Please see below for answers to questions raised during the information session for the first ‘Call for Project Proposals’ held on 25 July 2019. Applicants can get further clarification via e-mail [email protected] or by phone +251 996 86 46 46

While reading in the guideline I saw that applicants of the proposal should be legally registered consultants/ organizations. In this connection currently I am working as a freelancer consultant having professional license while also under way to have legally register entity in the future.  Please kindly advise me if there is any room to apply on individual basis as a freelancer so that hopefully I can have an opportunity to prepare a proposal that can benefit me and my country at large.

Legally registered organizations (from private, public or civil society) can apply for EDTF funding. However, having an office and a bank account opened in the name of the organizations are basic eligibility requirements specified in the project selection criteria. Applicants should demonstrate a certain level of organizational capacity to prove that they can implement the project they are proposing. You can find the detailed project selection criteria as well as the applicants guideline and all the application documents on our website link: https://www.ethiopiatrustfund.org/call-for-project-proposals/

Is it allowed to propose to work with you through co financing? Our organization is granted from another donor but we need to scale up our project in other project area and in modified ways.

As specified in the applicants’ guideline:

1. EDTF may co-finance large scale projects depending on the evidence presented by the applicant regarding the need for the project and justification for co-financing.

2. When and if the project has secured financing from other donors the applicant should clearly indicate the name of the financing organization, the committed amount of donation and the specific areas of the project the donation is secured for. The same procedure should be followed for pending financing request submitted to other donors.

3. EDTF does not finance projects that are under implementation at the time of application.

For more information you can download the applicant’s guideline from our website link: https://www.ethiopiatrustfund.org/call-for-project-proposals/

Can Community Based Organisations (CBOs) apply for EDTF grant?

Yes, Community Based Organisations (CBOs) are under the category of civil society organisations. They can submit project proposals as main applicant or co-applicant as along as they are legally registered.

How long the project period is supposed to be?

The maximum duration of a project to be implemented through EDTF grant is 24 months.

Can an international NGO with branch office in the country be a lead applicant and submit proposal?

International NGOs with branch offices in Ethiopia can participate in the call for project proposals as a co-applicant. The lead applicant should be a local organization (NGO, Civil Society, Private sector or government entity).
Please refer to the Applicant’s guideline for detailed information: https://www.ethiopiatrustfund.org/call-for-project-proposals/

Can one organization can be funded twice (as a lead applicant of one project and as a co-applicant of another project in a coalition/consortium)?

An organization can participate in the call for project proposals as a main applicant for one project and as a co-applicant in another project. It is also possible that both projects can be selected and awarded. Nevertheless, one applicant cannot receive two awards as main applicant of two different projects.

We have gone through the documents issued for the call for projects. We would like to get some clarifications for the following points:

1. Executive Summary: – is the font type, size and line spacing specified for the executive summary?

2. Annexes 5,6 and 7:- do we have to fill the forms for every management staff (annex 5), technical staff (annex 6) and administrative staff (annex 7), even if they are more than 1 or 2 for each category? or 1 each would be sufficient?

3. Partnership form:- we are not provided with partnership form from you. Can we use our own partnership agreement form?

1. Executive summary: We do not have specific font and spacing preference. The potential of the summary to communicate what your project is about is more important. However, as a standard practice we expect it to be written in a readable font size (not less than 11).

2. Annexes 5,6 and 7: One of the criteria of assessment is the skill and experience of the key project staff. Thus, it is in your advantage to list key project staff of the project.

3. Partnership form: EDTF does not have a standard partnership form. Projects should have one main applicant but can have a number of co-applicants. In the case of consortium that are formally (legally) established the consortium can apply as one entity. In the case of one main applicant and one or more applicants you can conclude a partnership agreement relevant to the project. EDTF is not requesting verification of the partnership at this point. That will be checked as part of the review process.

This is to request clarification on the following issues in relation to the first Ethiopian Diaspora Trust Fund call for proposal:

1. Under page 5 of the application guideline of section 6 sub section 6.1, there is no reference to Community Based organizations (CBOs). They have been now a days working with different local and international NGOs and have been managing sub grants and directly reaching to the vulnerable communities and contributes in ensuring sustainability of projects. We have been working with CBOs for more than a decade and achieved tangible result including ensuring sustainability of projects. It reached to venerable communalities through the structure of CBOs and implemented result oriented and successful projects. However, the call for proposal seems to miss these important institutions to be part of the process. The indicated criteria’s in the guideline are not considered the local context and it will be difficult for CBOs to be CO-applicant or even to apply by themselves. Therefore, would you please give us clarification whether CBOs can be part of the proposal/ Co-applicants. They have their own registration at their regional level and their accounts have been audited.

2. Please give us some clarification on milestones and the difference with work plans.

3. Is it compulsory to apply in partnership? Can individual organization apply?

4. According to the guideline there are about 9 priority areas of EDTF so, it is not clear whether applicants can apply for all of the priority issues or at least some or major of them

5. What is the difference between Co-finance and matching fund? Is much fund compulsory or voluntary based? If matching fund is compulsory how match is it( in %)?

1. Community Based Organisations (CBOs): CBOs are under the broad category of Civil Society organizations and thus are eligible to apply for EDTF grant. CBOs can apply as a main applicant or become a co-applicant partnering with other organisations. They need to be legally registered and should have their own bank account.

2. Milestones: A milestone is a completion of a major step in the project implementation process. EDTF uses milestones to track the project progress as per the agreed implementation schedule. Thus, they constitute the bases of progress reporting. Key milestones can be activities, outputs or outcomes. The difference of key milestones from wok plan is the level of detail and prominence of the action. For example, depending on the nature of the project ‘Conducting a stockholder consultation workshop’ can be a key milestone while the main tasks implemented to make the workshop possible (such as writing workshop concept, processing the logistics details, preparing the content of the workshop etc.) are detailed in a work plan.

3. Applicants can apply as an individual organization or in partnership with other organisations. In the case of partnership only one organization should be identified as the main applicant of the project. This organization is the main contact point of the project and has the overall responsibility of ensuring the project implementation and fulfilling reporting requirements.

4. All priority areas have equal significance for EDTF. A project may focus on one priority area or may address more than one priority area. This depends on the nature of the project the applicant submits.

5. In this context matching fund is the contribution of the project applicant(applicants). Co-financing is when another donor finances some portion of the project budget. Matching fund can be monetary or tangible ‘in-kind’ contribution. Matching fund is not a mandatory requirement in this call for project proposals. However, EDTF encourages matching fund by the applicant(s) and contribution of matching fund bears extra points in the review process. For example, an applicant contributing 15% of the total project budget earns 5 points as per the budget review criteria.

Can a newly registration NGO apply for this call? If yes, how much can be the budget limit?

Newly established NGOs can apply for EDTF funding. If your question regarding the budget limit is in reference to the budget limit per one project the maximum amount of grant EDTF awards for one project is 350,000 USD and the minimum amount is 200,000 USD.

You can find detailed information about the eligibility and project selection criteria as well as the application form and documents from this link: https://www.ethiopiatrustfund.org/call-for-project-proposals/

Can we attach process diagrams to elaborate partnership points?

You can attach reasonable number diagrams if they can help to provide clear information about your project. But please note that the standard application documents provided are mandatory and cannot be substituted by additional information.