The Agence Française de Développement (AFD) has opened its 2026 Call for Expressions of Project Intentions (AMI) under the CSO Initiatives (CSO-I) mechanism, inviting civil society organisations (CSOs) to submit project intentions for initiatives to be co-financed in 2027.

For the first time, the 2026 call brings together French CSOs and locally governed CSOs under a single call, with differentiated eligibility requirements. The mechanism aims to strengthen civil society organisations, deliver positive, concrete, lasting and measurable impacts for target populations, and contribute to local policy development.

The 2026 call introduces two financing streams, with geographical eligibility playing an important role in determining which stream applies. Multi-stakeholder approaches involving CSOs, local authorities, research organisations and institutional stakeholders are preferred.

Financing Streams

Stream 1 is exclusively for field projects implemented in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and countries particularly vulnerable to crises and climate change. For eligible multi-country projects or intermediary funding mechanisms, at least 60% of the countries involved must be eligible for Stream 1. At least 60% of the overall AMI financing allocation is directed to Stream 1.

Stream 2 is open to projects implemented in other countries eligible for Official Development Assistance (ODA) under the OECD/DAC framework, but which are not eligible for Stream 1. It also covers eligible ECSI/SMA projects or project components in France.

Priority themes

While projects are not limited exclusively to these areas, the 2026 AMI identifies the following priority themes:

• Educational continuum – Employment, including basic education, vocational training and professional integration
• Health, particularly the One Health approach
• Sustainable agriculture
• Gender equality
• Human rights

Cross-cutting areas also include a human-rights-based approach, women's rights and feminist organisations, climate and biodiversity, young agents of change, and crisis and conflict prevention and response through a humanitarian-development-peace nexus approach.

Funding available

Eligible projects must have a minimum total budget of €500,000 over three years.

AFD funding ranges from €300,000 to €1.5 million per project.

AFD may finance up to:

• 80% of project costs for French CSOs
• 90% for locally governed CSOs

Indirect costs may represent up to 14% of direct costs. The 2026 mechanism also allows, where relevant and properly justified, up to 20% of direct project costs to be allocated to organisational adaptation or transformation, in addition to indirect costs.

Projects must have a fixed duration of three years, and renewal is not automatic.

Eligibility for locally governed CSOs

Locally governed CSOs may be eligible if they are legally established, non-profit organisations working in sustainable development, including eligible associations, NGOs and unions.

The organisation's registered headquarters and management must be located in an ODA-eligible country under OECD/DAC criteria.

Importantly, locally governed CSOs must have previously received financing at least once for a completed project from an AFD Group entity or, under the specified conditions, from a French embassy. This may have been received directly or through a lead CSO.

Eligible Stream 1 countries

The call's Appendix 2 identifies the following countries as eligible for Stream 1:

Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Iraq, Jordan, Kiribati, Laos, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Micronesia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, Yemen and Zambia.

Countries eligible for ODA but not included in the Stream 1 list may be considered under Stream 2, subject to the applicable eligibility requirements.

Partnership requirement

A local partnership with other civil society stakeholders is mandatory for both French and locally governed CSOs.

The partnership must involve joint objectives and shared responsibilities and contribute to sustainable capacity building and the ability of participating civil society organisations to respond to the needs of target populations.

Application process

Project intentions and the required administrative documentation must be submitted online through the OSCar platform.

CSOs that do not yet have an OSCar account must submit their account creation request by 15 September 2026.

The deadline for submission of project intentions is:

9 October 2026 at 18:00 Paris time.

Only project intentions submitted through OSCar will be considered.

The selection process takes place in two stages: an initial shortlist based on the project intention and administrative documentation, followed by a full application and appraisal process for shortlisted projects.

Important 2026 changes

The 2026 AMI introduces several significant changes:

• A single call covering French and locally governed CSOs
• Two clearly differentiated financing streams
• A single financing instrument replacing the previous PA, MPA and CMSP instruments
• The possibility of including organisational adaptation/transformation costs where justified
• CSOs may submit only one project intention
• A "one-year-in-two" financing rule will apply from the 2027 AMI
• Multi-stakeholder approaches are preferred 

Who should apply?

This opportunity is relevant to:

• Civil society organisations and NGOs
• Locally governed CSOs in eligible ODA countries
• Development and humanitarian organisations
• Organisations working in health and One Health
• Sustainable agriculture organisations
• Education and vocational training organisations
• Gender equality and women's rights organisations
• Human rights organisations
• Climate and biodiversity organisations
• Organisations working with young people and young agents of change
• Organisations working on poverty reduction and sustainable development
• CSOs developing multi-stakeholder projects with local authorities, research organisations or other institutional partners

Key dates

Opening date: 29 July 2026
OSCar account creation request deadline: 15 September 2026
Application deadline: 9 October 2026, 18:00 Paris time
Funding period: Projects co-financed in 2027
Project duration: 3 years

Application / Further information

Click HERE to visit the official website.