EU Horizon Europe Call: Strengthening Monitoring and Evaluation of EU-Funded Development Programs in Sub-Saharan Africa

The European Commission's Horizon Europe framework has launched a targeted call for proposals under the cluster 'Culture, Heritage, and Inclusion' (CL2) with the specific topic 'Strengthening Monitoring and Evaluation of EU-Funded Development Programs in Sub-Saharan Africa'. This call represents a strategic effort to enhance the results orientation and accountability of EU development aid by fostering innovative M&E approaches that are both rigorous and contextually adaptive. The call's overarching goal is to develop and test new M&E mechanisms that can generate real-time, reliable evidence to inform policy-making and program management, ultimately improving the effectiveness of EU-funded initiatives in one of the world's most challenging development regions. This call is particularly timely given the EU's increased emphasis on value for money and impact assessment in its external action. The European Court of Auditors has repeatedly highlighted weaknesses in M&E systems for EU development programs, including insufficient baseline data, weak indicator frameworks, and limited use of evaluation findings. The Horizon Europe call directly addresses these gaps by encouraging the development of scalable, digital, and participatory M&E solutions. It seeks projects that can move beyond traditional evaluation models (which are often retrospective and donor-driven) toward continuous, adaptive, and learning-oriented M&E systems that empower local stakeholders. The call's specific objectives include: (1) designing innovative M&E frameworks that integrate digital tools (e.g., mobile data collection, remote sensing, AI analytics) and participatory methods (e.g., community scorecards, citizen feedback); (2) strengthening the capacities of local institutions—such as national statistical offices, universities, and civil society organizations—to independently conduct M&E; (3) improving the availability and quality of disaggregated data (by gender, age, disability, etc.) for monitoring progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals; and (4) fostering a culture of evidence-based decision-making at both program and policy levels. The call also requires projects to address cross-cutting issues like gender equality, environmental sustainability, and human rights, ensuring that M&E systems are sensitive to these dimensions. For organizations considering this call, it is essential to understand the EU's financing conditions. The action will be funded under Horizon Europe's budget, with a typical project duration of 36 to 48 months. The EU contribution is calculated based on actual eligible costs, covering up to 100% of direct costs plus a flat-rate of 25% for indirect costs. Successful proposals must demonstrate a clear alignment with EU priorities, a robust consortium with complementary expertise, and a credible plan for achieving measurable impact. Given the call's focus on Sub-Saharan Africa, the consortium must include strong African representation to ensure local relevance and ownership. This overview thus sets the stage for a detailed exploration of the call's strategic value, implementation roadmap, and risk mitigation strategies.

Strategic Overview

The European Commission's Horizon Europe framework has launched a targeted call for proposals under the cluster 'Culture, Heritage, and Inclusion' (CL2) with the specific topic 'Strengthening Monitoring and Evaluation of EU-Funded Development Programs in Sub-Saharan Africa'. This call represents a strategic effort to enhance the results orientation and accountability of EU development aid by fostering innovative M&E approaches that are both rigorous and contextually adaptive. The call's overarching goal is to develop and test new M&E mechanisms that can generate real-time, reliable evidence to inform policy-making and program management, ultimately improving the effectiveness of EU-funded initiatives in one of the world's most challenging development regions. This call is particularly timely given the EU's increased emphasis on value for money and impact assessment in its external action. The European Court of Auditors has repeatedly highlighted weaknesses in M&E systems for EU development programs, including insufficient baseline data, weak indicator frameworks, and limited use of evaluation findings. The Horizon Europe call directly addresses these gaps by encouraging the development of scalable, digital, and participatory M&E solutions. It seeks projects that can move beyond traditional evaluation models (which are often retrospective and donor-driven) toward continuous, adaptive, and learning-oriented M&E systems that empower local stakeholders. The call's specific objectives include: (1) designing innovative M&E frameworks that integrate digital tools (e.g., mobile data collection, remote sensing, AI analytics) and participatory methods (e.g., community scorecards, citizen feedback); (2) strengthening the capacities of local institutions—such as national statistical offices, universities, and civil society organizations—to independently conduct M&E; (3) improving the availability and quality of disaggregated data (by gender, age, disability, etc.) for monitoring progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals; and (4) fostering a culture of evidence-based decision-making at both program and policy levels. The call also requires projects to address cross-cutting issues like gender equality, environmental sustainability, and human rights, ensuring that M&E systems are sensitive to these dimensions. For organizations considering this call, it is essential to understand the EU's financing conditions. The action will be funded under Horizon Europe's budget, with a typical project duration of 36 to 48 months. The EU contribution is calculated based on actual eligible costs, covering up to 100% of direct costs plus a flat-rate of 25% for indirect costs. Successful proposals must demonstrate a clear alignment with EU priorities, a robust consortium with complementary expertise, and a credible plan for achieving measurable impact. Given the call's focus on Sub-Saharan Africa, the consortium must include strong African representation to ensure local relevance and ownership. This overview thus sets the stage for a detailed exploration of the call's strategic value, implementation roadmap, and risk mitigation strategies.

Who is it For?

The call is open to a wide range of legal entities established in EU member states, Horizon Europe associated countries, and Sub-Saharan African countries. Eligible applicants include universities, research institutes, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), international organizations, public authorities, and private sector entities. Consortia must consist of at least three independent legal entities from three different EU member states or associated countries, with the possibility of including African partners as full participants or associated partners. Importantly, entities from Sub-Saharan Africa are strongly encouraged to participate as they bring essential local knowledge and field experience. The call specifically targets organizations with demonstrated expertise in monitoring and evaluation (M&E), development program management, data analytics, and capacity building. Applicants should have experience in designing and implementing M&E systems for EU-funded or similar large-scale development programs in Africa. The call also welcomes involvement of government agencies responsible for national statistical systems, as strengthening public sector M&E capacity is a core objective. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with innovative M&E technologies are eligible and can contribute digital solutions such as mobile data collection tools, remote sensing, and AI-driven analytics. The call does not exclude individual researchers or consultants, but they must be affiliated with an eligible legal entity. Financial eligibility requires that entities have adequate financial capacity to manage EU funds, demonstrated through recent audits or financial statements. The European Commission may request a financial capacity check for entities requesting EU contributions of EUR 500,000 or more. Additionally, applicants must comply with the EU's ethical standards and regulations, including data protection, gender equality, and environmental sustainability. Overall, the call seeks a diverse and inclusive consortium that combines technical M&E expertise with local contextual knowledge and institutional capacity.

Priorities

The EU's overarching priority is to improve the effectiveness of its development aid in Sub-Saharan Africa by strengthening M&E systems at the program and country level. Specifically, the call aims to develop innovative M&E frameworks that are context-sensitive, scalable, and sustainable, leveraging digital technologies for real-time data collection and analysis. Key priorities include enhancing the use of data for evidence-based policy-making, improving accountability to beneficiaries and donors, and building local M&E capacity. The investment KPIs focus on measurable outcomes such as: (1) increased availability and quality of disaggregated data on development indicators; (2) enhanced capacity of local institutions to conduct M&E independently; (3) adoption of innovative digital tools that reduce data collection costs and time; (4) improved integration of M&E findings into program management and policy decisions; and (5) strengthened feedback loops between beneficiaries and program implementers. The call also prioritizes gender equality and women's empowerment, requiring gender-disaggregated data and gender-sensitive M&E approaches. Environmental sustainability is another cross-cutting priority, with emphasis on tracking climate adaptation and mitigation outcomes. The EU expects projects to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), and SDG 17 (Partnerships). Beyond technical outputs, the call stresses societal impact, such as increased trust in development programs, greater transparency in fund utilization, and empowerment of local communities through participatory M&E. The long-term goal is to create a culture of evidence-based decision-making within African institutions, reducing dependency on external evaluators. Thus, proposals should demonstrate clear links to EU development policy frameworks like the European Consensus on Development and the EU-Africa Strategy. The EU also prioritizes value for money, expecting projects to show cost-effectiveness in achieving M&E improvements. Finally, the call encourages synergies with other EU initiatives, such as the EU's Data for Development strategy and regional programs like the Pan-African Statistics Programme.

Eligibility

Eligibility requirements are comprehensive, covering financial, spatial, and corporate legal aspects. Financially, applicants must have stable and sufficient funding to manage their share of the project, as verified by a financial capacity assessment. For entities requesting more than EUR 500,000 in EU funding, a financial capacity check will be performed by the European Commission based on submitted documents such as annual accounts, audit reports, and bank statements. The EU contribution covers up to 100% of eligible direct costs (personnel, subcontracting, travel, equipment, etc.) plus a flat rate of 25% for indirect costs. Eligible direct costs must be actual, reasonable, and necessary for project implementation. Ineligible costs include VAT (unless non-recoverable), duties, provisions for future losses, and interest on debt. Spatially, the action must be carried out primarily in Sub-Saharan Africa, but activities may also take place in EU member states for coordination and capacity building. Consortia must include at least three independent legal entities from three different EU member states or Horizon Europe associated countries. Entities from Sub-Saharan Africa can be partners but are not counted toward this minimum requirement. However, to ensure local relevance, proposals with strong African participation (at least one African partner as a beneficiary) are encouraged and may receive additional points in evaluation. Legal eligibility requires that all applicants be legal entities (public or private bodies) established in an eligible country. Natural persons are not eligible unless they are self-employed and have a legal personality. Each consortium must designate a coordinator who is the single point of contact with the EU and responsible for overall project management. The coordinator must be established in an EU member state or associated country. Additionally, entities must not be subject to any of the exclusion grounds listed in the EU Financial Regulation, such as bankruptcy, conflict of interest, or professional misconduct. Ethical compliance is mandatory: projects involving human subjects, personal data, or environmental impact must obtain prior ethical approval. For M&E work, this includes ensuring informed consent for data collection and protection of beneficiary privacy. Finally, double funding is prohibited—the same costs cannot be claimed under other EU grants. All eligibility criteria are strictly enforced, and non-compliance can result in rejection or reduction of funding.

Path to Success

To succeed in this Horizon Europe call, organizations must follow a strategic roadmap that leverages GSLI's training capabilities to bridge capacity gaps. Step 1: Assemble a strong, diverse consortium. Identify partners with complementary expertise: M&E technical specialists, African research institutions, local NGOs, and digital solution providers. Use GSLI's 'Project Management for Development' course to train consortium members on EU project management standards and foster effective collaboration. Ensure the consortium meets the minimum of three entities from three different EU countries, and actively include at least one Sub-Saharan African partner to enhance contextual relevance. Step 2: Conduct a thorough needs assessment and baseline study. Use GSLI's 'Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E)' course to equip the team with advanced skills in designing M&E frameworks, developing indicators, and conducting baseline surveys. This course covers logical frameworks, theory of change, and results-based management—critical for designing a robust M&E system. The needs assessment should identify specific M&E gaps in partner countries, existing data sources, and local capacities. This baseline will inform the project design and demonstrate the project's relevance. Step 3: Develop a comprehensive proposal with strong technical narrative. Focus on innovation, such as using mobile technology for real-time data collection, artificial intelligence for data analysis, or participatory video for community feedback. Include a detailed work breakdown structure, timeline, budget, and risk management plan. Use GSLI's 'Grants Management' course to train on EU budget preparation, cost eligibility, and financial reporting, ensuring compliance with EU rules. The proposal should highlight how the project will strengthen local M&E capacities and create lasting institutional change. Step 4: Prepare for evaluation and project implementation. After submission, anticipate questions about sustainability, gender mainstreaming, and ethical data handling. If funded, use GSLI's 'Writing Winning Proposals' course to learn how to write compelling concept notes and progress reports. Immediately after award, enroll key staff in GSLI's 'Financial Management for NGOs' course to manage EU funds effectively. Throughout the project, use GSLI's 'Procurement & Supply Chain' course for efficient procurement of equipment and services. The roadmap also includes robust dissemination and exploitation of results, which can be enhanced by GSLI's 'Fundraising & Resource Mobilization' course to attract co-funding and ensure sustainability. By systematically integrating GSLI training into each phase, organizations can significantly increase their chances of a successful bid and effective project implementation.

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Deadline: 2026-07-15

Persona: General

Urgency: Normal