International Development Fund: grant awards and management stages
Being accountable, transparent and safe - details of the stages involved in applying for a grant from the International Development Fund.
Overview
Following our review of our approach to international development in 2021, we have changed our African competitive funding rounds from country-based calls for proposals across a range of sectors, to sectoral calls across Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia.
We have also continued to strive to improve the way in which we award grants and contracts. This means adopting both best grant and international development practice, and learning from our previous experiences. It also means that the way in which we manage grants and contracts, once awarded, will be in line with best financial practice, including the Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM) issued by the Scottish ministers to provide guidance on the proper handling and reporting of public funds.
In 2025 we made further changes to our traditional grant management processes, including moving to quarterly reporting and payments (previously six-monthly) and conducting additional due diligence to determine whether grants should be paid in arrears or in advance.