The financial support for SSPs is provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic. SSPs are carried out by local stakeholders (“implementing partners”) in cooperation with the local Czech embassy or consulate general, and are one of the principal instruments of Czech foreign development aid.

Project proposals for the year 2027 in the KRI should focus on local capacity-building, education, and social-economic empowerment in vulnerable communities, including refugees and internally-displaced persons in the KRI.

WHO CAN APPLY

The implementing partner must have legal subjectivity (capacity to hold rights and obligations) and authorization to receive funding from the Czech development cooperation programme. It may not be a central state administration authority, a political party or movement, or any entity that would generate profit from the funds provided. Eligible implementing partners may include: educational, healthcare, social or cultural institutions, non-governmental non-profit organizations (NGOs), cooperatives, local or regional authorities, or other public-benefit organizations.

The implementing partner assumes full responsibility for the substantive implementation of the SSP towards the project guarantor (the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Erbil).

INFORMATION ON TIME FRAMEWORK, BUDGET AND VISIBILITY

An SSP must qualify as Official Development Assistance (ODA) in accordance with OECD/DAC rules. Project outputs may be tangible (e.g. infrastructure, equipment) or intangible (e.g. training, capacity building). In both cases, the expected output must be clearly described in the project identification form and must be verifiable by the Consulate General during and after implementation.

The financial contribution provided by the Czech side for an individual SSP ranges from CZK 250,000 to CZK 500,000, including the exchange-rate reserve.

All project activities, including the payment of all project-related costs, must be completed no later than 31 October of the implementation year (2027).

Project costs:

1. Costs that directly contribute to the delivery of the SSP output specified in the Project Identification Form, including materials, equipment, construction works, transportation and installation, fees for trainers and experts, and costs related to training participants
2. Each project-related expenditure must be clearly linked in the budget to a specific activity outlined in the Project Identification Form
3. Support and administrative costs are costs necessary for the preparation, management, or administration of the SSP but which do not directly constitute project outputs.
4. Eligible support and administrative costs include salaries, fees and per diems of project management and administrative staff, travel and accommodation expenses, insurance, vaccinations, translation services, bank charges, and project visibility and publicity costs
5. Support and administrative costs may not exceed 8% of the total SSP budget financed from Czech Development Cooperation funds, including any subsequent budget modifications
6. Budget changes that, in total (cumulatively), do not exceed 10% of the total SSP budget financed from the Czech Development Cooperation funds (excluding the exchange rate reserve) may be implemented by the project implementer after prior notification to the Embassy. Such changes must be described and quantified in the final report
7. Budget changes that, in total (cumulatively), exceed 10% of the total SSP budget financed from Czech Development Cooperation funds, as well as changes to SSP activities or outputs, require prior written approval from the Embassy. The project implementer shall request such approval by submitting a change request
8. Method and schedule of fund disbursement to the implementer: bank transfer, cash payment, or cheque; payments may be made in installments, with the percentage determined by the Embassy, up to a maximum of 50% of the approved project costs.
9. The total approved budget of the SSP shall not be exceeded.
10. The implementer's overhead and operational expenses are not eligible for financing from the SSP budget. These include, in particular, office rent, utilities, organizational accounting services, internet services, and other general institutional running costs
11. All tangible SSP outputs will be marked with either the CzechAid logo or the logo of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, whichever is considered more appropriate for the local context. The selected logo is also used in the presentation of project results. For all intangible SSP outputs, support provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic (financial support of the Development Cooperation of the Czech Republic) is duly acknowledged in presentations and in any materials resulting from those outputs

HOW TO APPLY

The application for a SSP grant must include:

1. The Small-Scale Project Identification Form in English (XLS form downloadable below), signed and stamped by the organization;
2.  a verified copy of a document (in English or translated into English) certifying that the applicant has legal subjectivity in the country of implementation;
3. a verified letter issued by the management or board of the implementing partner in Czech or English stating that the person mentioned and signed on the identification form has the legal right to sign the contract with the Czech MFA.

The application must be delivered both in hard copy and by email to the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Erbil by November 7, 2026. Applications received after this date will not be evaluated.

The soft copy of the application must be sent in both PDF file (signed and stamped) and in an Excel file to the e-mail address erbil@mzv.gov.cz and in copy to karwankhaleel.weli@mzv.gov.cz.

In the email, please include a short annotation (max. 80 words) in English of the project proposal including its main goals. 

Please do not include any other irrelevant documents such as annual reports, letters of intent or information about previous projects. Please try to compress the files before sending.

Any questions regarding Small-Scale Projects should be sent by e-mail to the address erbil@mzv.gov.cz and in copy to Mr. Karwan Khaleel Weli (karwankhaleel.weli@mzv.gov.cz). In the subject of the email, please write "SSP2027".

The results of the selection process are expected to be published on this website in January 2027.