Challenge Fund

A challenge fund-type mechanism is established. Cooperative organizations in the region covered by the programme are able to request assistance from the centres of competence identified. CoopAfrica would provide cost sharing for the direct costs in providing assistance, and monitor and evaluate each partnership activity. Funding will be disbursed to the requesting organization, which will then conclude a contractual arrangement with the service provider. The applying organization must contribute financially or in kind to the cost of the activity.

These centres of competence have been identified by a panel composed of representatives from the ILO, the ICA, the UK Cooperative College, and the African Union Secretariat among others. The panel is also managing the CoopAfrica Challenge Fund, which is subsidizing the different services.

CoopAfrica is a coordination mechanism that brings together cooperative centres of competence on the African continent and avails their expertise to cooperative movements and organizations that need them. When necessary, these centres of competence will be backed up by international partners.

The Challenge Fund consists of three components: innovation, training and services. Those funds are managed and organized in different ways, framed by their respective criteria. But all of them are accessible through a competitive demand-driven mechanism and transparent selection of the best initiatives proposed for funding and assistance.

What is a challenge fund?

A challenge fund is an open financing mechanism that allocates grants funding through a competitive process. Challenge funds are set up to meet specific objectives – such as extending financial services to poor people. Bids are assessed against transparent criteria, and successful bidders must match the grant amount . A Selection Committee then awards grants to those projects that best meet the aims of the Challenge. The Selection Committee is assisted by a panel of experts on specific fields of expertise.

A key feature of the challenge fund mechanism is the sense of competition that it creates among the organizations involved (small and medium enterprises, banks, non governmental organizations, etc) and the way their ideas seed the debate on key issues.

How to apply to CoopAfrica grants?

Applicants can submit a full-fledged proposal or a concept note for the Services, Training and Innovation Challenge Funds to the CoopAfrica Focal Point (preferably in soft copies). The concept note is a brief summary of the project and if it is successful applicants will be asked to provide a full-fledged project proposal. Concept notes and proposals must be written according to templates provided by CoopAfrica.

Please download the brochure, guidelines and the different application forms on the right-hand side of the page.