These days, as the requirements for public tenders and grant opportunities become more complex in scope, partnerships have become increasingly part of the bid submission process. Large-scale projects and comprehensive grant opportunities often require that NGOs, consultancies, and charitable organizations show that they have the necessary partnerships needed to meet the practical requirements baked into the necessary deliverables required by the funding organization.
This is where “matchmaking” comes into context, as organizations submitting a bid on a public tender or grant can prove that they have identified suitable subcontractors or organizations to collaborate with in order to satisfy the funding organization’s requirements. Thankfully, DevelopmentAid has created a custom database known as “Call4Partners” precisely to meet this need.
Why partnering is critical in international development bids
Although some public tenders and government grants can be awarded to organizations solely based on their existing in-house capabilities and human resources, most bids require an often complex combination of expertise, regional presence, and technical capacity that far exceed what any single organization can deliver.
As such, it is essential that NGOs, consultancies, and charitable organizations have a way to reach out and find suitable partners to form a consortia or subcontracting arrangements in order to strengthen their chances of successfully winning a bid for a public tender or grant opportunity. These “matchmaking” arrangements can come in a variety of forms, including one organization taking on the role of project leader and then hiring outside help in a subcontractor capacity, egalitarian joint ventures between organizations, and/or forming local partnerships of various types.
Regardless of the size or nature of the partnership, collaborative efforts are often mandatory to complete a project. Funding agencies have a diverse range of stakeholders, each with their own interest in seeing that money is well spent and that projects or grants are used efficiently and effectively in order to achieve a specific outcome. Public tenders and grants often come with a large number of eligibility requirements as well as technical specifications that need to be met, and this most likely involves forming a partnership between organizations and/or individual experts.
However, even the largest and most experienced NGOs and other organizations working in the field of international development cannot rely purely on their networking capabilities and expertise in the field in order to put together a viable partnership for every public tender or grant opportunity. This is why having a database of available individuals and organizations looking to form consortia is so critical, because it connects those in need with those who have the requisite skills and criteria, creating a win-win situation for everyone.
How to use the Call4Partners database
DevelopmentAid is the global leader in providing information services related to international development. We realize that not every organization currently working in the field or who aspires to work in the sector is yet a member of the DevelopmentAid platform.
That is why, during the past 17 years, we have been building a global directory of everyone with related skills and expertise so that they can be discovered by NGOs, consultancies, and charitable organizations seeking to form partnerships in order to bid on government tenders and grant opportunities that require them.
Today, DevelopmentAid’s growing database of 442,000+ organizations gives you access to a vast network of potential partners through the unique Call4Partners feature, increasing your ability to find qualified partners for grant and tender bids.
Organizations can search for Partnership calls that were already published, or they can publish their own Calls.
This is how the magic of the Call4Partners happens when you search for Calls that are already published:
1️⃣ Simply navigate over to the Partnerships tab from the DevelopmentAid website and then select Calls4Partners.
2️⃣ From there, you’ll see a number of fields that will help you narrow down your search, including:
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- the name of the organization,
- the type of partnerships they’re able to participate in,
- the locations where the partner works,
- the locations where the project in question is going to take place,
- the sector(s) in which the partner has expertise,
- and the deadlines.
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3️⃣ Once you’ve identified a potentially suitable organization that you’d like to partner with, click on the Easy Apply button and the Call4Partners database will ask you to provide some additional information, including a free text description of what you’re looking for, information about the public tender or grant opportunity you’re bidding on, and a place to attach (upload) any relevant documents. You’ll also be given the option of how you’d like the potential partner to reply to you, whether via a website or directly via email.
Finding a suitable partner and communicating to them your aspirations as well as any requirements that you might have is a simple and intuitive process when using the DevelopmentAid Call4Partners feature.
How to publish a Call for Partners?
If your organization plans to apply for a grant or tender in a region or sector where you have limited experience, publishing your Call4Partners will save you a lot of time and provide priceless information. Here are the six easy steps to publish your Call4Partners.
1️⃣ Navigate to the Partnerships menu on www.developmentaid.org and click on the “Publish a Call” tab on the left side of the page.
2️⃣ Fill the available fields of the application with relevant information:
- Partner type and location
- Project location
- Relevant sectors (up to 5 sectors)
- Deadline
- And the Partnership type.
3️⃣ Add a description of the activity you plan to bid for, and insert the reference for the Tender/Grant announcement.
4️⃣ Upload relevant documents (your organization’s resume, grant/tender files, etc.)
5️⃣ Select the preferred communication method: e-mail or a web-page.
6️⃣ Hit the “Publish” button.
What if your Call4Partners didn’t turn out any lucrative results? In this situation, DevelopmentAid can step in and assist you via the Matchmaking service.
Smart matchmaking, for powerful connections
If your search for a partner didn’t turn in any lucrative results or your matchmaking needs are special, you can contact DevelopmentAid staff to assist you.
Share your needs with us, allow us a couple of days to identify the organizations or suitable individual experts for your bid, review the selected matches, and choose who you would like to connect with. We will schedule your meetings and calls with selected partners.
We help you find the right people and organizations, expand your network, and ensure you move forward with confidence.
Tips for building successful partnerships through DevelopmentAid
In order to maintain a long-term positive reputation in the field of international development, it is essential that your organization treats every step in the process of finding and working with partners with respect and dignity. This begins by drafting clear and unambiguous requirements when you first reach out to a potential partner. We also recommend that you highlight the mutual benefits that all parties will receive if you agree to work together.
Secondly, it is always a really good idea to carefully review and adhere to all the requirements of the funding organization, including complete transparency when it comes to collaborative partnerships and subcontracting arrangements. Lastly, being forthright and timely in your correspondence with (potential) partners is always the right way to go when building your organization’s reputation in a sector as critically vital as that of international development.
Of course, we also encourage organizations to maintain their paid DevelopmentAid memberships so that they will be able to have ongoing access to the Call4Partners database as part of a long-term strategy to expand their partnership network for future opportunities to be awarded public tenders and grants from funding agencies.
If you’d like to learn more about how Call4Partners and the DevelopmentAid platform can help improve your matchmaking capabilities, do not hesitate to reach out and contact us today.
