Norwegian Church Aid is inviting applications for the Funding for Call for Concept Notes: Second Cohort of NCA-DCA Innovation Fund in Malawi. Interested candidates are encouraged to submit their applications before the closing date on April 30, 2026. Verify your qualifications against the requirements below before applying. Please ensure to mention you found this opportunity on NyasaJobs.com website when submitting your CV and application to the employer or when making online applications for organizations.

Norwegian Church Aid works with people and organizations around the world in their struggle to eradicate poverty and injustice. We provide emergency assistance in disasters and work for long-term development in local communities. To address the root causes of poverty, we advocate for just decisions by public authorities, businesses, and religious leaders.

Overview of NCA-DCA ACT Alliance: Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) is an international NGO working in more than 30 countries and is part of the ACT Alliance, a global network of 140 church-related organizations focused on humanitarian relief, development, and advocacy. NCA has operated in Malawi since 2002 and, in 2021, formed a Joint Country Programme (JCP) with DanChurchAid (DCA). The Malawi JCP aims to build a just, resilient, and inclusive society that supports sustainable economic growth. Its long-term goals are to save lives, build resilience, and seek justice. For 2025-2029, the programme’s strategic priorities are Economic Development and Food Security, Climate and Environmental Stewardship, Fighting Inequalities, and addressing Gender-Based Violence. More information is available at www.nca.no and www.danchurchaid.org

1. The innovation fund
Since 2025, NCA-DCA is partnering with new and innovative ideas in its Innovation Fund as a way of supporting Malawian local organizations. This year, NCA-DCA is looking for bold innovation projects and ideas that aim to address pressing challenges and improve interventions in saving lives, seeking justice, and building resilience for vulnerable Malawians. Submissions should stipulate the process of improving or applying existing inventions in new ways to create value in one or more of our key intervention areas of: Gender Based Violence; Fighting Inequality; Economic Development and Food Security; Climate and Environmental Stewardship and Humanitarian Response.
This call focuses on results-driven innovation projects or business solutions/ideas. Projects with a short timeframe on pilot level delivering tangible and market-ready solutions may be chosen. Strong emphasis will lie on projects that demonstrate value for money, are replicable and scalable, and have improved solutions to enhance long-term sustainability of our programs.

2. How to apply
The first stage applicants will submit a 2-pager concept note showcasing their innovation based on the
NCA-DCA 2025 to 2029 Country Strategy to be reviewed by a panel of experts.

Second stage, Shortlisted applicants will go through a comprehensive due diligence and be invited to a public pitching event to present their innovations to a panel of judges. Funding decisions will be made on a transparent, competitive, deadline-driven basis by the panel. Only applications that meet the selection criteria will be funded.

3. Selection Criteria
For the first phase, the following table highlights the categories and corresponding scores for the proposal.

INNOVATION PROPOSAL SCORING
Category	Score
1. Alignment with NCA-DCA Long Term objectives – Does the project align with NCA-DCA objectives, and does it address a significant development challenge?	10
2. Social Impact and Scalability – What positive change can the project create for people or communities, and can it be scaled up or replicated to benefit more people?	10
3. Innovation and Uniqueness – Does it introduce or improve ways of addressing a problem, does it offer an added value compared to current practices, does it offer a unique solution to a development challenge, and does it have potential to scale, replicate, or create long-term change?	30
4. Sustainability and community needs based – Is the project sustainable in the long term, and does it promote local ownership and capacity building?	20
5. Cost of the innovation – Is the cost of the innovation within the range highlighted in the call for concept notes, and does the cost demonstrate value for money?	30
Total Score	100

4. Geographical Coverage
Preference will be in the 14 districts’ as stipulated in the country’s strategy.

5. Eligibility
Entities eligible to apply must meet the following criteria:

• Be legally registered and operational in Malawi.
  • Fall under one or more of the following categories: Civil Society Organizations (COs) including Faith-Based Actors and Institutions; Research Institutions; Private Sector Partners; Youth-Led Organizations; Women-Led Organizations; Community Based Organizations (CBOs).
• Should demonstrate commitment to a minimum of one of the three long-term goals: Save Lives; Build Resilience and Seek Justice
• Should have a functional operating system in place

6. Application package
Applicants must submit a package of the following documentation:

1. Concept Note (max 2 pages, will not be considered if longer than 2 pages) and a Budget
2. Certificate of Registration.
3. Names and CVs of key personnel for the project.

7. Funding and accountability mechanism
The 6-month innovation project will be within the range of K10 Million to K80 million Kwacha.

8. Submission deadline
The deadline for submission is 30th April 2026. Applications should be emailed to the Country Director, Norwegian Church Aid-DanChurchAid on malawi@nca.no

9. Alignment with NCA-DCA’s Long term goals
Here is the link to the Country Strategy for reference https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GfHDPM79apuu7Ypjey6sje5BT914vd2q/view?usp=sharing

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