The Embassy accepts proposals made by local Malawian organisations, NGOs, associations or organised groups. Co-financing with third parties and organisations is also possible. Applications by individuals cannot be considered.

The application should be directed to:

German Embassy
Economic Development Officer
P.O. Box 30046
Lilongwe 3
E-Mail: info@lilongwe.diplo.de

The proposed activity or project should meet the following criteria:

• address the basic needs of poor and vulnerable members of the population;
• if goods are to be purchased, then locally or in a neighboring country;
• maximum amount of assistance is the Malawi Kwacha equivalent of EUR 10,000.- (about 18 million Kwacha, depending on the Embassy's current exchange rate);
• own contribution by applicant (however small) is a precondition for assistance (this contribution can be in the form of labour by community members, or in-kind such as building materials, etc.);
• sustainability should be possible for at least two years without further or continuous funding;
• punctual and transparent accountability.

The Embassy does not support the following costs, organisations or projects:

• staff salaries;
• labour costs (unless certain components can only be done by specialist labourers such as electricians etc.);
• support of individual or privileged persons;
• travel costs or daily allowances;
• humanitarian aid in crises or disasters (there is a separate procedure for these cases);
• workshops, meetings or scholarships (these applications should be addressed to specialized development or academic organisations);
• government institutions, if the project has no impact on local population;
• military or police;
• consumables (water, electricity, fuel - exception: transport costs of heavy goods).

The following documents are required:

• application form (see below), signed by two persons responsible for the project;
• detailed cost calculation stating all items and costs, including contributions by the applicant (financial or labour) and - if applicable - by other organisations (co-financing is possible);
• construction plan(s), if applicable;
• letter confirming that no other donors are funding the same project (unless as a co-financing partner);
• statement mentioning previous donations and donor assistance, if applicable.

Please note:
Only applications including all requested documents can be considered.
The Embassy receives a large number of proposals to consider every year. Due to the limited financial scope of our small grant programme, only a small number of these proposals can be funded.

The more precisely you prepare your application, the more details about your ideas and the involved costs you provide, and the clearer it becomes that your organisation follows high standards of transparency and accountability, the higher are the chances of being considered.