Question 1

Q1: Which language can the concept notes be submitted in?

A1: Concept notes have to be submitted in English.

Question 2:

Q2: Questions on the eligibility criteria for the Objective 4 (Localization):

• Is there a defined regional scope (such as Lebanon and Jordan for Objectives 1 and 2)? Or can a wider geographical approach be adopted, as it is possible for Objective 3?

A2a: Localization need to be linked to one or more of the Specific Objectives 1, 2 or 3. The geographical scope has to follow the scope of the Specific Objective it is linked to i.e. Jordan and Lebanon only for SO 1 and 2, while for SO 3 can include engagements with a broader geographical focus related to the Syria displacement crisis.

• Is there a registration criterion for the country(ies) in which the activities will be implemented ? Do the lead and co-applicant(s) have to be registered with the national authorities or is it sufficient to be legally authorized to operate in the country(ies)? 

A2b: If the entity is the lead applicant on a concept note related to Specific Objective 1 or 2, both the lead applicant and co-applicant(s) have to be able to legally conduct activities they intend to implement in the country of operation i.e. the entity(ies) have to be registered with relevant authorities in Lebanon and/or Jordan. For Specific Objective 3, the lead applicant and co-applicant(s) also have to be legally able to implement the proposed activities in the country(ies) of operation, while the entity(ies) may be based elsewhere.

In case above did not fully clarify your question, please clarify what is meant by ‘legally authorized to operate in the country(ies)’, as we are not entirely sure what that would entail.

Question 3:

Q3: Our organization is registered in an EU Member State only, and supports the work of Lebanese partners in Lebanon. A partner would be interested in applying to objective 1 and 2. As an organization not registered in Lebanon, we understand that we cannot apply. Could our Lebanese partner apply directly? Should our support as an international organization be mentioned in a specific way in the proposal? The goal would be to provide guarantees regarding the partners capacity to manage such a grant.

A3: The Lebanese organisation can apply directly, if they are registered with the relevant authorities in Lebanon. Other organisations with a specific role in the proposal, such as support to capacity development, should be mentioned as co-applicants and the roles of each partner specified under section 8 in the concept note format. Specific activities related to capacity development can be further elaborated in section 12. Please note that the lead applicant will be the contract holder of the potential partnership and will financially manage the potential grant.

Question 4:

Q4: We are in the process of finalizing our bank account. Could we apply before getting it?

A4: The criteria is for applicants to be legally registered. It is not a requirement to have a bank account to be able to apply to the call. It will be necessary to have a bank account before contracting though, which we expect to start in the end of 2^nd quarter of 2023 with most partnerships contracted only in Q3 or Q4.

Question 5:

Q5: We would like to ask about the issue of official registration in Lebanon. Our organization applied for registration some years ago, and the file is complete at the Ministry of Interior we are still awaiting for approval. We are also registered at the National Social Security Fund. In such a scenario, would it be possible for our organization to apply as a lead agency to this call? If it is not possible, would it be then acceptable to apply with our European registration? In that case, the contractual part would be with our Headquarters in Europe, who will receive the funding and transfer to Lebanon.

A5: If the organisation is the lead applicant on a concept note related to Specific Objective 1 or 2, the lead applicant and co-applicant(s) have to be able to legally conduct the activities they intend to implement in the country of operation i.e. the organisation has to be registered with relevant authorities in Lebanon and/or Jordan. It is not possible for lead applicants for SO 1 and 2 to not be legally registered in the country they intend to operate in.

For Specific Objective 3, the lead applicant and co-applicant(s) also have to be legally able to implement the proposed activities in the countries of operation, while the entity(ies) may be based elsewhere.

Question 6:

Q6: Our organization is interested to apply for RDPP3 call for proposal. Similarly, to RDPP3, in the RDPP2 round, the priority was also given to the local applicants, and local partners have received 10 points more than an INGO applicant (even when submitting with several local partners).

We seek to understand if the current call, local Jordanian applicants will be scored higher than international or there will be an equal treatment of partners regardless of their country of origin.

A6: The commitment to localization is a core principle of RDPP and also a cross-cutting objective in phase III.

All proposals are assessed equally and scored according to the criteria outlined in the Partner Selection Matrix in Annex 2. Annex 2 is available as part of the Program Document uploaded on the RDPP website (link inserted in the call document).

As outlined in Annex 2, the specific localization scores are assigned according to two criteria:

·         3.1 How well does the project support the overall localization outcomes of RDPP III? This criterion scores 15 points

·         3.2 Does the proposal outline how national and sub-national structures and institutions, which are strategically relevant to the intervention, will be strengthened or capacitated through the project? This criterion scores 10 points

Question 7:

Q7: In terms of the eligibility criteria, it states that all applicants and co-applicants applying for specific objective 1 and 2 need to be registered entities with the relevant national authorities in the country/ies in which the project intends to be implemented.

Does this include INGOs with registered country offices in Lebanon for example? We are an European registered NGO but have a Country Office that is registered in Lebanon. Does that mean we can apply, or is the call only open to local Lebanese organisations?

A7: INGOs legally registered with the relevant authorities in the countries they intend to implement in under Specific Objective 1 and 2 are eligible to apply.

Question 8:

Q8: Our trade union development agency is a civil society organisation owned by an European trade union movement. We are active in Jordan through local partnerships with Jordanian trade union confederations and sector federations. We have an office in Jordan and are registered with the national authorities. Our partner organisations are also registered with the national authorities.  

Can you please confirm that the our trade union development agency is eligible to apply for funding through the RDPP III with Jordanian trade unions as partner organisations (co-applicants)?

A8: The call is open to all non-profit entities, who are eligible to receive development aid grants.