SSC Framework Programme with Ministry of Environment 2023-2026

Enriched Nordic · Found: 2026-03-11 10:59

DKK 110 million framework covering water, waste, and pollution projects across India, Indonesia, South Africa, Kenya, China, Morocco, and Ethiopia. Multiple project phases with dedicated budgets per country.

Source: https://um.dk/media/cxxl5mwk/ssc-framework-programme-with-ministry-of-environment-incl-annexes.pdf

Funding Details

Funder

Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Danish Environmental Protection Agency (DEPA)

Funding Goal

Improve framework conditions for sustainable management of water, waste, and pollution in developing countries through government-to-government Strategic Sector Cooperation, promoting green transition, climate action, and Danish private sector engagement in partner countries.

Funding Amount

DKK 110–111 million total framework budget (2023–2026), with individual project phases up to DKK 10 million over 3 years; inception phases up to DKK 1 million. (110.000.000 € – 111.230.000 €)

Deadline

December 2026 (end of framework period) (Fixed)

How to Apply

Not an open call for proposals. The framework is managed internally by DEPA and MFA. New projects are submitted to the Strategic Management Group (SMG), which meets annually. Project phases are approved at project level and by the SMG. No public application mechanism exists for external organisations.

Target Region

India, Indonesia, ASEAN region, China, South Africa, Kenya, Morocco, Ethiopia

Contact

Danish Environmental Protection Agency (DEPA) — international SSC team. Programme managed through MFA/MOE bilateral governance structures. No direct public contact details provided in the document.

Last Checked

2026-03-11 16:43

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Applicant must be a Danish public authority (DEPA, MOE, or formally enrolled Danish partner agency/municipality/utility)
• Partner country must be one of the designated FP countries: India, Indonesia, China, South Africa, Kenya, Morocco, Ethiopia (or ASEAN region)
• New projects require enrolment of a new Sector Counsellor and explicit support from the Danish Embassy in the partner country

Project Scope

• Project must align with MOE/DEPA core competencies: circular economy, waste management, pollution control, water resources, or wastewater management
• All projects must be demand-driven and originate from partner country government authority with demonstrated political commitment to reform

Required Documents

• Annual Progress Reports and financial expenditure reports required; mid-term review participation mandatory

Constraints

• Project phases capped at DKK 10 million over 3 years; inception phases capped at DKK 1 million over 1 year
• Projects must exit no later than Phase 3 (max 10 years total); Phase 3 project documents must include a transition strategy to commercial or other cooperation

Summary

The SSC Framework Programme (2023–2026) is a DKK 110 million bilateral government cooperation framework between Denmark's Ministry of Environment/DEPA and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, structured to deploy Danish environmental expertise into partner countries in Africa and Asia. The programme funds up to 17 individual projects covering circular economy and waste management (Indonesia, Kenya), water resources and wastewater management (China, India, South Africa, Morocco, Ethiopia), and pollution control. It operates through government-to-government twinning arrangements, with Danish agencies working directly alongside partner-country ministries and regulatory authorities. The programme is built on three strategic outcomes: strengthening partner authorities' legislative and institutional capacity for green transition; deepening Denmark's bilateral climate diplomacy; and expanding Danish private sector engagement in green solutions and investments. Projects run in multi-year phases (typically 3 years, up to DKK 10 million per phase), coordinated through Strategic Management Group (SMG) and Programme Management Group (PMG) meetings held annually and bi-annually respectively. While Danish municipalities, utilities, research institutions, and private companies are involved as implementation partners within individual projects, the programme is not an open grant call. Access is fundamentally restricted to Danish public authorities (DEPA and partner agencies) and their formally enrolled project consortia. Non-profit NGOs cannot apply independently; any involvement would be as subcontractors or knowledge partners invited by DEPA. Geographically, the programme targets India, Indonesia (and the ASEAN region), China, South Africa, Kenya, Morocco, and Ethiopia — entirely outside the North Sea and Baltic Sea focus areas relevant to Nordic marine conservation. Thematic coverage includes circular economy, extended producer responsibility, plastic waste in Indonesia, and waste management in Kenya, which partially overlaps with the plastic-circular economy domain, but through a regulatory capacity-building lens rather than direct project implementation funding.

Historical Context

DEPA has been implementing SSC projects since 2014. This is MOE/DEPA's first Framework Programme under the 2021 SSC guidelines, replacing single-project agreements with 4-year strategic frameworks. The programme builds on long-standing cooperation with Indonesia (since 2018), China (since 2015), South Africa (since 2016), Kenya, and India (since 2021). A mid-term review is planned for 2025.

Why it was added

DANIDA/Danish development funding for waste/CE

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