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Applying for Funding – Technical Assistance

• Who is eligible to apply for funding?
• What types of activities are eligible for funding?
• How do I apply for funding?
• What are the selection criteria?
• What is the selection process?
• What are the responsibilities of the GPOBA funding recipient?

 Who is eligible to apply for funding?
GPOBA funding is open to applications from international financial institutions, bilateral donors, NGOs, public and private infrastructure operators, and national and local governments.

What types of activities are eligible for funding?
Technical Assistance activities are activities that support the design, implementation, and evaluation of individual output-based aid (OBA) projects or OBA facilities.

Technical Assistance activities in the following sectors are currently eligible for funding:

• Water and Sanitation 
• Energy
• Telecommunications
• Transportation
• Health
• Education

 
Activities in any member country of the World Bank Group are eligible for GPOBA funding.
Please note that GPOBA donors prefer that most of GPOBA’s funding is allocated to the poorer developing countries, i.e. DAC I and DAC II countries, and/or IFC frontier countries. (See the DAC List of Recipient Countries - (PDF, 17.18 KB)

How do I apply for funding?
All applicants for GPOBA funding should use the Technical Assistance Application (MS Word, 78.5 KB) / en français (MS Word, 123KB) and the Concept Note (MS Word, 170KB) / en français (MS Word, 114KB).

You can submit the Application Form to GPOBA in one of the following two ways. There is no fee associated with the application.

• Via email to gpoba@worldbank.org
•  Via fax to (1) 202-522-3481.

We will notify you that we have received your application within 5 business days of the submission date.

What are the selection criteria?
Applications are evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Consistency with the eligibility criteria; 
• Commitment of the host government to the proposed OBA scheme;
• Availability of additional funding from other sources. GPOBA resources may cover up to 100% of the cost of an eligible activity. However, co-financing from other sources will be encouraged; and
• Value for money. Activities should aim to adopt the lowest cost strategies consistent with appropriate standards and quality.

What is the selection process?
The selection process for applications for Technical Assistance activities is as follows (see also this diagram PDF, 74KB):

1. Application: GPOBA receives an application for Technical Assistance (see "How do I apply for Funding?").
2.  Initial Screening: GPOBA reviews the application against the eligibility criteria. At this stage, applicants may be requested to provide additional information. 
3. Appraisal: The GPOBA team conducts a technical assessment for projects under $75,000. For projects over $75,000, GPOBA donors may conduct internal consultations.
4. Approval: GPOBA approves projects under $75,000. GPOBA approves projects over $75,000 subject to no objections from donors.
5. Approval Notification: The applicant receives an Award Letter or an explanation if an application is rejected.

Timeframe: Depending on the quality of the application and the amount of funding sought, GPOBA will notify the applicant of its decision 4 to 6 weeks from date of submission.

What are the responsibilities of the GPOBA funding recipient?
As GPOBA's mandate is to facilitate learning on the potential contribution of OBA, fund recipients are required to report on the outcomes of the GPOBA-funded activity. This typically involves providing semi-annual reports on project progress.