Sélection de Partenaires d'Exécution – 7ᵉ Programme de Coopération Congo-UNFPA (2027–2031)

Call description

UNFPA seeks implementing partners for its cooperation programme with the Government of the Republic of the Congo. The call addresses Congolese or Congo-operating NGOs, associations and private-sector entities. Its expected results cover integrated sexual and reproductive health and rights services, prevention and comprehensive response to gender-based violence and harmful practices, and disaggregated data for decisions and services. The concept-note template identifies women of reproductive age, adolescents and young people, Indigenous peoples, refugees and displaced people, and service providers as priority categories. The portal lists Lékoumou; the wider geographical scope needs clarification.

The portal lists the opportunity start date as 31 March 2027 and end date as 31 March 2031; these dates are not identified as the exact dates of the entire cooperation programme. The call-specific template asks applicants to estimate intervention duration and gives 12 à 24 mois as an example within the 2027-2031 cycle, not as a binding duration range.

Priorities and eligibility

The call is addressed to NGOs, associations and private-sector entities that are Congolese or operate in Congo. Civil society applicants must be apolitical and non-profit; the call also admits committed private-sector enterprises. Applicants must demonstrate at least three (3) years of continuous official existence recognised by authorised Congolese authorities, with registration, approval and tax registration listed as evidence.

The call also requires demonstrable achievements in the target fields and areas, transparent governance and formal accounting. Recent financial statements or audit reports are preferred in the call rather than stated there as an absolute prerequisite. Formal adherence to UN principles, including zero tolerance of sexual exploitation and abuse and action against fraud, is required.

The general UNFPA template includes a PSEA capacity assessment with conditional screening. Organisations without direct contact with beneficiaries stop that section, but must complete a self-assessment if they later begin such contact. Organisations with direct contact that have been assessed by a UN entity in the last 5 years share the rating and supporting documentation instead of completing the section; otherwise they complete the specified standards. Whether this general template must be submitted for the Congo call remains to be confirmed.

How will the concept-note sections be weighted in assessment? The call-specific template labels both context and intervention strategy with 40%, and labels other sections separately. The portal extract contains a selection-criteria table with 100, but flattened text does not establish a reliable relationship between all template labels and the portal's assessment weighting. Do not add these labels or infer a scoring method without clarification.

Does the opportunity accept projects in Likouala, Pool and emergency areas as well as Lékoumou? The portal location field lists Lékoumou, while the call-specific concept-note template lists the wider set. The extracts do not establish whether the portal field is exhaustive. Seek clarification before selecting a location outside Lékoumou.

Funding and application requirements

For this Congo call, the call-specific template states that submission is electronic only through the UN Partner Portal. The general UNFPA template also describes unsolicited concept notes, but as interventions unrelated to a call; that is not an alternative submission route for this call.

The call-specific template asks applicants to prepare an up-to-date UN Partner Portal profile, registered statutes, an official receipt showing ≥ 3 years, a tax identification number (NIU), and certificates of satisfactory performance / annual reports. The slash is preserved as an option in the source. The final concept note must not exceed 5 pages, excluding any annexes requested on the portal.

Which of the two supplied concept-note templates must be submitted for this call, and does the general template's separate Excel activity budget also apply? The portal describes an attachment designed for the call and separately lists a concept-note template. The general template requests an Excel spreadsheet; the extracts do not resolve whether both templates or that spreadsheet are required for this application. Confirm the required template and uploads through the portal clarification process.

What language and electronic file formats does UNFPA require for this particular submission, and are translations accepted or required? The supplied extracts include a French call-specific template and an English general template, but do not establish a language rule or the accepted upload formats for the complete application. Confirm these before submission.

The portal's indicative budget field contains no amount. The call-specific template asks for an estimated overall budget in USD or FCFA, identifying the UNFPA contribution requested and co-financing. These fields do not establish an allocation, grant ceiling or mandatory co-financing percentage.

The application deadline is 30 November 2026. The portal lists 20 November 2026 as the clarification request deadline and 31 December 2026 as the notification of results date.

Recommendations

The choice of lead applicant matters both for legal recognition and for evidence of actual work in the proposed fields and areas; a relevant mandate alone would not establish these conditions. Check the proposed lead's Congolese registration history, operational presence and documented results against the call before preparing the submission.

The call-specific template asks for operational presence and a concise record of comparable work, while the selection criteria require demonstrable achievements in the target fields and areas. Present the requested project examples with their locations, funders, budgets and results, and explain the actual local staffing or community networks supporting implementation. Do not substitute general organisational history for evidence in the proposed areas.

A competitive programme design must connect a documented local need to the relevant programme result and complement government technical services, rather than simply selecting a sector label. Use recent local data where available, identify the precise intervention areas and explain the contribution to the selected result and existing services. If the location is sensitive, explain continuity of services during a crisis.

The call-specific template links expected outputs, main activities and monitoring indicators with targets, and asks for estimated direct and indirect participants by priority category. Select a manageable set of measurable outputs and indicators that corresponds to the proposed activities and disaggregated population estimates; retain enough detail within the page limit to demonstrate how results will be monitored.