Embassy of Finland: Finnish Local Cooperation Fund for Ukraine 2021-2022

Deadline: 14-Feb-21

The Embassy of Finland, Kyiv is seeking applications for its Finnish Local Cooperation Fund that aims to support local (Ukrainian) civil society organizations (CSOs).

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Finnish Development policy aims at poverty reduction, implementation of fundamental rights and promoting sustainable development globally.

Focus Areas

Embassy of Finland calls for applications on the following topics in 2021/2022:

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Innovative solutions for recycling in communities;
Raising awareness on climate change or biodiversity;
Mitigating the learning loss due to Covid-19.
Funding Information

Support from the Embassy will vary till maximum € 50.000. The Embassy does not provide funding for projects where the Finnish LCF is the sole source of funding.
Eligibility Criteria

The applicant is eligible for the LCF:
The project is in line with the Finnish development policy goals and principles and particularly thematic focus for the LCF 2021 as specified in the call;
One or several of the Finnish development policy cross-cutting objectives are addressed: gender equality, non-discrimination (focus on persons with disabilities), climate resilience, low emission development;
The project’s main purpose, activities and expected results are clearly articulated;
The project’s objectives are realistic and clearly defined;
There are indicators specified to measure the project results;
Budget is realistic and transparent. Over budgeting will be seen negatively in the assessment process;
The beneficiaries of the project and their needs are defined;
A comprehensive risk analysis is in place and risk mitigation measures defined;
The expected long-term effects of the project is explicated;
Sustainability of the activities is considered;
Applicant’s project management experience and capacity;
In some cases also other types of organizations can be considered eligible, including educational and research institutions, independent media, and cultural organizations;
Please note that public state organizations are not eligible for the support, but can be partners of CSOs with their own funding/in-kind contribution;
The project needs to be in line with the goals and principles of the official development policy of Finland;
Maximum 4 projects will be chosen to receive financing from the Embassy’s Local Cooperation Fund 2021;
All projects funded by LCF are required to conduct an independent audit. Audit costs can be included in the project budget;
The project proposed must have the potential for real and measurable/verifiable impact;
Embassy would like to encourage eligible actors to form strategic collaboration with other civil society organizations, local authorities, private sector aiming at enhancing sustainability and effectiveness of the project;
The projects must be implemented within one or two years.
The following types of projects are not eligible for the LCF of the Embassy of Finland in Kyiv:
Projects implemented by Government, ministries or local authorities;
Projects of political parties;
Projects where the beneficiary is one person, one family, or private business;
Projects exclusively or typically of charity;
Organizing a single event, for example cultural or charity-related, or a conference;
Humanitarian assistance (funding for that has established channels);
UN, OSCE, or other international organizations, international NGOs (INGOs), or Finnish NGOs. The local (Ukrainian) partners and implementing agencies, however, are eligible;
Projects that take place in areas currently out of the control of the Ukrainian Government;
Personal grants for individual persons;
Loan programs;
Purchase of vehicles, land, or real estate;
Repair and construction works;
Projects where the main purpose is a trip to Finland or another foreign country.
Selection Criteria

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The Embassy of Finland underlines the importance of preparing a high-quality project application.
The capacity and professionalism should be reflected in the quality and clarity of the proposal. The most important selection criteria are the relevance and quality of the proposal.
When selecting among the applications for funding, the Embassy also takes a geographical balance of activities within Ukraine into consideration.
Embassy may also prioritize new applicants over those that have recently received the LCF. An NGO can be funded maximum for two subsequent years.
For more information, visit https://finlandabroad.fi/web/ukr/pidtrimka-miscevih-gromads-kih-organizacij