There is a growing trend by Development Aid Providers to pool their financial resources including those of the Private Sector into larger multi-donor funding mechanisms bringing together resources for greater impact and with less development aid duplication. Such multi-donor funding mechanisms is demonstrated in recent Calls for Proposals such as the Global Powering Agriculture Energy Grand Challenge for Development that is funded jointly by USAID, SIDA, OFID, Government of Germany and Duke Energy Corporation. The project aims at the increased integration of clean energy technologies with innovative business models to increase agriculture productivity and / or income derived from agriculture. The call of proposal anticipates disbursing $10 - $20 million USD in award funding with individual awards are expected to be between $ 0.5 - $2 million USD.
The other example is IDRC Call for Proposals for the Second Phase of the Canadian International Food Security Research Fund. Specifically IDRC requested bidders to must include a private sector partner to ensure the scalability of innovative ideas beyond the pilot project’s life. IDRC grants range between $ 0.5 - $2 million Canadian $. The growth of private sector and emerging donors partnership is specifically included as a strategic objective of IDRC 2015-2020 development plan aiming at generating powerful ideas and multiply resources devoted to development solutions
Local partnering is witnessing an increased focus as well through more channeling funding aid to local Development Implementing Partners not only to strengthen their capacity but to ensure better understanding of the in-country social and political landscape thus ensuring more effective and efficient project’s delivery. These funding opportunities, ranges between 50,000 – 100,000 Euros are best demonstrated through ‘embassy funds’ such as the current Local Cooperation Fund (LCF) of Finland Embassy, with the deadline to concept notes is 15 September 2015, supporting key thematic areas such as community development, women rights and gender equality, good governance, democracy and human rights
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