Responses to Request for Clarifications: Support for community-led approaches to address Basic Human Needs in Afghanistan
Application
Q: Can you confirm font and size and margin requirements for uploaded annexes, or are these at the discretion of the applicant?
A: These aspects are at the discretion of the applicant.
Q: Can you confirm if the required 5-page context analysis is included in the 20-page project description or it should be a separate Annex?
A: The context analysis can be either in the project description or a separate annex (in the “other annexes tab”). If the context analysis is included within the project description, project description should still be maximum 20 pages. If the context analysis is uploaded separately, the project analysis can still be 20 pages.
Q: Several supporting documents are mandatory to the application for the call for proposal. If a required document, for example, the audit reports of the last two years, is missing from our submission, does that automatically lead to disqualification?
A: As stated in the call for proposals, if the application is incomplete and/or missing requested documentation or annexes, the application will be rejected.
Q: What is the expected or potential project start date?
A: As stated in the call for proposals, Grants may be provided for programmes/activities of up to four years in the period 2027-2030. The expected start date would be January 2027.
Q: Could you please clarify whether all partners or only the lead applicant need to provide the required organisational documentation?
A: Only the lead applicant is required to submit the organizational documentation. Kindly see question 1.4. in the FAQ relating to criteria for consortia members.
Audit
Q: The call for proposals asks for audit reports and annual accounts for the past two years. In the Grants Portal, applicants are requested to upload only the most recent audit report and annual accounts. Can you confirm that we are indeed required to upload two audit reports and two annual accounts? If so, where do we upload these?
A: Applicants are required to upload audit reports and annual accounts for the past two (2) years. It is possible to upload several documents under the questions for audit reports and annual accounts under ‘Auditor’ in the Organizational section of the application form. Please therefore upload the audit reports and annual accounts for the past two years under these questions in the application form.
Q: Our annual financial statements are examined by our tax firm as part of statutory tax filings. Could you please confirm whether a published auditor’s report or independent audit opinion is required, or if our externally reviewed financial statements issued by a tax firm satisfy the requirement?
A: For this call, Norad requires audited organisational financial statements as part of the application documentation, since these are used to assess the applicant’s capacity and competence. Accordingly, externally reviewed financial statements prepared or examined by a tax firm as part of statutory tax filings are not, in themselves, sufficient, unless they are accompanied by a formal independent auditor’s report/audit opinion confirming that the financial statements have been audited.
Please also note that, for applicants awarded funding, there will be a separate requirement for project-specific audit of the funded project. This audit must be conducted in accordance with ISA and provide reasonable assurance.
Eligibility
Q: Does the eligibility mean only INGOs can apply, not as a consortium with national partners? Or does it mean an INGO needs to be the lead applicant but partners can be brought in through partnership agreements?
A: Only INGOs can apply. The INGO can enter into sub-grant relationships with national partners. Kindly also see question 1.4. in the FAQ.
Q: On the eligibility criteria of "Have documented experience and presence in Afghanistan delivering similar programmes for at least 10 out of the last 20 years, are currently operational and have been for at least the last two (2) years." Does an organisation that has had active partnerships in AFG since 2017, for example, count as eligible? Further, would such an organisation be eligible as a co-applicant in a consortium with another INGO that has a physical presence in AFG?
A: The criterion of documented experience and presence in Afghanistan is not an absolute eligibility criterion. However, organisations that fulfil this criterion will be prioritised. For consortia, it is the lead applicant that is assessed against this criterion. Having partnerships in Afghanistan does not fulfil the requirement of presence in Afghanistan. Kindly also see question 1.4. in the FAQ.
Q: Further on the eligibility criteria where applicants should: "Have a minimum annual turnover for activities implemented in Afghanistan of at least NOK 20 million." Does this apply to all organisations or just the lead applicant in a consortium?
A: The criterion of annual turnover is not an absolute eligibility criterion. For consortia, it applies to the lead applicant, and lead applicants fulfilling it will be prioritised. Kindly also see question 1.4. in the FAQ.
Q: The CFP states that 'Potential grant recipients are: Norwegian and international civil society organisations, understood as non-governmental not-for-profit organisations that operate across national borders, typically headquartered in one country, while maintaining a presence and carrying out activities in other countries.' AND 'If applying as part of a consortium, all members must be eligible grant recipients.' Does this mean that Afghan national NGOs are not eligible consortium members?
A: Only INGOs can apply. The INGO can enter into sub-grant agreements with national partners. Conditions for sub-grantees are set out in the Grant Agreement General Conditions article 11, available here. Kindly also see question 1.4. in the FAQ.
Q: An NGO is founded in a European country but is also an NGO registered in Afghanistan, has its main operational office in and implements programmes across Afghanistan. Would Norad consider this NGO to fall within its definition of a local/national civil society partner?
A: Only Norwegian and international NGOs can apply. Whether the NGO could qualify as an INGO given its registration in a European country, or is a local/national partner (if the registration is only formal and they have no activities in European country/-ies) should be assessed based on the information in the call for proposals under ‘Who can apply for grants’.
Please note that an INGO can enter into sub-grant agreements with international and/or local/national partners. Conditions for sub-grantees are set out in the Grant Agreement General Conditions article 11, available here. Kindly also see question 1.4. in the FAQ relating to criteria for consortia members.
Q: Could you please clarify the requirement to be "operational"? While we were registered in Afghanistan until recently, we now operate exclusively through local partners. Does this satisfy the "operational" criteria?
A: The criterion of operational is not an absolute eligibility criterion. However, organizations that fulfill this requirement will be prioritized. In this call for proposal, operational would entail that the applicant has itself implemented activities in Afghanistan over the past two years.
Q: Is formal registration in Afghanistan a mandatory requirement for eligibility?
A: The applicant, or lead applicant in the case of a consortium, must be a registered legal entity. The registration could be in Afghanistan or in another country, but the applicant must be able to legally operate in Afghanistan. Regarding implementing partners, the requirements of the Grant Agreement General Conditions article 11 must be fulfilled available here.
Q: Does Norad have specific priority regions within Afghanistan, or is the call open to projects nationwide?
A: The call is open to projects implemented nationwide. The project must be based on locally identified and prioritised needs, as stated in the call.
Q: Should proposals cover all thematic areas mentioned in the call, or can we focus on two or three? Are there any specific priority sectors?
A: The proposal does not have to cover all the thematic areas listed in the call. The list is a non-exhaustive list of prioritised thematic areas but other relevant thematic areas may also be included, as mentioned in the call. The important element is that the thematic areas selected in your proposal are based on locally identified and prioritised needs, and fall within the grant scheme’s objective to strengthen economic and social development.
Q: Can you please clarify over what period of time the minimum annual turnover for activities implemented in Afghanistan of at least NOK 20 million applies to?
A: The annual turnover should be the within the timeframe your organization has been operational in Afghanistan, at least the last two years.
Q: Could you please provide further elaboration on what is meant by the “across borders” component?
A: Norad understands this question to refer to the explanation under ‘potential grant recipients’ in the call for proposals. As stated in the call, potential applicants are organizations that have presence and operate in multiple countries, typically headquartered in one country while maintaining a presence and carrying out activities in other countries. A mere formal registration in one country without any presence or activity there would not suffice.
Q: Could you please share additional information regarding Window 1: Program Support methodology and the amount of allocated budget?
A: The programme support window is described under ‘types of programming eligible for the call’ in the call for proposals. Please also be informed that for programme support, reporting will be at program level (including separate program accounts). There is no specific budget amount allocated for each window; the total estimated funding available includes both windows.
Q: Is a requirement that organizations have 10 years of experience in Afghanistan in order to be eligible to apply?
A: The criterion of documented experience and presence in Afghanistan is not an absolute eligibility criterion. However, organisations that fulfil this criterion will be prioritised. Years of experience is one element that will be considered as part of the assessment of the proposal, along with the other requirements listed in the call for proposals.
Q: The call for proposals states that “Applicants may submit only one application, either individually or participate in one consortium.” Does this provision cover sub-grantees, specifically national organizations? Is it permissible for national organizations to be listed as sub-grantees under two separate consortia? As stated in the call for proposals, applicants can only submit one application, either individually or as part of one consortium.
A: Each applicant may only submit one application. However, an organisation may submit both an “independent” project proposal AND participate in one (or several) consortium applications as a sub-grantee. The scope of the different applications may, however, not overlap. An organisation may hence, for example, submit an independent application for a project in Herat province and participate as a sub-grantee in a project in Kunar province. Applicants are encouraged to indicate in their application whether they submit independently as well as participate in one (several) consortium application(s).
Q: Could you please clarify whether organizations without prior direct experience with institutional donors are eligible to apply as lead applicants?
A: Eligibility should be assessed based on the information in the call for proposals under ‘Who can apply for grants’. The criterion of documented experience with other institutional donors is not an absolute eligibility criterion. However, organizations that fulfil this criterion will be prioritized. Kindly also see question 1.4. in the FAQ relating to criteria for consortia members.
Q: Our local partner organization in Afghanistan that implements our activities and co-manages these together with us fulfils all requirements for this call for proposal. Would a consortium in which our partner organization applies as the lead applicant and our organization co-applies as a cooperating partner be compatible with the requirements of this call?
A: INGOs can enter into sub-grant agreements with international and/or local/national partners. Conditions for sub-grantees are set out in the Grant Agreement General Conditions article 11, available here. Kindly also see question 1.4. in the FAQ relating to criteria for consortia members.
Budget
Q: Is there a minimum amount of budget that you expect each application to request?
A: No, Norad does not have a fixed minimum budget for each applicant. Please bear in mind the information in the call regarding estimated funding available and the number of agreements expected to be entered into.
Q: Is it possible to include operating costs for our headquarter in an application for core support (window 2)?
A: Core support means that Norad funds a portion of all the partner’s activities. If the partner’s activities as a whole align with what Norad seeks to fund in the call for proposals, it will be possible to support the operation of the headquarters (i.e., activities in Afghanistan and possibly limited activities in other countries that support the objectives of the call, such as information and awareness-raising efforts regarding Afghanistan). Please note that for core support, no separate contribution is provided for indirect costs in addition. Moreover, reporting is done at organizational level for core support, whereas for program support, reporting will be at program level (including separate program accounts).
Q: Can we apply for the total funding amount, Norwegian Krone (NOK) 650 million, or apply for a portion of the ceiling amount based on the proposed activities?
A: Norad does not fix a budget amount for each applicant. Please bear in mind the information in the call regarding the total estimated funding available and the number of agreements expected to be entered into. The total estimated funding available includes both windows.
Q: Could Norad please clarify whether cooperating partners are required to include their indirect costs as individual budget line items and report against them separately during project implementation and reporting. Alternatively, would it be acceptable for cooperating partners to apply a specific percentage for indirect costs, similar to the lead partner, which could then be incorporated within the overall partner budget line of the consolidated programme budget?
A: Generally, the contribution to the Grant Recipient’s indirect operating costs should not exceed 7% of direct costs for the intervention. The percentage is calculated as 7% of the total budget of direct costs. Indirect costs incurred by cooperating partners are not subject to a specific threshold and are reported as direct costs. Upon request, information about indirect costs for cooperating partners must be provided.
Please also see more details on budget requirements in chapter 4.4 in Norad’s Grants Handbook and the Guidance on accounting and reporting of (contributions to) indirect costs for NGOs.
Q: Could Norad kindly clarify whether applicants are required to provide co-funding under this call.
A: There is no requirement for co-financing in this call for proposals.
Q: Could you please clarify if an organisation whose annual turnover in Afghanistan has been on average for the past 10 years above the threshold would qualify (even if the annual turnover specifically during the past two years is below the required minimum amount)?
A: The criterion of annual turnover is not an absolute eligibility criterion. However, organizations that fulfill this requirement will be prioritized. Annual turnover is one element that will be considered as part of the assessment of the proposal, along with the other requirements listed in the call for proposals.
Q: Is a detailed budget required for the full four-year period, or would a detailed Year 1 budget combined with indicative budgets for Years 2–4 be sufficient?
A: Please see the suggested budget template available here, which indicates expected level of details in the budget across the support period.
Q: Should the budget allocation be fixed per year, or is flexibility between years allowed?
The proposed budget allocation per year can vary and is at the discretion of the applicant.
Q: Can Norad confirm whether a crisis modifier is allowed within the budget for the call?
A: It is not possible to include a crisis modifier in the budget for this call. Please note that Norad allows a certain level of flexibility for partners to reallocate funds between budget lines should it be necessary due to a change in the context/operational environment or needs. The level of flexibility will be specified in the Grant Agreement.
Plus partners
Q: For Plus Partners, the requirement refers to an overarching risk analysis rather than a country-level risk analysis. Does this mean that it is not necessary to submit a risk analysis as part of the application? In addition, for Plus Partners, submission of a logframe is not mandatory. May we therefore understand that it is not necessary to attach a results framework to the application?
A: Under the simplified application procedure, applications comprising multiple country components may submit a risk analysis at an overarching level rather than at country level. However, as this call for proposal entails one country only, there is a need for an overarching risk analysis of context specific risks including the risk of negative effects on cross-cutting issues.
Goals at different levels (impact, outcome, outputs) must be included in the application, with corresponding indicators. It does not need to contain indicators for the outputs, and the outputs can be broader categories rather than detailed deliverables
Q:Should organizations that are Plus Partners use the template linked on the website for the call or the “plusspartner” template?
A: Plus Partners should use the Plus Partner budget template.
Partnerships
Q: Cooperating Partners: When providing details for cooperating partners, should we include consortium partners, local implementing partners, or both?
A: Information about all partners involved in the project should be included. Kindly also see question 1.4. in the FAQ.
Q: Could you clarify how Norad defines “established close ties with potential partners”?
A: In your application, you should explain the type of partnership you have with the local organization and demonstrate that the partnership was not established solely for the purpose of this call for proposals (e.g., history, status and content of collaboration; do you have an agreement/MoU). Norad will make an assessment based on this information.
See also: Frequently asked questions