To achieve the overall objective of strengthened bilateral relations, all programmes shall encourage and facilitate projects planned and implemented in partnership between civil society and other entities in the Donor and Beneficiary States – donor partnership projects.
When a call for proposals is foreseen, donor partnership opportunities should be planned for and widely promoted by the Fund Operators in the Beneficiary States, as well as by the Donor Contact Point in the Donor States, allowing sufficient time for partnerships to materialise.
The project level cooperation shall be mutually beneficial to the involved partners, and the partnership is expected to have a positive impact on the project.
Donor project partners
A ‘donor project partner’ is a legal person actively involved in, and effectively contributing to, the implementation of a project, and whose primary location is in one of the donor states. Both public and private entities, commercial and non-commercial, as well as civil society organisations may participate as donor project partners in a project.
The degree of involvement and the content of the partner’s contribution will vary but only projects implemented in close co-operation between beneficiary and donor state partners will be considered donor partnership projects. They should be joint endeavours where input from both partners is necessary to achieve the project objectives. The emphasis should be on forming meaningful, impactful partnerships that prioritise quality collaboration over the number of partnerships formed.
Donor project partners should be involved as early in the planning stages of the project cycle as possible. The donor project partner should be consulted on and given the opportunity to contribute to the relevant aspects of the project application.
Facilitation of donor project partnerships
It is crucial that the Fund Operator actively encourages and facilitates the establishment of donor partnership projects throughout the programme cycle, by considering the potential for bilateral project-level cooperation during the programme development, carrying out relevant matchmaking events and activities before, or at the latest, in conjunction with launching calls for proposals, as well as by encouraging donor partnership projects in call texts. The Fund Operator should apply clear and proportionate application procedures and reporting requirements, with a view to encourage cooperation between entities in the Donor and Beneficiary States.
The Fund Operator should ensure that project applicants are provided with sufficient guidance on how to best establish contact with potential donor project partners. Partnership opportunities shall be widely communicated, including on the Fund Operator’s dedicated programme website.