SMC Advances in Sida’s Call for Proposals

SMC Faith in development is one of 1,044 organisations that have advanced to the second stage of Sida’s call for partnership proposals under the Government’s strategy for supporting civil society.

– It feels reassuring to have passed the first step, even though there is still a long way to go before we know whether we will receive continued funding, says Eva Åberg, Head of the Intermediary Unit.

In March, Sida announced during an ongoing meeting that it intended to terminate its agreements with all current strategic partner organisations by December 31, 2024, and open up the opportunity for more organisations to apply for funding through the so-called CSO strategy.

The call for proposals was published on Sida’s website in early May, and interested organisations had until May 27 to submit their responses to several questions. By Monday, June 3, SMR had already received notice that it had advanced in the selection process.

– With a new deadline of June 11, we have now answered additional questions from Sida and uploaded several documents outlining how we work. According to Sida’s timeline, we will receive a decision by the end of June on whether we will move on to the third step, which is an organisational assessment of us as an entity, says Eva Åberg.

On August 23, SMC will be informed whether it is invited to submit a complete application.

Given that the Government and political representatives have expressed criticism of the system where Swedish umbrella organisations channel funds to smaller Swedish organisations, which in turn send funds to their partner organisations, intensive discussions have been held this spring with member organisations to determine how we as a network should proceed.

–  SMC’s board believes that the intermediary model has served the network well, but at the same time, we must adapt to the current reality. We are continuing to explore various options, says Eva Åberg.

If SMC is invited to submit a full application, the deadline is October 15. A decision regarding potential continued funding is expected early next year.

– There is still considerable uncertainty regarding how Sida plans to handle the termination of existing agreements and our ability to conclude activities thoughtfully and sustainably. For now, we can only take one step at a time and hope for clear guidance as soon as possible, says Eva Åberg.