How to Win a Grant from the SEED Foundation for Small NGOs in Africa

The SEED Foundation Call for Projects 2019: Promoting Local Resources of the African Soils is now open for applications from partnerships of NGOs and others, including companies, for their 2019 funding round, with grants available from €10,000 and €150,000 for projects lasting between 24 and 36 months.

As this is a widely promoted opportunity the number of applications will be large and it is important to develop the most competitive proposal available. This guide can assist you in drafting an effective application.

Disclaimer: This guide is intended to help NGOs apply. This is an unofficial guide that does not guarantee funding or support to applicants. The guide is intended to provide NGOs with suggestions. Readers are advised to use the guide at their own discretion.

What is the SEED Foundation?

SEED Foundation pools together companies committed to supporting groups of African farmers. The goal is to give committed corporate sponsors the opportunity to achieve their societal engagement by supporting family-based agricultural initiatives. The mission is to support agricultural and rural development in Africa so as to strengthen food security and living conditions for the more vulnerable populations.

Who can apply?

• You are a registered NGO or non-profit organization
• You work in an eligible country (see list below)
• You are based in Africa or France and have experience in the field of agricultural development
• You are a partnership of at least two organizations, one from Africa and one from France – and not a single organization
• You have a bank account
• You can show a track record of success

IMPORTANT! There is an inconsistency in the website information and the downloadable FAQ. The download has the following information:

• Eligible applicants: French and African non-profit organizations in a formalized partnership – but this is not mentioned on the website.

Do not apply if

• You are already a SEED Foundation partner
• You are a student association
• You are not legally registered
• You are a commercial organization
• You are not a partnership of at least two organizations – one from Africa and one from France
• You are an individual
• You do not work in Africa
• You propose to work in more than one country
• You are not active in agriculture
• You have limited capacity

For what can I apply?

The focus has to be on the following theme:

• Enhancing the African local resources and
• Optimizing their management

SEED Foundation will pay particular attention to the following aims:

• Feasibility: the operational capacity of the applicant and its local partners, the coherence with the local context, the coherence between the budget and expected use of funds
• Pertinence: respect of the 3 pillars of sustainable development, expected impacts of the project and the indicators on how to measure them
• Sustainability: perspectives and long-term vision of the project (capitalization and valorization), the durability of the action

The applicant’s project should address the following issues:

• To what extent can local land resources respond to challenges of an agricultural system (job creation, better meeting the demand local, etc.)?
• How to maintain the diversity of agricultural practices, for the purpose of protection different forms of ecosystem production and resilience?
• How to develop efficient and less efficient agricultural production systems consumers of natural and financial resources?
• How to support the development and diversity of local sectors, production until the marketing of the finished product?

What are the sizes of the grants?

• From €10,000 to €150,000
• The grant requested can only be a maximum of 70% of the total project budget

IMPORTANT! There is an inconsistency in the website information on grant size and the downloadable FAQ. The download has the following information:

• Grant size: between €7,000 and €15,000
• Total funding: €45,000
• So this seems to indicate an estimated 3 grants averaging the averaging €15,000 only.

The number of grants awarded over the past 8 years is 23 with some €345,000 granted in total. This means that the average grant size is about €15,000. It is highly likely that grants in the €10-25,000 range are more likely to succeed than larger grants.

What countries are funded?

Only NGOs working in the following countries can apply!

• Benin
• Burkina Faso
• Cameroun (less than 3h from Yaoundé or Douala)
• Comores
• Congo Pointe Noire (less than 3h from Pointe Noire or Brazzaville)
• Ivory Coast (less than 3h from Abidjan)
• Djibouti
• Ghana
• The Gambia
• Guinea Conakry
• Guinea Equatorial
• Kenya
• Madagascar
• Mali (less than 3h South of Bamako)
• Mauritania
• Niger (only in the area around Niamey)
• Democratic Republic of Congo (only in the area around Kinshasa)
• Senegal
• Chad (only in the area around N’Djaména)
• Togo

In what language can I apply?

Applications are only accepted in French and English.

Where do I apply?

You can apply at the following link: http://seed-foundation.org/en/accueil-en/

We strongly recommend you review the website criteria and previously funded projects before you apply online. Make sure you draft a short summary of your project and budget before submitting the online form. This will allow you to work off-line, use spell-check, share the document with colleagues for comments and editing, and save a copy for future use. Once developed, you can cut and paste the relevant text from your document into the online application form.

When should I submit? What is the deadline?

The deadline is 6 February 2019 – but don’t wait till the end to submit your application!

Allow sufficient time to complete the application as the volume of late applications may overwhelm the online system and cause delays close to the submission deadline.

What are my chances of success?

SEED Foundation is most interested in supporting small African NGOs, so you should consider applying if you fit that description.

The competition will be very competitive, with a low success rate. As only about 3 projects are funded each year with an average grant awarded of 15,000 – many NGOs will not succeed.

Organizations with proven capacity will also have a higher chance of receiving funding. So if you have a great NGO running a quality, relevant program, in a developing country your chance of success may well be quite high.

When will I hear if I made it?

Finalists will be invited to submit additional information around March 2019. Winners will be announced in May 2019.

Where can I find more information?

For further information, visit: SEED Foundation or contact contact@seed-foundation.org

Top tips to improve your chances of success!

• Carefully check eligibility requirement, submit all the required documents, and follow all the rules.
• Identify partner(s) early on so you can discuss and agree on the project outline.
• Clearly explain how your project will promote the goals of the SEED Foundation
• Check the website to view examples of previous projects funded.
• Clearly show how the project will be “additional” to work already carried out by both the partners and development donors.
• Show impact and scalability. The project should have a high impact and be shown to be scalable in a relatively short amount of time. Scalability means that the impact has to quickly grow and accelerate.
• The partnership will have to contribute 30% of the budget or more. Make sure to outline how you intend to raise this contribution from partners or other donors
• Outline how the project will be innovative and sustainable.
• Have a native French or English speaker review and edit your application before submission.
• Have an accountant or someone good with number review the budget. Make sure the budget covers all the cost associated with the project.
• Submit the application on time, and ideally several days before the deadline.
• Understand that only very few applicants will get funded and your chances of success are slim.

To view more information please visit this link.

Good luck!