11 NGOs awarded funding totalling R3,771,251.60 |25 March 2023
• Deadline for submission for 2nd call set for March 31, 2023
Eleven not for profit civil society organisations have been awarded funding for their projects under the first call for proposals for the 2023 grant cycle under the National Grants Funding Scheme (NGFS).
The grants’ main objective is to bring about positive impact in the communities.
Roseline Hoareau, grants manager within the Ministry of Finance, shared that the National Grants Committee received 20 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) with a total requested amount of R11,131,928.48. Out of those, 11 qualified with R3,771,251.60 and nine (9) organisations did not pass the administrative compliance check.
“The NGFS is a fund made available by the government to support the NGOs. Once a project is submitted it has to go through several phases: compliance check, evaluation by the committee, interview process to explain their project, finalising the budget and approval of funding. Once the applicants receive their funding, the committee and myself make sure that the project is being implemented and happening,” explained Ms Hoareau.
For those who receive funding for a project on one year, they have to submit a mid-year report and also sometimes, the nature of the project changes along the way.
Can religious denominations apply for this grant? Indeed reply Ms Hoareau. “If the denomination is registered as an NGO and conduct community programmes, they qualify. Religious programmes are not qualified. We do not want to have discrimination.”
When a project is not approved is either the NGO did not provide the relevant documents or do not even have a year of existence.
“We have to liaise with the Registrar office to check if the NGOs are in good standards,” noted Ms Hoareau.
The NGFS, managed by the National Grants Committee, was established in 2019. The projects funded under the scheme are geared towards the country’s National Development Strategies linked to the attainment of the sustainable development goals (SDGs).
To date, a total of 91 projects amounting to R27,876,539.86 has been funded by the scheme, which is financed through the country’s national budget.
Currently, the second call for proposals under the 2023 grant cycle is under way and the deadline for submission of projects is March 31, 2023.
“There is approximately R5 million available under this grant. The second call is based on the amount remaining and we are encouraging other NGOs to take the opportunity, come forward with projects that will benefit the society on a basis of six months only,” explained Ms Hoareau.
Many people have issues when completing the forms online and Ms Hoareau urged the NGOs to contact them so that they can get help.
“Termination of project is the last resort! We are here to guide the people and help them implement the projects. Everything is on a portal on the website of the Ministry of Finance and all guidelines are available on the portal.”
To note in 2019, R6.6 million were granted for 22 projects; in 2020, R5.8 million were granted for 20 projects; in 2021 R3.2 million were granted for 16 projects and in 2022 R5.2 million were granted for 22 projects.
Vidya Gappy