The Malta Independent on Sunday
Official Development Assistance Projects grant proposals will be accepted until 15 February
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade Promotion has launched a call for development projects, subsidised by a 90 per cent government grant, to be implemented by CVO-registered non-governmental organisations in North and Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, preferably where Malta has diplomatic representation.
Partnering with NGOs through such projects is one way in which the Maltese Government applies its Official Development Assistance (ODA) and its commitment towards reaching the sustainable development targets of the 2030 agenda.
Malta’s overseas development commitments signal Malta’s intention to engage proactively with Africa, in particular, through a combined trade and development policy. These projects help build more resilient communities, improve access to proper healthcare and create opportunities in the educational sector that collectively aim to improve people’s lives.
“Annual calls for projects in support of development and capacity-building projects are an expression of partnership and commitment to change in line with Malta’s international commitments. NGOs are valued partners and their people-to-people approach through local partnerships ensures that these funds can make a real difference to local communities”, said Foreign Affairs and Trade Promotion Minister Carmelo Abela.
Appreciative of the direct role that NGOs have played in implementing the external dimension of the 2030 agenda, over the past year the Ministry has em- barked on a consultation exercise in order to understand the needs based on first-hand experience. As a result of this, for this year’s call the Ministry is introducing a new set of guidelines that are intended to support NGOs in presenting proposals that meet agreed sustainable targets. The 90 per cent grant share will be awarded on the ODA-eligible project costs at a capping of €75,000 per project and within the limits of the Ministry’s financial provisions for ODA projects in 2019.
Development assistance continues to
be one of the strategic objectives of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade Promotion. Last year, in response to the European Consensus for Development and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Ministry placed Malta among the first EU member states to launch a national Official Development Implementation Plan, which sets the basis for Malta’s Official Development Policy through to 2030.
Project proposals are to be exclusively submitted online on www.vofunding.org.mt by not later than noon on Friday, 15 February.