Granturi și Finanțări

The Fund for Local Cooperation (FLC) of the Embassy of Finland in Bucharest is an instrument for funding non-profit projects in the Republic of Moldova. The call for project proposals is now open and will be closed on March 24rd, 2023 at 14:00 local time (UTC+2).

The FLC of the Embassy of Finland is an instrument of Finnish development cooperation. The FLC contributes towards the five goals of the Finnish development policy

1. Strengthening the status and rights of women and girls
2. Education
3. Sustainable economy and decent work
4. Peaceful and democratic societies
5. Climate change and natural resources

Additionally, the FLC projects should be implemented with the human rights-based approach. This means that human rights are systematically integrated in the means and objectives of projects supported by the FLC.

The Embassy supports only projects that are in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the UN.

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals are an urgent call for action by all countries in a global partnership.

FLC project thematic areas

This year the call for Project Proposals is looking for projects contributing to the following priority areas of the Embassy’s FLC Programme:

1. Support to the freedom of expression and media diversity, including

• enhancing capacity building of independent media
• enhancing critical thinking and media literacy; resisting disinformation
• promotion of investigative journalism and transparency  

2. Support to the rights of women and girls, including

• enhancing capacity building of non-governmental organisations promoting women’s rights and gender equality 
• promoting women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities in economic life
• supporting the end of all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls
• supporting youth friendly education and awareness raising on sexual and reproductive health and sexually transmitted infections

The Embassy encourages applicants working outside of the capital area to apply for the FLC fund. Projects targeted at youth are especially encouraged to apply. Concerning the FLC priority area 2. Support to the rights of women and girls, the Embassy invites project proposals that aim to support women and girls in a vulnerable position.
 

Funding Information

Award amounts will range from approximately 20,000€ to 60,000€. Project duration is limited up to two years. A maximum of 4 - 6 projects will be selected following this call. The Embassy reserves the right to allocate potential surplus FLC grant funds to FLC project(s) selected during this FLC round.
 

Eligibility criteria for FLC partnership

Eligible partners for the FLC include legally registered Moldovan non-governmental organisations, civil society organisations, independent media, educational and research institutions, public bodies and cultural institutions, chambers of commerce and commercial associations, businesses, cooperatives, interest groups of companies and employees. Support to local private companies’ operations are subject to a number of special provisions, please see Guidelines for the private sector FLC partners.

Selection criteria for project proposals

• Alignment with Finland’s development policy, the UN's SDGs and the above mentioned priority areas of the FLC Programme
• Clearly defined expected result(s) including targeted project outputs and outcomes
• Realistically planned project activities that contribute to the desired results
• Project budget that is in line with the activities and with the experience of the applicant
• Experience and management capabilities of the applicant
• Key elements of Finnish development policy and quality standards, namely the Results Based Management (RBM), Human Rights Based Approach to Development (HRBA) and Cross-Cutting Objectives (CCOs) are included in the project proposals

The Embassy prioritizes the project proposals that are not fully financed by the donor; the applicant must show its capability to run day-by-day activities. The principle for supporting private companies is that the applicant itself provides a sufficient share of the financing of the project. The FLC grant can cover a maximum of 70 % of the entire private sector project costs.

Projects are the main target of the FLC. The fund can be used for core funding only in special and well-argued cases.

See the complete selection criteria for FLC applications.

How to apply?

The deadline for submitting applications is Thursday 24^th of March 2023 at 14:00 hrs local time (UTC +2). Late proposals will not be considered.

Relevant information regarding a proposed project should be provided by filling the Embassy`s application form. Application form is not a full project proposal but a summary of a project plan. The maximum length of the project plan summary is 5 pages. To accompany the application form, the following two attachments are required from all applicants:

1. Project budget in Euros
2. The CVs of the project manager and other focal project staff, project coordinator or any other relevant key persons

In addition, the private sector applicants are requested to submit a 3^rd attachment Information form for private sector applicants.

The application form and the attachments should be written in English. The applications must be signed, stamped and dated. Please note that applications without a signature and date will not be accepted. Electronic signature is accepted.

Applications in PDF format and possible questions can be sent via email to projects.buk@formin.fi

Please find further information on the procedures for applying for the FLC on from the Guidelines for the FLC partners.

In case of further questions, we encourage you to contact us well before the deadline of the project proposals. We might not have the possibility to get back to you in time in case sending questions to us during the last days of the application period.

Estimated timeline

Assessment of the applications, the shortlisting and the pre-selection process is scheduled to take place between March and May 2023.

Shortlisted applicants are requested to provide additional information, including the certificate of registration and the applicant’s latest annual report accompanied with full financial statements. In addition, their financial and administrative capacity is assessed.

After the pre-selection is done, a decision will be communicated to all applicants. As the FLC application form is a summary of a project plan, pre-selected candidates will draft complete project plans prior signing the grant agreement with the Embassy. The Embassy reserves the right to demand modifications on the project proposals and project plans if they lack relevant information, if they need improvement to guarantee expected results, or if they are not in line with the rules and regulations. The earliest starting date for a project is estimated to be in August 2023.

Further information:

• Human rights based approach guidance note
• Results Based Management (RBM) guidance note

For more details: 

https://finlandabroad.fi/web/mda/local-cooperation-fund