Name of ODA agency/Ministry
Irish Aid
Name of grant programme
In-Country Micro Project Scheme
Background
Irish Aid is the Government of Ireland’s programme to provide
assistance to developing countries, which began in
1974. Irish Aid in India is managed by the Embassy of Ireland, New
Dehli, through the In-Country Micro Project Scheme (ICMPS). The Micro Project
Scheme is designed to provide financial assistance primarily to Non- governmental
Organisations.
Types of grant
Co-funding projects
Grant size
So far, the maximum grant size has been € 26,000, with a maximum
implementation period of three years.
Own Contribution
This fund covers about 75% of the project costs for NGOs in recipient
countries. (International travel and costs for expatriate staff cannot be covered
by the grant.)
Funding Priorities
The Micro Project Scheme funds innovative projects that are in
line with the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals, especially
projects that address the root causes of poverty in a way that is strategic and
cost effective, enhances local capacity and ownership, and is consistent with
Irish Aid’s other work. Priority is given to projects in the following sectors:
• Basic Education
• Primary Health Care
• Water and Sanitation
• Micro-enterprise development
• Training and Capacity Building
• HIV/AIDS
• Democratic governance
The project should be sustainable, it should include all sections
of society without any discrimination on the basis
of gender, it should be effective and it should make use of appropriate
and innovative technologies. The geographical focus is generally on the
underserved districts of Orissa, Karnataka, West Bengal, Dehli NCR and
Tamil Nadu.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible applicants are registered NGOs, community based
organisations, faith-based organisations involved
in development work, cooperatives, farmer associations and trade unions,
registered under Foreign Contribution
Regulation Act (FCRA) of the Government of India. Applicant organisations
are expected to possess a verifiable track record of public-private
partnerships, transparency in governance, financial accountability and
facilitation of community stake holding, in previous project. Projects that are
NOT eligible for funding under this scheme are:
• Projects that are primarily of a welfare nature and that are
clearly not sustainable without external support,
such as feeding programmes or the provision of financial relief
• Emergency projects that are in response to natural or human
disasters
• Projects that involve evangelisation or the proselytising of
religious beliefs
• Projects involving sponsorship or scholarships of individuals or
families
• Projects that have received funding in the past from
Irish Aid under other budget lines such as the NGO Co-financing
Scheme or the Human Rights and Democratisation Scheme
Guidelines
The guidelines for the grant programme are available on the
website at http://www.irelandinindia.com/home/index.aspx?id=73710
Project Duration
Pilot projects – six months
Short term projects – one year
Long term projects – three years
Deadline
There are no set deadlines.
Application Forms
Application forms will be sent to the applicant after an initial
concept note sent by them has been approved by the
funding agency.
Application and Procedures
Prospective applicant organisations will first have to send a
three to four-page concept note describing the proposed project with a budget
outline. If the concept is approved, then an application pack will be sent to
the NGO for it to submit a full proposal in the relevant format with all
details of budget and annexure. It takes two to three weeks to process a concept
note and about three months to process a full proposal.
Language
English
Tips
The scheme is administered by the Development Cooperation Section
at the Embassy of Ireland, New Delhi in
coordination with the Department of External Affairs, Ministry of
Finance, and Government of India who are joint reviewers of the application.
When possible, they make a preliminary visit to the applicant’s project area to
assess the technical expertise that will be required to implement the project.
The funding scheme and its operations are inspected and audited periodically,
to ensure transparency and efficiency of funding. Currently, under this scheme,
projects are being implemented in the districts of Karnataka, Orissa, West
Bengal, Delhi NCR
and Tamil
Nadu.
Contact
Official name
An Roinn Gnothai Eachtracha
Name in English
Department of Foreign Affairs
Department
Development Cooperation Directorate
Phone
+ 91 11 2462 6733
Email
Website
Address
The Program Officer
Development Cooperation Section,
Embassy of Ireland,
230, Jor Bagh,
New Delhi
110 003.
