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Strengthening capacities, independence and credibility of local and grassroots CSOs as actors of good governance and development in Ethiopia

The EU-financed project aims to ensure that local and grassroots civil society organisations (CSOs) in Addis Ababa, Tigray, South Ethiopia and Central Ethiopia have the capacity and space to act effectively as credible partners in good governance and development.

Many local and grassroots CSOs have innovative ideas but lack the experience and capacity needed to compete in calls for proposals and manage substantial funding. The Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) scheme is therefore used to reach and support small and emerging CSOs. The project plans to provide FSTP and technical support to 60 CSOs. So far, 20 local and grassroots CSOs have signed FSTP contracts with the EU grant beneficiaries, and a further 20 contracts are expected in October 2026, bringing the total to 40.

The project also aims to strengthen the operational and financial capacity of CSOs, their associations and networks, promote partnerships and improve their strategic positioning, helping create a more inclusive and enabling environment for civil society in Ethiopia.

Objective

Ethiopia’s civil society funding landscape is fragmented and highly competitive, creating major barriers for new and smaller CSOs. Although funding schemes are formally open to all, better-established organisations are more likely to benefit. For example, all 27 grants awarded under the Civil Society Fund III programme went to relatively well-capacitated CSOs.

This project addresses that gap by providing low-value grants to local and grassroots CSOs while strengthening their operational and financial capacities, as well as those of their associations and networks. It also promotes partnerships among these organisations to support a more inclusive civil society sector.

The project’s specific objectives are:

• Strengthen local and grassroots CSOs, particularly those focused on women, youth or persons with disabilities, through the FSTP scheme and tailored capacity support so they can carry out policy dialogue, advocacy and development-plan monitoring at local, sub-national and national levels.

• Strengthen the networking and collaboration capacities of local and grassroots CSOs and their networks, especially those focused on women, youth or persons with disabilities, so they can exchange knowledge, monitor and influence government processes and strengthen their role in civil society space.

Project Activities

• Sign grants and carry out monitoring, evaluation and reporting.

• Assess the technical, financial and operational capacities of CSOs.

• Develop tailored Capacity Development Plans and training manuals.

• Deliver capacity-strengthening training.

• Facilitate peer-learning sessions so FSTP beneficiaries can share knowledge and capacities.

• Assess existing networks in the target regions and identify challenges and opportunities for collaboration.

• Support the establishment of new or emerging networks and strengthen both existing and new networks.

• Link grantees and their networks to an existing online repository of resources.

• Develop formal coordination protocols and partnerships with similar programmes to maximise impact in expanding civil society space.

Results,

60 local and grassroots CSOs implement evidence-based, community-led initiatives through the FSTP scheme, including policy dialogue, monitoring and influencing government reform processes at multiple levels.

• 60 local and grassroots CSOs benefiting from the FSTP scheme significantly improve their technical, financial and operational capacities to act as partners in good governance and development.

• Grassroots and local CSOs strengthen their networking and collaboration capacities to exchange knowledge, build partnerships and align efforts in support of the government reform agenda.

• CSOs and their networks are better able to claim and protect their civil society space.