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This content from the Department of Foreign Affairs has moved to Ireland.ie/irish-aid

The Civil Society Funding Round 2017

Budget/funding, Gender, Health, Education, News/feature, Africa, 2016

What is project funding?

Irish Aid's project funding, known as the Civil Society Fund (CSF), provides annual and multi-annual grants for NGOs for small to medium-sized projects in some of the world's poorest regions. This grant enables NGOs to undertake innovative development projects in a range of areas including human rights, health, education, gender, water and sanitation, and food security.

Why we provide project funding?

The CSF supports the implementation of Irish Aid's Civil Society Policy and all interventions funded have a strong focus on achieving results for communities in the poorest parts of the world.

The CSF also ensures that Ireland's overseas development funding contributes to the Government's stated development policy priorities outlined in Ireland's Policy for International Development 'One World, One Future' which was launched in 2013.

How we realise policy objectives through the project grant?

The Civil Society Fund (CSF) aims to support small and medium-sized Irish non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and invited international NGOs to carry out development projects of between one and three years duration.

The Civil Society Fund aims to support:

  • an enabling environment for civil society to organise and engage with government and its own broader constituencies,
  • the role of civil society in (i) promoting participation and good governance, (ii) ensuring pro-poor service delivery and pro-poor growth, and (iii) globally and nationally, to build a constituency for development, human rights and social justice.

In 2017, Irish Aid are seeking applications that most clearly outline how proposed projects will primarily contribute to a maximum of two of the High Level Outcomes of the One World, one Future Framework for Action. The Outcomes are conductive to a range of projects, including projects relating to hunger, inclusive economic growth, health, education, gender, governance, human rights, etc. It is not expected that projects will contribute to all Outcomes. One or two of the most relevant Outcomes should be chosen.

In line with the Irish Aid Volunteering Initiative, the Civil Society Fund is also looking to support innovative initiatives that support the achievement of Irish Aid's key objectives in relation to poverty reduction.

Please find information about the application process within Civil Society Fund 2017 at the apply for funding tab.