Call for proposals & terms of reference
This is a subsection of the fundraising lexicon developed as part of the GFMD MediaDev Fundraising Guide.
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This is a subsection of the fundraising lexicon developed as part of the GFMD MediaDev Fundraising Guide.
Last updated
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The instructions to applicants include defining the nationality, legal status and profile of organisations that may apply.
Guidelines may also stipulate ceilings and floors for as well as timeframes both for the application process and the eventual project.
may comprise multiple stages (, etc.) or may be based on a single round.
Calls for proposals are often termed as “open calls”, meaning that they are effectively open for all eligible organisations to apply.
They are distinct from calls which have already been through a short-listing process and are, therefore, only open to a pre-selected group of applicants. In addition, some donors use the term “open calls” to describe grant programmes which are continuously open – i.e. that do not have submission deadlines and accept applications as long as funds are available.
The idea is to ensure that global budgets can be properly spread across core priorities.
There are often limits for the number of lots which any one organisation can apply for under a single programme.
Effectively, applicants need to demonstrate that they have the resources, experience and methodologies needed to achieve the project’s goals as well as a deep understanding of the operating environment and context in which the project will unfold.
The financial offer should also be competitive but this is not simply a question of undercutting the rival consortia. Usually, the scoring matrix is weighted in favour of the technical offer, so a very strong proposal can win a tender, even if the financial offer is not the lowest of those submitted.
ToRs vary enormously in the level of detail presented, ranging from just a few lines to dozens of pages.
Applicants are strongly advised to ensure that their project ideas fall clearly within the parameters of the Terms of Reference: applications which respond to only a part of the ToRs are rarely successful.
In the case of two-stage competitive tenders, this document may be published only after the applicants have been short-listed.
A tender is a competitive procurement process whereby a donor gives shortlisted applicants (often working in ) the chance to make a technical and financial offer for a predefined set of services. These services are described in detail in the for the tender.