EU Horizon Europe: Climate Adaptation and WASH Security in the Sahel – Integrated Resilience Programme

The European Commission's Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA) in collaboration with the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO) has announced a landmark €40 million funding opportunity under Horizon Europe Cluster 6, specifically targeting climate adaptation and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) security in the Sahel region. This integrated resilience programme aims to address the compounding vulnerabilities of climate change, water scarcity, and conflict in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Chad, and Mauritania. The call expects to fund 5-8 grants ranging from €5 to €8 million each, with projects spanning 4-5 years. Proposals must adopt a nexus approach linking WASH to food security, energy, and ecosystem health, and incorporate conflict-sensitive programming. The EU emphasizes sustainability, gender equality, and local ownership. This is a competitive call requiring consortia of at least three partners from different EU/associated states, including at least one Sahelian partner. Lead applicants must demonstrate financial viability and technical expertise in climate-resilient WASH and capacity building. The deadline for concept notes is July 15, 2026, with full proposals due October 30, 2026. This opportunity is ideal for large consortia with strong experience in fragile contexts.

This opportunity is designed for legally registered non-profit organizations (NGOs, INGOs), research and academic institutions, public sector agencies (including local and national government bodies), and private sector entities (including SMEs) with demonstrated expertise in climate change adaptation, integrated water resource management (IWRM), WASH service delivery, and community resilience. Eligible consortia must include at least three partners from different EU member states or Horizon Europe associated countries, with a mandatory inclusion of at least one partner from the Sahel region (Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Chad, or Mauritania). Lead applicants must have a proven track record of managing multi-million euro grants, with at least five years of experience in implementing large-scale (€2 million+) climate resilience or WASH projects in fragile or conflict-affected settings. Financial viability is a key criterion: applicants must provide audited financial statements for the last three years, demonstrating a healthy liquidity ratio (current assets/current liabilities > 1.2) and a debt-to-equity ratio < 0.6. Additionally, organizations must comply with the EU's eligibility criteria (Articles 197-198 of the EU Financial Regulation) and have a valid PIF (Participant Identification Code) in the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Sub-national entities (e.g., districts, municipalities) are eligible if they can demonstrate institutional capacity for financial management and reporting. Consortia are strongly encouraged to include local women-led and youth-led organizations to enhance inclusiveness and local ownership.

The donor's primary priorities are: (1) Climate-resilient WASH infrastructure: investing in rainwater harvesting, desalination (solar-powered), and improved groundwater recharge techniques that can withstand increased variability in rainfall and recurrent droughts. (2) Integrated water governance: strengthening institutional frameworks for transboundary water management, particularly in the Lake Chad Basin and the Niger River Basin, and supporting the implementation of the European Union's Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem (WEFE) nexus approach. (3) Early warning and disaster risk reduction: developing and deploying community-based early warning systems for droughts, floods, and sand encroachment, linked to national meteorological services and the African Multi-Hazard Early Warning and Early Action System (AMHEWAS). (4) Capacity building for adaptive social protection: enhancing the capacity of local governments and community-based organizations to design and implement adaptive social protection programmes that address climate shocks and chronic poverty. (5) Gender and youth empowerment: ensuring that at least 50% of direct beneficiaries are women and girls, and that interventions specifically target youth employment in green jobs (e.g., solar water pumping maintenance, agroecology). Key performance indicators (KPIs) include: number of people with access to safely managed water services (target: 500,000), reduction in waterborne disease incidence (target: 30% reduction in diarrhea among children under five), number of hectares under climate-smart irrigation (target: 10,000 ha), and improved score on the Water Governance Capacity Assessment (WGCA) framework. The EU also prioritizes sustainability through life-cycle costing and financial modeling for operation and maintenance cost recovery.

Eligibility is governed by Horizon Europe rules. Lead applicants must be established in an EU member state or Horizon Europe associated country. Consortia must include at least three independent entities from three different EU/associated states, and at least one partner from a Sahel country (Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Chad, Mauritania). Organizations from other African Union countries can participate as additional partners. Eligible entities include: universities, research institutes, NGOs, international organizations, public bodies, and private for-profit entities (including SMEs) that can demonstrate a non-profit nature in the context of this action (i.e., no distribution of profits to shareholders). Financial eligibility standards: - Annual turnover: Minimum €1 million for the past 3 years. - Current ratio (liquidity): > 1.1 - Debt-to-equity ratio: < 0.8 - No overdue taxes or social security contributions. - No convictions for fraud, corruption, or professional misconduct in the last 5 years. All proposals must be submitted in English through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Proposals must adhere to the Horizon Europe standard proposal structure: excellence, impact, implementation. A mandatory pre-proposal check is required: organizations must submit a short concept note (5 pages) by July 15, 2026 to receive eligibility feedback. Full proposals (max 70 pages) are then due October 30, 2026. Any incomplete submissions (missing partners' PIFs, absence of audited statements) will be rejected without review.

Strategic roadmap to achieve success in this funding opportunity: Step 1 – Develop a consortium with complementary expertise. Immediately identify lead partners in EU countries with strong WASH and climate adaptation research (e.g., IHE Delft, University of Copenhagen, or IRD France). Establish partnerships with Sahel-based universities (e.g., Université Abdou Moumouni de Niamey, Université de Ouagadougou) and local NGOs such as WaterAid Burkina Faso or CARE Niger. Ensure inclusion of at least one private sector SME with expertise in solar water pumping or low-cost water quality testing. Step 2 – Align the proposal with the EU's WEFE nexus and the Sahel Alliance's resilience framework. Use the 'Theory of Change' approach to clearly link activities (e.g., construction of solar-powered boreholes) to outcomes (e.g., reduced livestock mortality) and impact (e.g., improved food security). Step 3 – Build a robust M&E system that integrates the EU's Results Framework. Assign a dedicated M&E specialist, train field staff on data collection using mobile tools (e.g., ODK, Kobo Toolbox), and plan for an external mid-term evaluation. Incorporate the GSLI short course Monitoring & Evaluation for Development to strengthen this component. Step 4 – Secure co-financing and demonstrate sustainability. The EU requires at least 20% co-financing; explore in-kind contributions from partners (e.g., office space, vehicles) and leverage national climate funds (e.g., Sahelian countries' Green Climate Fund readiness programmes). Develop a detailed financial sustainability plan showing full cost recovery after the grant period (e.g., via water user fees, government budget allocations). By undertaking GSLI's Project Management for Development and Grants Management courses, staff will enhance their capacity to meet the EU's rigorous reporting and compliance standards.