Application Deadline: July 10th 2017
The Civil Society Development Fund (CSDF), run by the French Embassy in South Africa, aims at supporting capacity development of South African civil society organisations. The principal objectives of the projects implemented through this development mechanism are sustainable development, the eradication of poverty and the responding to essential community needs as well as fostering democracy by strengthening human rights and gender equality. The aim is also to build capacity, autonomy and accountability among local stakeholders, i.e. regional communities and grassroots civil society organisations, agricultural production associations, neighbourhood associations, women, parents schooling bodies etc.
Since 2009, the CSDF has provided funding to 21 organisations implementing micro-projects within the two broad funding priorities of the fund:
- Promoting respect for human rights, especially those of women, children and LGBTI persons.
- Improving local governance, public participation and access to basic services with a specific focus on sustainable development of communities, skills development, job creation and social cohesion.
In the funding period 2017-2018, the French Embassy in South Africa will support innovative projects of South African CSOs falling within these two objectives.
Through this funding, the French Embassy seeks to support:
A “bottom up approach”, where organisations design and implement their own strategy;
A “coordinated approach” where preference is given to initiatives co-financed by South African and foreign stakeholders, including European Union member states and their implementing agencies, United Nations agencies and French CSOs;
A “coherent strategy” – the programme follows the principles of the European Union Charter on Local Governance and contributes to the goals of the French-South African cooperation strategy which is based on South African priorities.
*The first round of selection*
For the first round of selection, only the concept note should be submitted for the evaluation.
CSOs whose concept note is approved will be invited to submit a project proposal.
Concept note must be sent by the 10th of July 2017 to the following email:
* The second round*
The following documents must be attached to the completed application form (annex 1):
- An application letter dated and signed by the authorized representative of the applicant.
- A copy of the official registration documents (NPO number and constitution) of the organization[1]
- Financial reports for the last two years certified by auditors and signed by the chair or treasurer on behalf of the management committee / board of trustees.
- The organisation budget forecast for the current year.
- The detailed activity based budget (annex 3).
- The completed logical framework (annex 2).
These documents must be sent by the 25 of July 2017 to the following email address
Electronic applications (email document in Word, PDF or JIP format) are preferred. However, in the event that you do not have access to email and are therefore submitting your application in paper format, hard copies of supporting documentation should please be printed recto-verso and sent to
Civil Society Development Fund
Department for Cooperation and Cultural Affairs
Embassy of France in Pretoria
250 Melk Street
Pretoria.
The relevant forms and guidelines for submission can be downloaded here:
For More Information: