Cooperazione delegata UE (EU Delegated Cooperation) Grant

About this grant

This page describes the EU Delegated Cooperation (Cooperazione delegata UE) activity of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS). The European Union and its member states together are the main source of Official Development Assistance globally. Under the New European Consensus on Development and the 2021-2027 NDICI instrument, the Commission delegates management of EU-funded development initiatives to qualified agencies. AICS was accredited for indirect management of EU funds in 2018 after passing the pillar assessment, and since then has taken on responsibility for delegated cooperation initiatives, initially six projects transferred from MAECI and five assigned directly by the Commission, for roughly 110 million euro. The page states that these initiatives have concentrated mainly in Africa, including Burkina Faso, Libya, Niger, Central African Republic, Senegal and Sudan, funded largely through the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa, aiming at job and income creation, strengthening local institutions, socio-economic stabilisation, social cohesion and alternatives to irregular migration. In the Sahel the focus is rural economic activity, while in Sudan and CAR it is water, sanitation and hygiene. The MADAD Trust Fund supported a regional initiative for Syrian refugees and host communities in Lebanon, Syria and Iraqi Kurdistan. In 2020 and 2021 AICS concluded ten further delegation agreements, bringing the total to about 220 million euro, and expanded into new countries including Albania, Colombia, Egypt, Kenya, Mozambique and Tunisia. Thematic areas have extended to cultural heritage and circular economy, with gender equality and environmental sustainability as cross-cutting priorities. Implementation is handled by the relevant AICS field office in coordination with the central Delegated Cooperation Unit and EU Delegations in country. The page is an informational overview of the programme and does not itself set out an open call, application procedure or grant round.

Eligibility

The page does not state eligibility criteria for applicants. It describes AICS as the implementing agency for EU delegated cooperation initiatives, which are assigned by the European Commission rather than open to applications through this page. Implementing partners are described as local institutions in partner countries, but no application eligibility rules are given.

Key requirements

• ✓Implementation on behalf of the European Union under delegated cooperation arrangements
• ✓Alignment with Team Europa and Global Gateway strategy priorities
• ✓Eligible applicants typically include development organizations, NGOs, local authorities, and research institutions with experience in development cooperation

Funder contact

The notice names a programme contact you can speak to before applying.

Frequently asked questions

Who can apply for Cooperazione delegata UE (EU Delegated Cooperation)?

Eligibility covers organisations in EU, GLOBAL-SOUTH, AFRICA, ASIA, LATAM; nonprofit, local-authority, research-institution, university, consortium. See the eligibility criteria above for the full conditions.