Below are the key human rights priorities of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Sri Lanka for 2024/25:

• Freedom of expression, internet freedom and independent journalism
• Equal rights for women and girls
• Equal rights for LGBTIQ+'s

Application and assessment process
Submissions and assessments for funding will be done in two rounds. In the first round, organizations must submit a concept note about the project they intend to implement before at 2359hrs (SL time) on 20 March 2024. Based on the appraisal of the concept note, shortlisted organizations will be invited to submit a full proposal with a detailed budget for the second round.

Eligibility criteria

• Local organizations operating on a not-for-profit basis that are legally permitted to work in Sri Lanka are eligible to apply for funding.
• Organizations currently implementing projects funded by the Embassy are not eligible to apply for funding until the ongoing projects are completed.
• Organization must have a bank account that allows international transfer of money.
• Organizations must be able to proof that they have clear institutional policies in place to ensure proper implementation of donor funded projects meeting integrity and responsible business conduct standards of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 
• Not more than two concepts notes will be accepted from one organization for appraisal. However, only one project will be supported per organization if their project is selected for funding.  

Submission of concept note
The concept note should be submitted in English and not be exceeded more than two A 4 pages. It should include the organization’s and contact person’s details, project in brief with aims and objectives, target group, location/s, expected total budget, key activities and duration, outcomes and outputs, organization’s own contribution, details of partnering organizations (if there are any) and requested amount of funding from the Embassy. Please refer to the sample format for the submission of the concept note. All submissions are expected to follow this sample format. The sample format for the submission of full project proposals will be made available to the shortlisted projects based on the evaluation of concept notes submitted.

Sample format for concept notes

Important dates:

• Deadline for submission of concept note: 2359hrs (SL time) on 20 March 2024.
• Applicants will be informed whether they are shortlisted for round two and shortlisted applicants will receive the sample format for the submission of full project proposals: on or before 5 April 2024.
• Deadline for submission of full proposals: 30 April 2024.
• Discussions on proposals: week of 6-10 May 2024. ( Optional and on demand basis only)
• Applicants will be informed about the final selection by 30 May 2024.
• Contract signing and formal start of projects: week of 3-7 June 2024.

Budget and duration
Budget should be realistic covering only the actual expenses of the project and its operational costs. Under this call, projects with total budget up to EUR 25,000 will be considered for embassy funding. Maximum project duration is 18 months.  

Submissions
All concept notes must be submitted via email only to COL@minbuza.nl with subject line mentioning HR projects 2024: ( Name of the proposed project & organization’s name)

No paper submissions are accepted as the Embassy is a paper poor office. Any enquiries or clarifications about the call can also be directed to the above email address.

Disclaimer

Please note that the Embassy will bear no responsibility for any costs for organizations to prepare concept notes and full project proposals.

The decision of the concept notes and project proposals are sole responsibility of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and will depend on the capacity of the embassy including the budget availability.