Overview- Focus of This Profile: Belgian Development Cooperation co-funds nonprofit Belgian development organizations; makes grants to civil society organizations in bilateral partner countries; and offers grants in the partner countries for study and training.
- Principal Office: Belgium
Belgium’s official development cooperation is under the administration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, and Development Cooperation. The Director-General for Development Cooperation (DGD) is responsible for Belgium’s development policy, while Belgian Technical Cooperation (BTC) manages its implementation. However, the DGD retains authority for multilateral cooperation, as well as coordination and co-financing of NGO cooperation.
Belgium’s themes for development assistance closely adhere to the Millennium Development Goals. The thematic areas of central relevance in the Terra Viva Grants Directory are:
- Agriculture and Food Security, and
- Environment and Climate Change.
Grant Programs for
Agriculture, Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources“Grants” on DGD’s web pages identify Belgium’s grant-making programs for civil society in Belgium and the developing countries.
- Program Co-Financing of Belgian Organizations: Selected Belgian NGOs and other nonprofit organizations (i.e., universities, institutes, and associations) are eligible for co-financing through DGD under framework agreements. TVG Note: Financing of NGOs from developing countries is possible only through a partnership with a Belgian NGO recognized by DGD.
- Belgian Fund for Food Security: This Fund is financed through the Belgian National Lottery to fund projects in Sub-Sahara Africa. Projects can be proposed by Belgian NGOs whose partnership programs have been previously approved by the Fund.
- Consolidation of Society in Partner Countries: This relatively new funding instrument is for civil society organizations in Belgium’s aid-receiving partner countries. Belgium’s embassies in its partner countries for bilateral cooperation write strategy papers of thematic priorities in relation to civil society. Requests for funding are introduced through these embassies.
- Grants for Study and Training in Partner Countries: Belgium has many categories of scholarships and training for individuals from developing countries. They include education grants for study in Belgium; grants to train in Belgium; local grants (i.e., in the developing countries); and mixed doctorates. In addition to capacity-building grants funded by the DGD, its web pages identify other Belgian institutions which fund study and training.
Geographical
Distribution of Grant Activities in Developing Countries
Belgium’s partner countries for bilateral assistance are identified below, applying the regional framework of the Terra Viva Grants Directory.
Southeast Asia and Pacific Islands: Vietnam
North Africa and Middle East: Algeria, Morocco, Palestinian Territories
Sub-Saharan Africa: Benin, Burundi, Dem Rep Congo, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda
Latin America and Caribbean: Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru
TVG Note: Belgium concentrates its bilateral cooperation in the preceding 18 partner countries. However, DGD’s framework agreements with Belgian NGOs take in a broader range of countries, and the scope of the Belgian Fund for Food Security is all of Sub-Saharan Africa.
Examples of Recent
Grants
Grant Size and
Program Size
In
2008, DGD provided about €6 million to fund NGOs in the developing countries,
and about €193 million in grants to Belgian NGOs and universities (all
programs).
Application
Information- Program Co-Financing: Belgian civil society organizations should contact DGD in Brussels. The only way for non-Belgian organizations to participate is through partnerships with Belgian NGOs.
- Belgian Fund for Food Security: Belgian applicants submit multi-year framework plans to the DGDC. If this framework is accepted, the applicant proposes annual projects for DGD’s approval.
- Consolidation of Society in Partner Countries: Grant seekers in Belgium’s partner countries introduce their requests to the attaché for development cooperation at the Belgian embassy and/or office of Belgian Technical Cooperation. Because the program is decentralized, its management varies from one partner country to another.
- Grants for Study and Training in Partner Countries: Interested persons in the developing countries should consult each funding program on the DGD website at “Grants” → “Study and Training Grants.” The information explains where and when to apply, in each case. For scholarships and training offered by DGD, application materials are available at Belgium’s embassies and/or BTC’s offices.
CommentsDGD’s website is available in Dutch, French, English, and partially in German.
“Partnerships in Development Cooperation” (on DGD’s site) is a guide to the institutional structure of Belgium’s development assistance.
The website of Belgian Technical Cooperation offers profiles of Belgium’s assistance in the partner countries (“Projects”). This includes information about grants and/or scholarships, when relevant. “Contact” provides details for each of BTC’s country offices.
Belgium’s NGO platform consists of four groups. Acodev is the Belgian federation of French-speaking and German-speaking NGOs. The group 11.11.11 is a Flemish organization of volunteers, and Coprogram is the Flemish federation of NGOs for development co-operation. The fourth group, CNCD, is a Belgian voice on international solidarity, closely affiliated with 11.11.11.
TVG Note: The Terra Viva Grants Directory presents a
separate profile of the Flemish International Cooperation Agency. Link
Information Sources
for this Profile
Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, and Development Cooperation Link
Funding
of NGOs Link
Grants
for Study and Training Link
Belgium Technical
Cooperation Link
Belgium’s Embassies and
Consulates Link
Acodev Link
11.11.11
Link
Coprogram
Link
CNCD
Link
DSW
Euroresources – Belgium Link
Last Profile Review
November
2011
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