Grants for international cooperation projects

Project grants support clearly defined individual initiatives carried out by not-for-profit organisations active in international cooperation. They provide low-threshold access to cantonal funding for organisations based in Switzerland.

Familie in einem Garten vor einem Berg, Frau trägt Korb auf dem Kopf. — With agroecological methods, families in Madagascar are strengthening their food sovereignty and their future prospects.
© Aqua Alimenta (Tony Vonison)

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Funding procedure

Process	Description
Submission windows 2026	12 January – 1 April 1 June – 1 September Project proposals can be submitted exclusively via the online form during the submission windows. Submissions by e-mail will not be considered.
Preliminary review	All submitted project proposals are assessed against the minimum requirements. Missing documents may be submitted within a grace period of five working days.
Substantive assessment	If a project proposal meets the minimum requirements, it will be forwarded to the Commission for International Cooperation. The Commission assesses proposals and formulates a recommendation to the Government of the Canton of Basel-Stadt. The assessment is based on the following criteria: relevance, impact orientation, efficiency, sustainability and transparency.
Funding decision	Depending on the size of the grant, the funding decision is issued two to four months after the submission deadline. Applicant organisations will be informed in writing.

Funding criteria

The following funding criteria apply to project grants:

Requirement	Description
Eligibility	- The organisation is not-for-profit and active in the field of international cooperation. - It is a legal entity based in Switzerland. - A maximum of one project proposal may be submitted in 2026. - If the organisation has already received funding, a new project proposal may only be submitted once the required reporting (interim or final report) has been submitted on time, in full, and in the correct form.
Institutional capacity	The organisation demonstrably has: - appropriate governance structures - professional financial management - technical expertise - the ability to develop and reform
Alignment with the funding purpose	The project contributes to poverty reduction and to strengthening sustainable development at the global level (funding purpose).
Funding period	- Project grants are given for a maximum duration of four years. - The budget allocation of the project grant is made on a calendar-year basis. - They may be applied for starting in the current or the following calendar year.
Formal requirements for submission	The project proposal must be submitted on time, complete, and in the correct form: - Submission: Project proposals can only be submitted via the online form during the submission windows. Project proposals sent by e-mail cannot be considered. We are happy to assist you in case of technical difficulties. - Content & Scope: The project proposal must include all content and follow the structure required in the guidelines and may not exceed ten pages (excluding annexes). Please use your own formatting (CD/CI) and do not attach an additional “stand-alone” project proposal; it will not be considered. - Guidelines: The guidelines are available for download during the submission windows. - Documents: The project proposal must be uploaded together with all required documents specified in the guidelines – preferably as a compressed file (.zip). - Language: Project proposals are to be submitted in German, English or French.

Criteria	Definition and supporting evidence
Relevance	- Clearly identifiable contribution to the funding purpose and added value compared to existing approaches
Impact orientation	The project is demonstrably geared towards concrete change for the target groups. This includes: - a well-founded needs analysis - a coherent impact logic
Efficiency	Resources are used in proportion to the expected results and impact. Required are: - economical use of resources - appropriate overhead costs
Sustainability	Positive effects should continue beyond the project duration. Key aspects include: - viable financial and operational perspectives - involvement and strengthening of local actors - responsible handling of ecological, economic, social and climate risks
Transparency	Planning and implementation must be documented openly and comprehensibly. Important elements are: - clear cost and financing planning - appropriate evaluation mechanisms - accountability reports to ensure learning and steering capability

Reporting

Organisations funded until the end of 2025 must report on the use of funds within three months of the end of project or the project phase funded by the Canton of Basel-Stadt. A new project proposal may only be submitted once the accountability report has been approved.

The following requirements apply to reporting on project grants up to the end of 2025:

Minimum requirements

Requirement	Description
Submission deadline	Three months after the end of the project phase supported by the Canton of Basel-Stadt.
Accountability report	Accountability reports can be submitted in German, English or French. Please use this template for your report: German, French, English.
Submission of the accountability report	The accountability report must be submitted electronically via the online form. Accountability reports that reach us by e-mail will not be considered.

Submit accountability report

Contact

Development & Cooperation

+41 61 267 42 06 iza@bs.ch

Entwicklung und Zusammenarbeit

Marktplatz 30a

4001 Basel

+41 61 267 42 06 iza@bs.ch

Last updated

12.12.2025

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Grants for international cooperation projects

Funding procedure

Minimum requirements

Assessment Criteria

Exclusion criteria

Reporting

Minimum requirements

Contact

Development & Cooperation

Entwicklung und Zusammenarbeit

Last updated