Foreign and Commonwealth Office Strategic Programme Fund

In the past few years the UK has supported quite a number of large-scale projects in Turkey through Strategic Programme Fund. These have covered a whole range of areas, from justice and home affairs, to human rights and economic governance, in support of Turkey’s EU Accession Process.  The Strategic Programme Fund (SPF) of FCO aims to promote action on global issues in areas of strategic importance that is formed of 11 programmes. Each programme is made up of a portfolio of projects aligned to the programme strategy.

The SPF is the FCO’s largest programme budget. It has been created to ensure that there is a co-ordinated approach within programme and project work to provide appropriate support to our most important policy objectives.
The following funds are available for projects to be implemented in Turkey:

Low Carbon - High Growth Programme
This programme provides funds for climate security and energy security projects in 15 priority countries. The Programme aims to fund project work that contributes to achieving climate security through a sustainable low carbon, global economy and access to clean, secure and affordable energy supplies through supporting the following outcomes:

1.  A visible and accelerated shift in investment initiated in the major economies towards low carbon.
2. Political conditions created for an equitable post-2012 agreement at the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP) in Copenhagen in December 2009 of sufficient ambition to avoid dangerous climate change.
3. Risks to UK and EU energy security managed through more diverse and reliable external sources of supply and more efficient global consumption.
4. Increased international commitment to an open, stable and equitable low carbon global economy delivering higher standards of living.

Currently Turkey is a priority country for funding projects under both the climate security and energy security areas. For details on the program and funding please visit http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-the-fco/what-we-do/funding-programmes/strat-progr-fund/strat-prog-fund-climate.

Countering Terrorism and Radicalisation Programme
The key aim of the Countering Terrorism & Radicalisation (CTR) Programme is to stop people becoming or supporting terrorists and violent extremists. It also aims to build the capacity of key overseas partners to counter terrorism and extremism.
Most of the projects funded, in such areas as civil society, education, are identified in the first instance by NGOs and presented through the Embassy.
Projects funded by the programme must  challenge the ideology and supporting mainstream voices; disrupt the ideologues and strengthen vulnerable institutions; support individuals who are being targeted; increase the capacity of communities to violent extremists;  address grievances which ideologues are exploiting; improve evidence base and ensure better strategic communications.

Drugs and Crime Programme
The Drugs & Crime Programme aims to reduce harm to the UK from drugs and crime by increasing international engagement, within that there are a number of sub-objectives including developing /fostering good relationships to secure government buy in; institutional and law enforcement capacity building.

Human Rights Programme
The Programme’s objective is “to promote human rights in particular by contributing to progress on strengthening international human rights institutions and instruments, criminal justice, freedom of expression, child rights and abolition of the death penalty.”
Project work is focused in 5 main areas: strengthening international human rights institutions and instruments, criminal justice, freedom of expression, child rights and the abolition of the death penalty. Turkey is a priority country for project developed under the area of Freedom of expression.

Reuniting Europe Programme
The objective of this programme is to support countries in the EU integration process and their efforts to meet the Copenhagen Criteria, particularly in the fields of improved governance and economic growth.
Reuniting Europe Programme contributes to realising the UK's vision of an effective and globally competitive EU in a secure neighbourhood. It does this by supporting EU enlargement and by helping European partner countries implement the reforms necessary for EU accession criteria set by the Copenhagen European Council in 1997. These are stable institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and the respect for and protection of minorities together with a competitive, functioning market economy.
There are four objectives of the programme:
• To Increase Political Transparency and Good Governance
• To Strengthen Reforms in the Justice Sector and promote Human Rights
• To Build Capacity in Public Administration
• To Strengthen Economic Reforms in line with the Lisbon Agenda


Returns and Reintegration Programme
This fund is designed to help build capacity and fund projects with non-migration objectives; if by doing so host governments increase co-operation on returns. Funding will be strictly conditional on higher performance. An element of the Fund will be available for projects addressing illegal migration at source such as information campaigns, subject to effectiveness. Projects that return illegal migrants from transit countries would be considered if those migrants would otherwise travel illegally to the UK.

British Embassy Ankara – British Consulate General İstanbul Bilateral Programme Budget
The Bilateral Programme Budget is designed to support small scale projects, to be funded by the Embassy's own project funds. The projects supported under this fund needs to be related to the international strategic priorities of the FCO; therefore each project is considered according to its strategic relevance and to the total amount allocated under each priority every year.  The project funds are available all throughout the Embassy's financial year. Project proposals will be evaluated by the Embassy Program Coordination Board, composed of officers working on the achievement of these strategic priorities. The areas can be listed as counter terrorism, drugs and crime, conflict resolution, EU capacity building, global economy, business, climate and energy security, promoting sustainable development and managing migration. BPB funds can be used to support projects implemented by NGOs, Universities or other institutions in order to fund trainings, seminars, visits and some other small-scale activities. Research activities are not prioritized. Sustainability needs to be assured when applying for this fund, since the project impact needs to be continuos after the project activities took place. This fund is designed to support project activities that would contribute to a larger scale purpose.


Application Process
Funding opportunities under the Strategic Programme Fund (SPF) are bound to bidding rounds, which generally take once a year in autumn. Note that different programmes under this fund may have different bidding deadlines. Funding for the Bilateral Programme Budget (BPB) is available all throughout the financial year, running from 1 April to 31 March, thus project applications can be received in any time of the year. It should be taken into account that new allocations are made at the beginning of April, therefore there might be less funding available towards the end of the year. It is important that the project applications be sustainable, have a 'multiplier' effect and demonstrate a clearly achievable output. Projects that have co-funding, including from the private sector, the United Nations, the European Union and academic institutions are supported. Those projects that build on or complement other activities supported by the British Embassy or the British Council are also encouraged.