Submissions Open: Call for “Turnkey” Projects

Donor Name: Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs

Deadline Date: June 06, 2025

 Grant Size: Not Available

 Category: Events

 Reference URL:https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/politique-etrangere-de-la-france/action-exterieure-des-collectivites-territoriales/appels-a-projets-2025/appel-a-projets-cle-en-main/

The Delegation for Local Authorities and Civil Society has launched a call for proposals for the year 2025, intended to enable the participation of French metropolitan and overseas local authorities (CTF) in decentralized cooperation programs prepared by associations of local authorities or GIP.

The programs prepared by these associations or GIPs will be intended to facilitate the participation of CTFs in decentralized cooperation initiatives, particularly when these authorities lack prior experience or human resources, or wish to be active internationally without committing to a formal partnership with a specific foreign authority.

Each program must include a minimum of three participating CTFs. There is no maximum, and project leaders are strongly encouraged to involve more than three CTFs in their program. The economic, academic, and cultural and social sectors of the territories concerned, as necessary for the successful implementation of the project, may also be involved in the programs.

Duration

• The project duration must be between 12 and 36 months maximum.

Ineligible Activities

• The functioning of French and foreign local authorities the following operations:
  • The operation of French and foreign local authorities or their services (e.g., the DCTCIV does not contribute to the salaries or wages of employees);
  • The provision of logistical resources (e.g., containers, vehicles, freight transport, etc.);
  • Contribution to another local development fund;
  • The shipment of materials (medicines, books, etc.) or private collections;
  • Support for one-off cultural projects or artistic creation, unless it is of a very marginal nature within the overall project.
  • Generally speaking, the DCTCIV does not finance real estate infrastructure or equipment. However, in non-OECD countries, it may consider doing so if these operations enable the implementation of a structuring project for capacity building, job creation, and income generation. If your project falls into this category, please contact the DCTCIV before submitting your application.
  • Projects that, depending on their characteristics, could be financed by other donors, such as the European Union through its programs, or the French Development Agency (AFD) through its FICOL (Financing Facility for French Local Authorities) instrument, are not eligible. Upstream financing or co-financing is, however, possible in certain cases, particularly for leveraging purposes.

Eligibility Criteria

• To apply for DCTCIV Calls for Action, French local and regional authorities must ensure they meet the following criteria:
  • Declaration of Official Development Assistance (ODA)
  • Similarly, local and regional authorities are required to declare their official development assistance online each year (between April 15 and May 31).

Selection Criteria

• Gender Equality
  • Project leaders must indicate the level of gender integration in their project, according to the OECD’s “gender markers,” and provide a justification:
    • Gender marker 0: no project objective targets gender equality;
    • Gender marker 1: gender equality is one of the project’s significant and deliberate objectives;
    • Gender marker 2: the project’s primary objective is gender equality.
• Promoting Citizenship and International Solidarity Education (ECSI)
  • ECSI is an approach that contributes to citizen understanding of global issues. It is based on an educational process that is divided into three main modes of action: public awareness, public training, advocacy, and citizen mobilization on citizenship and international solidarity issues.
• Integration of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
  • Programs integrating several SDGs in a spirit of cross-cutting approaches and multiplying the project’s positive impacts will be favored.
• Social inclusion and involvement of vulnerable populations
  • Projects involving, in particular, populations from priority neighborhoods of urban policy, rural, peri-urban, and overseas territories, and populations from disadvantaged socio-professional categories,
  • People in professional integration or with disabilities are encouraged.
• Reciprocity between territories
  • Eligible projects must provide guarantees of a balanced partnership and good reciprocity for the benefit of the populations of the CTFs. Citizens of the CTF must be involved in the project through actions and communication.
• Participation of local associations
  • To better ensure the relevance and viability of actions, CTFs are encouraged to involve organizations located in their territory, or national organizations, or organizations located in the territory of the partner foreign local authority in the structuring and/or implementation of their projects.