DANIDA ALUMNI ACTIVITY GRANTS - CALL FOR PROPOSALS

Danida Fellowship Centre is pleased to announce the fifth round for Danida Alumni to apply for financial support to organize local activities.

The deadline for this call for proposals is Monday 24 February 2020 at 12:00 PM (noon) CEST and applications are only accepted if submitted via the online application form.  

Grant applicants will be informed of the outcome of their applications within four weeks of the application deadline.

Why activity grants?

As a member of the Danida Alumni Network you are part of a unique global network of skilful professionals trained in Denmark, or by Danish institutions of higher education, with a common goal to contribute to global development.

DFC would like to support you in staying in touch and collaborating with fellow alumni network members as part of your continued efforts to make a positive impact in your community and/or professional field of expertise. We also want to stay connected with you and help strengthen your relations with Denmark so that you can continue acting as an ambassador for Denmark. Organizing events with and for Danida alumni in your region is a great way of growing your professional network, including gaining connections to relevant Danish stakeholders.

Who can apply and for what?

DFC offers activity grants to Danida alumni who are accepted as members of the Danida Alumni Network as well as of the local Danida Alumni Network in your country (if there is one, you can find an overview of established networks here).

You can apply for a grant with financial support of up to 9,000 Danish Kroner for an alumni activity or event within the following categories:

1. Activities or events that strengthen the local alumni community
2. Activities that promote networking and collaboration between your country and Denmark
3. Activities that promote sustainable development by addressing one or more of the Sustainable Development Goals

The activities could be seminars, lectures, study visits, exhibitions, fairs, networking, charity, and social events. It should be observed that a contribution to strengthening the local alumni community must form part of the core purpose of any proposed activity. This means that while category 1 activities can stand alone, category 2 and 3 activities must also incorporate category 1. Activities with budgets below 9,000 Danish Kroner are also encouraged. Note that applications for funding a trip to a conference or similar will not be considered.

In this toolbox you will find tips, guidelines and ideas to use as inspiration for arranging activities and mobilising members in your country or area. As additional inspiration, find the completion reports from past Activity Grants.

The conditions for receiving a Danida Alumni Activity Grant

Prior to finalising and submitting your application:

• Coordinate with the board/coordinating team of your local alumni network: If you have an idea for an activity or event find out if there is a local alumni network in your country (find information here). If such a network exists, start by contacting the board of this network in order to coordinate your activity with the wider alumni programme in your country. Note that in the application form you will be asked to name the board member(s) with whom you have discussed your proposed activity.
• Co-create with fellow alumni: Find one or two other Danida alumni and develop the proposal together. We prioritize activities with at least two organizing alumni members.
• Incorporate the wider alumni network: Make a clear and realistic plan for engaging as many Danida alumni as possible from the local area in your activity/event. The grant selection committee will prioritise those activities that clearly demonstrate how they will involve Danida alumni beyond the organising committee and therefore also contribute to strengthening the local alumni network.

If awarded a grant:

• Inform the Danish Embassy: If awarded a grant, you should inform the Danish Embassy or Consulate  in your country in good time, possibly inviting a representative to attend the event.
• Invite all alumni in your country: Activities/events may or may not be open for the general public and include external partners, but it is a precondition that all alumni in your region should be encouraged to participate and therefore also be informed and invited. In case of limited space for alumni participants; the principle of “first come, first served” should be applied.
• Publicise and communicate: It is the responsibility of the organizing team to ensure that the activity is widely publicized well ahead of the event to attract participants. Furthermore, an invitation is to be posted in the Danida Alumni Facebook and LinkedIn groups well in advance of the event. After the event photos and videos etc. are to be shared on the same platforms. Note that in connection with all public communications concerning the event, it must be stated that the grant has been provided by Danida Fellowship Centre and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. You find the official logo/banners here.
• Respect the grant timeline: Your activity should not be scheduled to start earlier than eight weeks after the application deadline to allow time for the grant applications to be processed and grants to be confirmed. The activity must be implemented within six months from the award of a possible grant. DFC must be informed if a delay is anticipated.
• Complete grant reporting: See below for full details concerning DFC’s expectations for grant management and reporting.

Selection criteria and process

A committee at DFC will select the successful grant applications based on the following criteria: 

• How well the activity responds to and complies with the requirements of this call
• How the activity is expected to contribute to strengthening the local alumni community
• Value for money, including the extent to which there are plans for reaching out to a broad number of participants
• Co-funding from other financial contributors (including Danida alumni)

As part of the selection process, DFC reserves the right to consider a diverse selection of activities, and wide-ranging subject matters aimed at varied target groups in as many different countries/regions as possible.

Eligible costs & budget requirements

The amount applied for in DKK must be indicated in the application form and the costs must be broken down and quoted in the relevant budget lines. The grant must only be used to cover eligible costs included in the budget submitted with the application.

The budget may include:

• Hire of venue(s)  
• Refreshments/snacks and drinks
• Supplies for the event (such as stationery, printing of training manuals or similar)
• Small payment of external (non-alumni) keynote speaker, lecturer, expert or similar
• Communications costs (such as graphic design, flyers, photography or similar)
• Logistical expenses (delivery costs for supplies, rental of additional equipment)
• Small fee for alumni management (maximum 500 DKK per person, and no more than 1500 DKK in total) Note that only 1/3 of the budget can be used for logistical and management expenses.
   

Important: Transport and accommodation costs are not eligible under this call for neither alumni nor management, apart for in exceptional circumstances to help finance collective day-return travel, when a study trip/excursion for alumni makes up the core activity.

Co-funding of the activity by other sources is strongly encouraged.

If a grant is awarded, the main applicant must submit a disbursement request to DFC. The form will be provided by DFC.

Grant management, accounting and reporting

The applicant will be responsible for managing the grant, including ensuring that:

• The approved activity is carried out within the agreed timeframe
• The outputs are achieved
• The grant is used exclusively for the approved activity and expenses
• The present grant guidelines are followed
• The deadlines and requirements for reporting and submitting accounts are met

Important: DFC must be informed as soon as possible, should any unforeseen changes impact your activity and/or expenses, as these must be approved by DFC ahead of time.

Within one month of completing the activity, the following has to be submitted electronically to DFC:

• Completion report (explaining how the activity has led to the anticipated outputs)
• Financial accounts, including scanned copies of vouchers/receipts (specifying the use of funds - unspent funds will have to be returned) 
• Final programme
• List of participants
• High quality photos and (if relevant) videos from the event (for DFC communications purposes).  

Should the reporting and accounts not be submitted on time to DFC, it will be considered a violation of the grant conditions and the applicant may be requested to return the funds provided under the grant.

Please complete and submit the online application form by Monday 24 February 2020 at 12:00 PM (noon) CEST. You will need to create a user profile the first time you log on to the application system. If you have any questions, please contact the DAN team on alumni@dfcentre.dk.