OmiDelta Non State Actors Fund

As part of the OmiDelta programme [1] of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN) in Benin, the Non State Actors Fund (NSA Fund) supported 10 NGOs, CSOs and private sector companies to implement 13 projects in Drinking Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), and Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM).

Started on 1 December 2016 - with a total budget of €14,750,000 - the SNV-managed OmiDelta NSA Fund was a programme that concluded in June 2022. In addition to its role as fund manager, SNV has facilitated the development and sharing of knowledge/experience between implementing organisations and has provided technical, administrative, and financial support to ensure smooth project implementation. This support included:

1. the development of effective and sound proposals guaranteeing good price-performance ratio;

2. effective and efficient project implementation;

3. project monitoring and evaluation; and/or

4. administration and finance, as well as narrative and financial reporting.

The NSA Fund supported 13 projects in Benin:

• Seven (7) WASH projects to help sustain improvements in access to quality water, sanitation and hygiene services. These projects were implemented across 24 municipalities in 7 of the 12 departments [2] in Benin.

• Two (2) COVID-19 and WASH projects in response to the pandemic.

• Three (3) IWRM projects to support the operationalisation of the national IWRM action plan, with a focus in watershed management improvement and delta security. These projects were implemented in 14 municipalities located in the sub-basin of the Lower and Middle Valley of the Ouémé river (BMVO).

• One (1) governance-focused capacity strengthening project to enhance  consultation processes (including citizen watch structures) in respect to the right to water and sanitation, and initiatives to strengthen climate resilience, equity and sustainability in water management at the Ouémé delta level.

All projects were designed to contribute to at least one of the five foundational themes of the EKN’s OmiDelta programme: gender/inclusion, youth, innovation, governance, and/or climate change.

More information:
[1] The OmiDelta programme of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Benin comprised three programmatic components: funding for local governments; technical assistance (mostly for local government partners); and the NSA Fund.
[2] Departments, in this context, are administrative divisions of a group of municipalities or communities.