Guidelines

For
GGP Application

Embassy of Japan in India,

The Consulate-General of Japan, Kolkata
The Consulate-General of Japan, Chennai
The Consulate-General of Japan, Mumbai

These guidelines were updated on 6/16/2010

1. Introduction
The Government of Japan offers a financial assistance scheme called “Grant
Assistance for Grassroots Projects (GGP)” for development projects designed to meet
the diverse basic human needs of the people in developing countries since FY1989.

This GGP scheme supports projects implemented by non-profit organizations such as

NGOs, educational and medical institutes, who are eligible to receive foreign funds
under the concerned law of the Government of India.

The GGP has acquired an excellent reputation worldwide for providing timely support to
the development projects, which directly benefit the local communities at the grassroots
level.

2. Eligible Applicant for the GGP Scheme

GGP applicant must meet all of the following criteria:
1) One of the following organizations:
a. International, National, or Local NGO
b. Hospital or Medical Institute
c. Educational Institute
d. Community-Based Organization (CBO)
2) Registered organization under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 1976
3) Registered organization under the relevant registration acts including national and
state acts, such as below:
a. The Society Registration Act, 1860
b. Charitable and Religious Trusts Act, 1920
c. Religious Endowments Act, 1863
d. Indian Trust Act, 1882
e. Section 25 of the Indian Companies Act, 1956
4) Minimum 2 years of direct/related experience in the proposed field of activity
5) Not blacklisted or court-listed (having a pending case with a court) by the
state/central government

3. Priority Areas of the GGP

The Followings are the major priority areas of the GGP

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 a. Basic Health Care
b. Primary Education and Adult Literacy
c. Poverty Alleviation
d. Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation
e. Women’s Empowerment
f. Child Welfare including Support for Street Children and Elimination of
Child Labor
g. Support for Persons with Disabilities
h. Preservation of Environment

If the project is not related to the priority areas of GGP mentioned above, it is advisable
to contact the corresponding GGP office (Please refer to No. 7, Page 10) before
submission of the application.

Note:
-Capacity-building of NGO staff/other NGOs cannot be covered under GGP.
-A project targeting on art/cross-cultural activities as well as higher education cannot be
covered under GGP. (Those who are interested in these categories, you may contact Cultural
Section in the Embassy/Consulate-General of Japan and get the details about another scheme
called “Grant Assistance for Cultural Grassroots Projects” which might consider mentioned
categories supportable)
-In case the project generates profit, it should be utilized either to meet up the recurring
cost of the GGP funded project or towards uplifting socioeconomic backward class.
-Please be aware that procedure of GGP requires certain time, in case the project is
designed for emergency relief work. Sanction of such nature of projects will depend on
the merit of the plan.

4. Funding
The GGP funding is basically disbursed in two instalments within one fiscal year. The
maximum amount per project is 10 million Japanese Yen (fixed). The grant is
disbursed in US Dollars that is maximum US$ 70,376 for FY 2009. (For your reference,
suppose the US$1 is equivalent to INR 45 then the maximum grant amount per project
would be approximately 47 Lakhs).
Note:
-The maximum amount of grant will be decided every year according to the exchange
rate (Japanese Yen to US Dollars) fixed by the government. Therefore, please

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 confirm GGP office or recheck the website when new fiscal year comes before
completion/submission of a project proposal.
-The amount of grant will be finalized on the basis of the prevalent exchange rate when
the applicant’s proposal is sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Tokyo for
seeking approval.
-The recipient will have to bear the Bank Charges/Comission, which the bank(s) will
deduct in respect of all the bank transactions.

1) Grants are provided mainly for creating infrastructure and installation of equipments
required for the execution of the project. Grants can also be provided for
conducting training programs and seminars for utilization of the requested items,
which is subject to sanction based on the project plan.
Note: A project proposal ONLY FOR awareness/ seminars/training programs cannot be
considered.

2) The GGP support 100% cost of the requested items for the project, but the GGP
does not support it partially like 50%, 30% or others, so as to find out where the
responsibility lies.

In case of extension of building, extension part should be constructed fully by GGP

support and it needs to be differentiated from the existing part.

3) Granted items should not be rented out. As the recipient is fully responsible and
accountable for proper utilization of the grant.

4) The grant can be provided for procuring items which would directly benefit the target
beneficiaries and not for private use of either the applicant or any individual
beneficiary (eg, office building, home-based latrines, etc).

5) In addition, the following expenses can be supported by the GGP upon submission
of 3 quotations and selection of the least bidder
a) Plates/plaques which indicate that the requested items are supported by the
Government of Japan (Refer to 6.Important Note (m))
b) Expenses for project-based audited report to be submitted after the project
completion

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6) However, following items cannot be granted:
a) Any taxes (e.g. VAT, octroi, service tax, etc) to be paid while procuring
products/services
b) Procurement of office equipments for general/administrative use
c) Consumables (eg, medicines)
d) Vehicle for general/administrative use
e) Cost of purchasing/procuring land where the building is to be constructed (The
applicant has to acquire the land before applying for the grant.)
f) Administrative and management cost
g) Recurring cost such as staff salaries, honorarium, rent for the room,
telephone/electricity costs, fuel charges, regular transportation cost,
maintenance cost of facilities and equipments etc.
h) Insurance, registration charges, bank charges
i) Computers for general or administrative use
j) Cost of preparing the blue print of the building
k) Repair of existing infrastructure

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5. Procedure of GGP
The brief process of GGP procedure is shown below as a general example.

Step 1: Submission of Application Form

Step 2-1: Assessment of the proposal

Step 2-2: Site visit by the corresponding GGP office

Step 3: Short-listing of proposals by the GGP Screening Committee and

Obtaining Clearance from the Ministry of Finance of India

Step 4: Final Selection of the proposal by the Ministry of Foreign

Affairs of Japan, Tokyo

Step 5: Signing of Grant Contract between the recipient organization

and the Embassy/Consulate-General of Japan

Step 6: Disbursement of Grant(for 1st installment)

Step 7: Implementation of Project

Step 8: Submission of Interim Report by the recipient organization and

Project Monitoring by the corresponding GGP office

Step 9: Disbursement of Grant (for 2nd installment)

Step 10: Submission of Project Completion Report by the recipient

organization

Step 11: Final inspection of work as per the proposed plan and Inauguration of
the project

Step 12: Submission of Follow-up Reports by the recipient organization and

Project Follow-up and Evaluation by the corresponding GGP office

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Step1: Submission of Application Form
An applicant should take into account the following points while preparing project
proposals.

a) The GGP Screening Committee places high priority on the necessity, impact,
effectiveness and sustainability of the project.
b) The GGP does not cover recurring costs such as salaries, administrative and
operating costs, and travel expenses. An applicant must finance these
expenditures by itself or through other funds.
c) GGP project (e.g. Construction of buildings and installation of equipments)
should be completed within one year of the sanction of the project. Therefore,
the applicant is required to form a monthly action plan.

The initial assessment will be done based on the applicant’s project proposal. An
applicant who has earlier received GGP grant can apply again only after the previous
project evaluation is completed by the GGP office.

An applicant is required to submit all the following documents along with the application
form. The list is not exhaustive but gives the minimum documents to be submitted.
Please note that the documents attached with the project proposal, once submitted, can
not be returned to the applicant, even if so requested.

A) For all projects

a Copy of the FCRA certificate
b Copy of FORM FC-3 submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs of India for the last
3 years
c Copies of the registration certificate under the relevant registration Act
d Brochures, pamphlets, and annual reports
e Audited financial statements for the last 3 years
f Organizational chart with a list of staff and executive members
g Maps and photographs indicating the location of the project site in the concerned
state, as well as a route map from the nearest major city to the site
h Quotations of 3 different suppliers of proposed products and/or services duly
signed by the suppliers (Each quotation must separately show the tax
component.)
i Sanction letters from the donors, if projected in the proposal, which promise to

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 support the specific expenses in the project

B) For building construction

a The documents which ensure that the land for the project is possessed by the
applicant organization
b The documents which ensure the permission for construction from concerned
local authority
c Blue Print of the building plan/design prepared and attested by registered
architect (The Blue Print should show the exact total area/square of the building.)

C) For formal schools

a The documents which ensure the permission to run schools from concerned local
authority

D) For hand pumps or water harvesting structure

a The documents which ensure the possession of the land for the project
b The documents which ensure the permission for the installation
c Blue Print of the construction and/or installation plan/design
Note:
-Some additional documents/certificates could be required by some GGP office
besides above mentioned matters. Please contact the corresponding GGP office for
the same.

E) For medical equipment

a The documents and/or catalogue which show the feature, details and
specification of the equipment

Step 2: Assessment of the proposal and site visit by the corresponding

GGP office
The GGP Screening Committee will assess an applicant’s project proposal based on the
criteria set forth by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. The following points will be
given careful considerations at the assessment phase:
a) Needs Identification – Is the project proposal designed based on needs of the
beneficiaries?
b) Relevance – Is the project relevant to socio-economic conditions and needs of
the project area? Are the target groups and scale of the project relevant to the

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 criteria set forth for the GGP?
c) Expected Impact – What are the expected impacts of the project
(positive/negative, direct/indirect, and short-term/long-term)?
d) Organizational Capability – Is the applicant capable of managing the project
properly in terms of operational as well as financial aspects?
e) Feasibility and Sustainability – Is the proposed project feasible in terms of its
cost and time frame? Are the outcomes of the project sustainable after its
completion?

Based on the assessment of the application and other necessary documents submitted
by the applicant, the GGP officer will visit the project site and see ongoing activities for
further understanding of the proposed project.

Step 3: Short-listing of proposals by the GGP Screening Committee and

Obtaining Clearance from the Ministry of Finance of India

Step 4: Final Selection of the proposal by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of

Japan, Tokyo

Step 5: Signing of Grant Contract between the recipient organization and

the Embassy/Consulate-General of Japan

Step 6: Disbursement of Grant for the 1st instalment

Grant will be disbursed in two installments on the basis of the Grant Contract. It will be
given in terms of US$ by SWIFT or cheque. The grant will be / have to be deposited
into FCRA account of the recipient organization.

The amount of grant mentioned in the Grant Contract is the maximum amount that can
be disbursed by the Government of Japan, and the same should be utilized for the
project items and in the manner exactly as mentioned in the sanctioned project proposal.
Additional expenses, such as exchange loss and escalation in project cost will have to
be borne by the recipient organization.

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Step 7: Implementation of Project
The recipient organization must start implementing the project as planned immediately
after signing date of Grant Contract. The grant must be utilized exclusively for the
project.

Step 8: Submission of Interim Report by the recipient organization and

Project Monitoring by the corresponding GGP office
Submission of Interim Report is mandatory for the recipient organization as per the
terms of the Grant Contract. After receiving the Interim Report, the GGP officer will
visit the site to monitor the project. In case of “instalment”, second disbursement will
be done only after the submission of the Interim Report and/or site visit by GGP officers
for monitoring and evaluation.

Step 9: Disbursement of grant for 2nd instalment

Step 10: Submission of Project Completion Report by the recipient

organization
Submission of Project Completion Report is mandatory for the recipient organization as
per the terms of the Grant Contract. The Project Completion Report must include the
project-based audited report on the project activities and financial statement.

Step 11: Final inspection of work as per the proposed plan and Inauguration of
the project

Step 12: Submission of Follow-up Reports by the recipient organization

and Project Follow-up and Evaluation by the corresponding GGP
office
The recipient organization has a responsibility to submit Follow-up Reports for 4 years
after the completion of the project. The GGP officer will visit the site for follow-up and
evaluation of the project in terms of its effectiveness, efficiency, impact, relevance and
sustainability.

6. Important Note
a) Assistance to a project under GGP scheme is one time grant for one year.
b) Applicant has to check with GGP office about the deadline for the submission of
proposal.

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c) The grant is public fund raised by the taxpayers of Japan. The recipient organization
is responsible and accountable to answer any questions raised by the
corresponding GGP office on behalf of those taxpayers.
d) The project application should be prepared by referring to the “Guidelines For GGP
Application” and “Instructions For Filling up GGP Application Form”.
e) Necessary arrangement like acquisition of a land, permissions from local authorities,
should be done before the submission of the proposal. The applicant organization
is requested to attach the copy of these certifications to the proposal.
f) The project proposal that mentions only abstract objectives, activities and outcomes
is not acceptable. Clear action plan is essential to provide a complete picture of
the project.
g) For avoiding difficulties in management and follow-up of the project, project activities
should be confined to a limited area.
h) The needs of the beneficiaries should be the basis of designing the plan of the
proposed project
i) The beneficiaries under the project should be quantifiable.
j) In order to explain the needs of the beneficiaries, statistical data to show the
situation of the proposed field of activity at different levels (local, state, national), the
socio-economic background, and problems faced by the target group should be
given and supported by the secondary data.
k) The applicant organization should have all the necessary expertise or appropriate
capacity to mobilize the expertise in respect of the proposed project. In this regard,
the applicant should provide details of the previous/present work related to the
proposed project and evaluation of the project by some external agencies, if
available.
l) The importance will be given to feasibility and sustainability of the project while
assessing the project.
m) The recipient is responsible to maintain the supported items until its lifetime or as
long as possible.
n) The recipient is obligated to refund full amount of grant in case the grant was
utilized for any purpose other than the approved one, or the recipient
suspends/terminates the execution of the project without consulting with the GGP
office..
o) Plates/Plaques/stickers which indicate that the items (e.g. buildings, equipments)
are “Supported by the People and Government of Japan” are requested to be
attached. (The corresponding GGP office can provide the logo-mark stickers. In

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 case of items used outside or buildings, engraved plates/plaques are advisable.)
Logo-marks are as below,

(ODA symbol mark) (Logo mark of Japan’s national flag)

7. The corresponding GGP office

For further enquiries or clarifications, please contact the corresponding GGP office, and
make prior appointment for a meeting with the office.

The corresponding GGP office is different depending on the state of project area that
the applicant organization is targeting. The corresponding GGP offices are as follows.
The Corresponding Office States/UTs of the Project Area
GGP Unit, Economic Section, Andaman & Nicobar Islands (UT),
The Embassy of Japan in India Arunachal Pradesh, Assam,
Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana,
50-G, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, 110021 Himachal Pradesh,
Tel: 011-2687-6564 Lakshadweep (UT), Manipur,
Fax:011-2611-0752 Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland,
Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura,
Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh,

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GGP Unit, Karnataka,
The Consulate of Japan,
Bangalore,

1st Floor,PrestigeNebula, No, 8-14, Cubbon Road,

Bangalore 560001
Tel: 080- 4064-9999
080-4166-0111~3
Fax: 080-4166-0114

GGP Unit, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa,

The Consulate-General of Japan, Kolkata West Bengal,

55, M.N. Sen Lane, Tollygunge, Kolkata, 700040

Tel: 033-2421-1970
Fax: 033-2421-1971
GGP Unit, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka,
The Consulate-General of Japan, Chennai Kerala, Pondicherry (UT),
Tamil Nadu
st
No.12/1, Cenetoph Road, 1 Street,
Teynampet Chennai, 600018
Tel: 044-2432-3860/3
Fax: 044-2463-3859
GGP Unit, Chhattisgarh,
The Consulate-General of Japan, Mumbai Dadra & Nagar Haveli (UT),
Daman & Diu (UT),
1.M.L.Dahanukar Marg, Cumballa Hill, Goa, Gujarat, Madha Pradesh,
Mumbai, 400026 Maharashtra,
Tel: 022-2351-7101
Fax: 022-2351-7121

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