costs' to outline link between activities/outputs and costs or is this level of detail not encouraged at concept note stage?
This level of detail is not required at concept note stage.
- If the proposed project mainly focusses on Thematic A or B, but also has some Advocacy activities, should the box C2 still be ticked?
Unless it is a primarily advocacy project box C2 should not be ticked
- Is there a maximum/limit to the number of partnerships that RDPP will sign per Thematic Area per country?
There is no maximum. Partnerships will be selected based on the criteria detailed in the call document within the available budget.
- The call says that partnerships with national actors will be prioritised in the selection process. We would like to clarify whether this means that "national actor" refers to "nationally registered" or "non-international actor/NGO"?
“National actor” is defined in the RDPP programme document (add link) as “National actors are understood to include all actors with origin in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon i.e. government institutions and non-governmental organizations. It is not an indication of the geographical coverage of the actor, i.e. a local actor only working in a specific city or location if still considered a national actor.”
- This question relates to the following statement: Applications from applicants listed as ineligible to receive funds from EU or the other contributing donors to the RDPP II will be automatically disqualified. Could you please clarify which specific (EU and other donor's) regulations you are referring to?
The reference to “Listed as ineligible to receive funds by EU or other contributing donors” is related to the EU restrictive measures in the lists provided at www.sanctionsmap.eu (“EU restrictive measures”) and the EDES system and similar listings by the other contributing donors to RDPP II. As Danish regulations apply, EU restrictions in terms of nationality of organizations does not apply.
- I am writing to seek clarification on applicant eligibility requirements under the Middle East RDDP call for concept note proposals. We understand that "Applications from applicants listed as ineligible to receive funds from EU or the other contributing donors to the RDPP II will be automatically disqualified." Our organization is a current recipient of EU funding, however, there are certain EU funding streams for which we are not eligible in Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq. Can RDPP please provide further clarification on the eligibility requirements and more specifically, whether there are restrictions on the nationality of the entity applying?
The reference to “listed as ineligible to receive funds by EU or other contributing donors” is related to the EU restrictive measures in the lists provided at www.sanctionsmap.eu (“EU restrictive measures”) and the EDES system and similar listings by the other contributing donors to RDPP II. As Danish regulations apply, EU restrictions in terms of nationality of organizations does not apply.
- We note the strong capacity building element of this call of local agencies; We has several local partners, and in line with the localization agenda, is in the process of scoping new local partnerships. We are currently considering the most appropriate partner to work with on this program, so at concept note stage, do we need to name/specify which local agencies we will be partnering with, or do we have the flexibility at this stage?
Partners that will receive sub-grants should be specified as co-applicants when the concept note is submitted. The partnership does not have to be formalized at concept note stage but a defined role for each partner in the project should be outlined in the concept note.
- We note the focus on refugees, protracted IDPs, and other displacement- affected communities. Would concept notes, which focus primarily on returnee/host locations be acceptable/competitive?
Partners that will receive sub-grants should be specified as co-applicants when the concept note is submitted. The partnership does not have to be formalized at concept note stage but a defined role for each partner in the project should be outlined in the concept note.
As stated in the call iii. Targeting: Concept notes should respond to the needs of refugees and host communities, as well as IDPs and migrant workers (where relevant) within the same geographical or sectoral areas of intervention.
And ii. Geographical coverage: With the Syrian displacement as the core focus for the programme, the RDPP II covers Jordan, Lebanon and Northern Iraq. Northern Iraq is defined as the geographical area of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (Governorates of Erbil, Sulaymaniyah and Duhok) and the governorates bordering these i.e. Ninawa, Salah al-Din, Kirkuk, and Diyala.
Concept notes may be country specific or multi-country/regional. Within each country geographical priority areas are those identified as particularly affected by the Syrian displacement crisis.
Concept notes that do not include a focus on the impact of Syrian displacement would not be considered eligible
- Is it possible for an organization that is registered as a local NGO in Lebanon and as a Canadian NGO in Jordan to submit for both countries under one application? Or should each organization apply separately?
As stated in the call viiii. Eligibility criteria:
Non-profit organisations, who do not act as economic actors in the specific context of the engagement, can apply. The applicant/s have to have demonstrated expertise in the sector of operation and the geographical area of intervention.
- Can an NGO registered as an international NGO in Jordan submit to the call?
One entity can only submit one concept note per country, whether as a main applicant or co-applicant.
- If both NGOs submit separately would this create any conflict? or the grading will be separate without any conflict?
It is possible for two organisations in different countries to submit one application, if the project has regional rationale or is a multi-country engagement. Partnerships are encouraged, where relevant.
The partnership strategy of RDPP II has a strong commitment to localisation. This entails that partnerships with national actors will be prioritised in the selection process, as also outlined in the RDPP II Programme Document and its Annex 2. Applicants are encouraged to consider this in their application and project design.
All applicant/s to the concept note including co-applicants need to be registered entities with the relevant national authorities in the country/ies in which the project intends to be implemented.
- When submitting the budget in DKK, is there any fixed exchange rate? would any changes in the exchange rate affect the initially submitted budget?
The budget have to be submitted in DKK and will be committed in DKK. The organization should apply own exchange rate for conversion to DKK at the stage of the concept note.
Please see the financial guidelines
(National NGOs as lead applicants “General Guidelines for Accounting and Auditing of Grants channelled through National NGO's” and for International NGOs as lead applicants “General Guidelines for Accounting and Auditing of Grants channelled through Governmental, Parastatal and International Organisations”)
- Are there any budget limitations on the percentages of allocations for each budget section, exp. Difference between HR project staff, HR Support Staff, Project activities, etc.?
There is no defined limit for support costs of direct costs, but support costs are expected to be at a reasonable level
- To make sure that our budget allocations are reflected correctly, HR Project staff will include the direct project staff who are directly engaged in the implementation, however, what should be allocated in the HR Support staff and the Support/operational cost especially that there is an allocation of up to 7% of the overhead cost?
Support staff and costs would usually include administrative staff (HR, accountants, logistic, finance etc.). Though not directly applicable as it is for Danish strategic partnerships, a general guidance to costs expected to be covered by the 7% overhead can be found here (as annex 10 in the column right side of the webpage
- By mid-term and end-term evaluations you mean programmatic evaluations? and should this be conducted by external evaluators or it can be done internally?
These are project evaluations. The final evaluation should be conducted by an external evaluator, the mid term may be internal or external depending on the specifics of the project
- Can an organization partner (as a consortium member) with several lead applicants under this call or is this restricted to one application for each organization.
Each concept note should have one lead applicant. Partners who will receive a sub grant and should be included as co-applicants.
One entity can only submit one concept note per country, whether as a main applicant or co-applicant.
- We need more time to select local partners that will be the best fit for this call. Is it necessary to have identified partners at the concept note stage? Or can it be done at the proposal stage if the concept note is successful?
Partners that will receive sub-grants should be specified as co-applicants when the concept note is submitted. The partnership does not have to be formalized at concept note stage, but a defined role for each partner in the project should be outlined in the concept note.
- Moving into the nexus, one of the type of interventions which could be considered is the usage of revolving loans. We know that for some donors this is not allowed. We were not able to find under the Danish MoFa guidelines any references to the usage of revolving loans. Can we therefore conclude that the usage of revolving loans are allowed under the RDPP II grant?
In principle under our guidelines, revolving funds would be a possibility. However, it is not a type of engagement often support unless with specialized institutions. According to our internal guidelines “Guiding principles for funds structures” available here entails:
2. Investment oriented challenge or revolving funds: Typically non-profit funds with strong development objectives but also some income generating objectives in order to achieve a certain level of sustainability of the fund, e.g. operational sustainability. The funds are mainly donor financed and they are typically providing guarantees, loans, matching grants, TA etc. to facilitate investments including the mobilisation of complementary financing from commercial banks and beneficiaries. These funds are typically revolving and the generated profit will be returned into the fund. Examples could be REACT under the African Enterprise Challenge Fund (grants and interest free loans) or the aBi Trust (grants, loans and guarantees) in Uganda;
As outlined under viiii. Eligibility criteria:
Non-profit organisations who do not act as economic actors in the specific context of the engagement can apply. The applicant/s have to have demonstrated expertise in the sector of operation and the geographical area of intervention. This would entails proven experience and capacity, for example through existing funds structure. Exit strategy would need to be clearly outlines as per recommendations in the guiding principles as well as adherence to national legislation and regulations on the area.
- Are there limitations for support costs?
There is no defined limit for support costs of direct costs, but support costs are expected to be at a reasonable level.
- We employ a global fair share allocation method would RDPP accept this allocation method?
Partners are allowed to apply their own guidelines for allocation of support costs i.e. if your organization have an approved guideline applying the global fair share allocation method this would be acceptable. Acceptable support staff and costs would usually include administrative staff (HR, accountants, logistic, finance, contributing to office running costs, etc.).
- Will this grant be governed by EU or Danish processes and rules?
The grant will be guided by Danish processes and rules. A Development Engagement Document will be signed between the RDPP and the partner: See link in right coloumn here Please see the financial guidelines on http://amg.um.dk/en/Tools/financial-management/accounting-and-auditing (National NGOs as lead applicants “General Guidelines for Accounting and Auditing of Grants channelled through National NGO's” and for International NGOs as lead applicants “General Guidelines for Accounting and Auditing of Grants channelled through Governmental, Parastatal and International Organisations”)
- Can you let clarify if Thematic area C2: Advocacy is only for Iraq and Jordan, or will you also consider Advocacy training concept in Lebanon
As stated in the Call “Mainly concept notes with a focus on Jordan and Iraq will be considered.” This is in consideration of RDPP already supporting an Advocacy Capacity Building partnership in Lebanon. But we will consider concept notes for C2 advocacy also for Lebanon, if submitted.
- Is Private company allowed to apply since it has a very good track record in achieving similar objectives through partnership with international NGO? If it's only allowed for non profit organizations to apply, Is it eligible for a fresh established Organization to apply through a joint venture with a private company?
As stated in the call viiii. Eligibility criteria: Non-profit organisations, who do not act as economic actors in the specific context of the engagement, can apply.
All partners that will receive a sub-grant should be specified as co-applicants. Co-applicant/s cannot be economic actors i.e. cannot be for-profit. If the partners in a joint venture can be considered applicant/s or co-applicant/s the criteria regarding economic actors applies.
Newly established organisations are welcome to submit concept notes. All applicant/s to the concept note including co-applicants need to be registered entities with the relevant national authorities in the country/ies in which the project intends to be implemented. Please consider the criteria of “the applicant/s have to have demonstrated expertise in the sector of operation and the geographical area of intervention.”
- Is Training accredited by local authorities or regional chamber of commerce, considered enough as per accreditation or it should be delivered from national structured centers?
The accreditation referred to under A1 is related to training being delivered by either “through national structures, or accredited private vocational training providers” and “to the very extent possible, certification of trainings at national level through official national certification bodies.” Whether local authorities or regional chamber of commerce is accredited in the specific country the project is planned for, the institutions would need to clarify through the national regulations.
- Is it mandatory to apply for the whole project components?
Concept notes can address only one thematic area or one outcome area.
- We are an institution of higher education located in Beirut, Lebanon established in 1866. It is a private, not-for-profit, coeducational, independent, non-sectarian institution of higher learning operating under a charter from the State of New York and accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Are we eligible to apply to this call?
viiii. Eligibility criteria:
Non-profit organisations, who do not act as economic actors in the specific context of the engagement, can apply. The applicant/s have to have demonstrated expertise in the sector of operation and the geographical area of intervention.
All applicant/s to the concept note including co-applicants need to be registered entities with the relevant national authorities in the country/ies in which the project intends to be implemented.
If your institution fulfil above criteria, it would be considered eligible.
- By comparing the scoring presented in the narrative section (Operationalizing the engagement principles) and Table B Partner Selection Matrix, the totals are different (i.e. Relevance 10 vs 15 points). Which scoring applies to the call?
The difference was a typo in the matrix, which has been corrected in the table available here.
The score for relevance is 15 points maximum
- Which PRAG will apply? And can you confirm that no co-funding is required for this call?
On PRAG please see v. Partner management:
Partnerships will be managed under the Danida financial guidelines which are available here.
PRAG will not apply, neither is there requirements for applicants or co-applicants to be registered in PADOR.
On co-funding please see vii. Available budget:
There is no requirement for co-funding. If the proposed project is funded by more than one donor, the concept note must describe the entire project and reflect the total budget. In the budget format, the RDPP funding part as percentage of total budget should be specified.
- Where an international organization is the direct partner, can you describe more on the ‘plan for gradual transfer of responsibility for the local partner during the course of the project’?
Regarding the plan for gradual transfer of responsibility, it would be expected that the applicant and co-applicant/s would have a clear plan for this in their partnership. As it depends on the partnership and the project, this cannot be elaborated further by RDPP.
- RDPP shared the Evaluation had on Phase I (see Annex 6 – Program Document) from an allocation perspective. However, at program level, is there any specific lessons-learned or best-practice on the livelihoods component from Phase I? If yes, where can they be found?
An overall programme evaluation was conducted of RDPP in 2017, which is publically available here
- Program document, page 26. To what extent the proposed Concept Notes should align with the Outcomes and Indicators presented in Table 4 (same apply to Protection)? Are they suggested or mandatory indicators?
The proposed concept note should contribute to the outcomes in the RDPP programme document. The relevant indicators from the table should be included.
- Can you please clarify the meaning of the first eligibility criteria on Page 7: "Non-profit organisations who do not act as economic actors in the specific context of the engagement can apply. The applicant/s have to have demonstrated expertise in the sector of operation and the geographical area of intervention". How is "economic actors" defined, and does this mean that organisations that do act as economic actors under that definition are excluded?
As stated in the call viiii. Eligibility criteria: Non-profit organisations, who do not act as economic actors in the specific context of the engagement, can apply.
All partners that will receive a sub-grant should be specified as co-applicants. Co-applicant/s cannot be economic actors i.e. cannot be for-profit.
- Can you please clarify the last eligibility criteria on Page 7: "ineligible to receive funds from EU or the other contributing donors to the RDPP II". Does this refer only to specifically blacklisted organizations, or are there other criteria we should be aware of?
The reference to “Listed as ineligible to receive funds by EU or other contributing donors” is related to the EU restrictive measures in the lists provided at www.sanctionsmap.eu (“EU restrictive measures”) and the EDES system and similar listings by the other contributing donors to RDPP II.
As Danish regulations apply, EU restrictions in terms of nationality of organizations does not apply. There is also no requirements for applicants or co-applicants to be registered in PADOR.
- With regards to the impact and outcome indicators outlined on page 26 of the programme document, is it necessary to use all of these or is it possible to select which ones to measure based on the programme design?
The proposed concept note should contribute to the outcomes in the RDPP programme document. Only the indicators relevant for the project design should be included.
- What is the ratio proportion of target beneficiaries between Syrian and Lebanese?
There is no defined ratio proportion of target beneficiaries between Syrian and Lebanese. These should be defined by the applicant and co-applicant/s according to national standards if relevant, country context, the needs of the target group and the type of intervention.
- For the “Sub-grant to Partner” Budget line, do we include the HR and Activity costs of the partners in this budget? (i.e. as we leading the consortium, shall we put only our direct and indirect costs in the budget and everything related to the partner’s costs (direct and indirect) in the “sub-grant to partner”? )
The budget line for the sub-grant should reflect the entire sub-grant transferred to the co-applicant/s i.e. including both direct and indirect costs.
- Considering that our international sister organizations often operate embedded within their national sister structures, we also share legal presence in our countries of operation via integration agreements. Is it possible within a consortium structure to choose the international sister using the local legal umbrella as a prime applicant for the RDPP call? It is a common practice used with UN pooled funds and other UN funding instruments, but we wanted to make sure
As stated in the call “All applicant/s to the concept note including co-applicants need to be registered entities with the relevant national authorities in the country/ies in which the project intends to be implemented.”
If the applicant and co-applicant/s are able to legally operate in the country of the implementation through the registration of a national entity of their organization or registration of a partner organization, then the applicant or co-applicant/s are eligible.
- This is to inquire whether partners that are currently (still) in the process of registration with the government of Lebanon are eligible under the RDPP call for new partners?
Applicant/s, who can submit documentation that their registration process has been initiated, are accepted as eligible
- Can we be partnering and building the capacities of Syrian NGOs?
As stated in the call “All applicant/s to the concept note including co-applicants need to be registered entities with the relevant national authorities in the country/ies in which the project intends to be implemented.” If the Syrian NGOs fulfil this eligibility criteria, then project focused on partnering and building capacities of Syrian NGOs would be relevant
- Should we use only the outcome and output indicators available in the “Regional Development and Protection Programme in the Middle East (RDPP II)” Programme document? Or is it suitable to incorporate other indicators as well?
The proposed concept note should contribute to the outcomes in the RDPP programme document. Only the RDPP indicators relevant for the project design should be included. The applicant and co-applicant/s should include other indicators as relevant and suitable for their project design and for their M&E framework
- I just wanted to ask please if individual consultants are allowed to apply for research and if yes how?
RDPP is in the process of identifying the research agenda for 2020 in coordination with the contributing donors to RDPP II. It will be finalized by December 2019. You are welcome to contact the RDPP office in Beirut later in the year to inquire further on thefocus for 2020. They are reachable on the same mail: rdppme@um.dk
- Are US-based INGOs, not registered in the EU, eligible to apply for funding under this call?
The reference to “Listed as ineligible to receive funds by EU or other contributing donors” is related to the EU restrictive measures in the lists provided at www.sanctionsmap.eu (“EU restrictive measures”) and the EDES system and similar listings by the other contributing donors to RDPP II.
As Danish regulations apply, EU restrictions in terms of nationality of organizations does not apply. There is also no requirements for applicants or co-applicants to be registered in PADOR.
- We are an INGO with HQ in Switzerland and a registered field office in Jordan, are we eligible to submit a concept note under this call?
viiii. Eligibility criteria:
Non-profit organisations who do not act as economic actors in the specific context of the engagement can apply. The applicant/s have to have demonstrated expertise in the sector of operation and the geographical area of intervention.
All applicant/s to the concept note including co-applicants need to be registered entities with the relevant national authorities in the country/ies in which the project intends to be implemented.
Applications from applicants listed as ineligible to receive funds from EU or the other contributing donors to the RDPP II will be automatically disqualified. This refers to the EU restrictive measures as listed at www.sanctionsmap.eu (“EU restrictive measures”) and the EDES system and similar listings by the other contributing donors to RDPP II.
As Danish regulations apply, EU restrictions in terms of nationality of organizations does not apply. There is also no requirements for applicants or co-applicants to be registered in PADOR.
- We are considering for applying for A2 section, could you let us know maximum budget?
As stated in the call vii. Available budget:
Concept notes should have a minimum total budget of 1 million Euro. There is no upper limit.
- Could you confirm that an NGO that was not part of the first phase is eligible to apply for the second phase?
Yes, the call is open for applicants and co-applicant/s, who have not earlier received funding from RDPP. There is not requirement to have previous experience with RDPP funding. Applicants and co-applincant/s have to fulfil the viiii. Eligibility criteria:
Non-profit organisations, who do not act as economic actors in the specific context of the engagement, can apply. The applicant/s have to have demonstrated expertise in the sector of operation and the geographical area of intervention.
All applicant/s to the concept note including co-applicants need to be registered entities with the relevant national authorities in the country/ies in which the project intends to be implemented.
- Can you confirm that an NGO based in Switzerland is eligible to submit a Concept Note to RDPP?
Applications from applicants listed as ineligible to receive funds from EU or the other contributing donors to the RDPP II will be automatically disqualified. This refers to the EU restrictive measures as listed at www.sanctionsmap.eu (“EU restrictive measures”) and the EDES system and similar listings by the other contributing donors to RDPP II.
As Danish regulations apply, EU restrictions in terms of nationality of organizations does not apply. Swiss organisations are eligible to apply.
- We understand that the total budget for the phase I was 59,1 million. How was done that split between the different NGOs actor (since the link provided in the related document does not work)?
The total budget for phase II of RDPP (current phase) was 59,1 million Euro, which has recently been adjusted to 54,1 million Euro.
The allocation by partner type in phase I can be seen in the final completion report available here.
- Could you confirm that “Thematic area A Livelihood towards durable solutions” targets IDPs as well as host community (included in “displacement-affected populations”)?
Yes, we confirm that the thematic area “livelihoods towards durable solutions” targets refugees, IDPs and host communities
- Will “re inforced self employment approach” be acceptable/feasible under “Thematic area A “Livelihood towards durable solutions”? Focus on microenterprise and cooperative development. Will this approach be acceptable?
Regarding “reinforced self-employment method” and “microenterprise and cooperative development”: At this stage during the call, we unfortunately cannot comment on specific projects or strategies. Kindly see the Programme Document for Phase II available here for information regarding the thematic area
- Focusing on protection with a component of livelihood, will this approach be acceptable?
As stated in the call section II. Call for concept notes: “Through this call for concept notes RDPP is open to receive submissions contributing to one or more of the thematic and outcome areas (Livelihoods (A 1 and 2), Protection (B1 and 2), Advocacy (C2)). Concept notes with an integrated programme design covering more than one of the outcome areas and thematic areas are encouraged.”
- Under A1, Indicator 3, RDPP refer to employed; does this include full time and part-time employment?
As stated in the call the focus of partnerships within the thematic area of “livelihoods towards durable solutions” should be on Partnerships with a focus on ensuring sustainable jobs (improving national legal frameworks, ownership of businesses, work permits) will be prioritised over quantity of beneficiaries, as will also considerations of strategies to ensure improvement in livelihood situation of beneficiaries i.e. genuine documented increase in the income of the household, reduced negative coping mechanisms etc. Livelihoods projects should be gender responsive and barriers to entry and retention of women into the work force should be considered and addressed.
- Obtained employment is at 50% and the outcome figures are at 50% might be ambitious: specifically for apprenticeship, IRC will place our own outcome targets given our experience in the market. Is that fine?
The applicant and co-applicant/s should design the projects and targets based on their experience and knowledge of the context and interventions in the sector
- Under A2, Outcome 1, is the assumption that each supported business (100 in total) creates 5 jobs (to total the 500 jobs). Under A2, Outcome Indictor 3, is the understanding that once the Decent Work tools are developed that they are to be used by the MSME grantees or is it understood that those are to be used only by the partners we work with on mainstreaming decent work?
In regards to the 100 businesses and 500 jobs, a direct linkages is not assumed, neither is a direct relationship between the decent work tools and MSME. Though as stated in the call section II. Call for concept notes: “Concept notes with an integrated programme design covering more than one of the outcome areas and thematic areas are encouraged.”
- Is the RDPP logframe for guidance purposes only or should we use the exact indicators and exact wording (for those Areas we are targeting) as part of RDPP’s combined ToC?
The proposed concept note should contribute to the outcomes in the RDPP programme document. Clear linkages between the results framework of RDPP and that of the supported partnership will be necessary, while only the RDPP indicators relevant for the project design should be included. The applicant and co-applicant/s can/should include other indicators as relevant and suitable for their project design and for their M&E framework
- Indicator A2.2.: Improvement in perceived work conditions: safety, salary, harassment, exploitation in targeted businesses. Is the question from the perspective of the employer? Or is it from the perspective of the worker if in targeted businesses work conditions have improved
Regarding indicator A2.2: The intention of the indicators is from the perspective of the worker, though the applicant/s should apply their experience and knowledge in the project design, including in the development of the project indicators.