Danida Strategic Sector Cooperation (SSC) - Overview

Enriched Nordic · Found: 2026-03-11 10:58

Danish government-to-government program facilitating knowledge sharing and technical expertise for green economy transition, including waste management and circular economy in developing countries across Asia and Africa.

Source: https://um.dk/um-en/danida/partners/strategic-sector-cooperation-new

Funding Details

Funder

Danida / Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark

Funding Goal

Strengthen the capacity of public authorities in partner countries to develop, implement and enforce framework conditions for inclusive, sustainable social and economic development and green transition through government-to-government peer-to-peer cooperation.

Funding Amount

Not disclosed; program provides technical assistance and expertise transfer rather than direct grants. Funding is allocated through diplomatic and government channels.

How to Apply

Initiated through government diplomatic channels between the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Danida) and partner country governments. No open application process for civil society or private organisations. Contact the Secretariat for Government-to-Government Cooperation (MYNSEK) for further information.

Target Region

Developing countries and growth economies globally, including Africa, Southeast Asia, and EU neighbouring countries

Contact

Secretariat for Government-to-Government Cooperation (MYNSEK), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. Email: MYNSEK@um.dk. Address: Asiatisk Plads 2, DK-1448 Copenhagen, Denmark.

Last Checked

2026-03-11 16:22

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Applicant must be a national public authority (government body) — NGOs and private organisations are not eligible as direct partners
• Partner country must be a developing country, growth economy, or EU neighbouring country under the aid-oriented modality

Project Scope

• Cooperation must be grounded in a clearly identified demand from the partner country authority based on nationally recognised challenges
• Sector must align with areas where Danish public authorities hold recognised expertise (e.g. energy, environment, water, maritime, food, statistics)

Required Documents

• Engagement is initiated through government diplomatic channels, not through open grant calls or online applications

Constraints

• Cooperation must follow a peer-to-peer model between public sector experts in equivalent institutions in both countries
• A Danish public authority must be engaged as the Danish partner institution

Summary

The Danida Strategic Sector Cooperation (SSC) is a government-to-government (G2G) instrument operated by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the Danida umbrella. It facilitates equal partnerships between Danish public sector authorities and national partner authorities in developing countries and growth economies, with the aim of transferring Danish sector expertise to improve framework conditions, policy development, regulation, and service delivery in partner countries. The SSC operates in sectors where Danish public institutions have internationally recognised expertise, including energy, water, environment, urban development, maritime affairs, health, food, statistics, and agriculture. Cross-cutting themes include the green transition, good governance, and sustainable economic growth. The instrument has two modalities: an aid-oriented modality targeting developing countries, and a commercial/export-oriented modality for high-income and emerging markets. Cooperation is based on demand from the partner country authority and delivered through peer-to-peer collaboration — Danish public experts working alongside their counterparts in similar institutions abroad. Primary outcomes focus on strengthened institutional capacity; secondary outcomes include strengthened bilateral diplomatic ties and paving the way for Danish commercial engagement in partner countries over the longer term. The program is an ongoing, institutionalised instrument rather than a competitive grant round. Applications or cooperation agreements are initiated through government channels, not open calls for NGOs or civil society organisations. As such, it is structurally inaccessible to non-governmental organisations as direct recipients.

Historical Context

The SSC is described as a central, ongoing instrument in Danish foreign and security policy and development cooperation. It operates across two modalities (aid-oriented and commercial-oriented). Case study results cited include a statistics cooperation with Ghana and a digitalization cooperation with Brazil, indicating the program has been running for multiple years. No specific founding year or round history is mentioned on the page.

Why it was added

DANIDA/Danish development funding for waste/CE

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