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org

Concept Note
INSTRUCTIONS: The whole concept note should be 2-3 pages long.

Organisation Details
INSTRUCTIONS: Complete the following table with details of the organisation
submitting the concept note.

Project Title <Insert>

Organisation Name <Insert>

Address <Insert>

Website <Insert>

Telephone <Insert>

Fax <Insert>

Contact Person Name: <Insert>

Telephone: <Insert>
Mobile phone: <Insert>
Email: <Insert>

Registration Details Type of organisation: <Insert>

Country: <Insert>
Year: <Insert>
Registration Number: <Insert>

Project Summary
INSTRUCTIONS: Insert a 1-2 paragraph summary of the project highlighting
the target area, beneficiaries, strategy and expected results. Write this section
after you have completed all other sections of the concept note.

<Insert summary here>

Problem
<Briefly describe the problem being addressed>

Target Area & Beneficiaries

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<Briefly describe the geographic target area and the people who will benefit from the
program>

Goal
<Insert the goal of the project>

Outcomes

 <Insert outcome 1>

 <Insert outcome 2>
 <Insert outcome 3>.

Duration
<Describe when the project will start and finish>

Approach
<Briefly describe the overall approach that you will use to solve the problem. If the approach
is something that has been used before (e.g. Community Let Total Sanitation, Participatory
Rural Appraisal, etc) then describe how it has been used previously and why you think it will
be appropriate in your setting>

Monitoring & Evaluation

<Briefly describe how you will measure results. List the key indicators if appropriate>

Budget
<Give the total budget for the project>

Sustainability
<Briefly describe how the project activities will be sustained in the long term>

 Writing a Concept Note

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Author/Compiled by

Leonellha Barreto Dillon (seecon international gmbh)

Executive Summary

A concept note is a summary of a proposal containing a brief description of the idea of the
project and the objectives to be pursued. In some financing programs, funding agencies
require a concept note before the submission of a full proposal, in order to decide whether the
proposed project is in line with the priorities of the program and to eliminate proposals that
are not likely to be funded. Concept notes are also submitted to donors without a formal call
for proposals, who prefer to understand a project through a brief summary rather than a full-
fledged proposal document. This factsheet contains a set of guidelines on how to write a
concept note, offering also a template to help you drafting an eye catching document to
ensure the success of your project.

Advantages
Concept notes have many advantages for seeking funds, as it practically gives a framework
for ideas when they are organised on paper (FUNDS FOR NGOs 2010)

It is also the first expression of the project and gives the flexibility for the organisation to
work and re-work on idea before presenting it to the donor (FUNDS FOR NGOs 2010)

Concept papers help donor assess whether or not the proposed project is aligned with its
funding priorities and enables them to offer suggestions to the applicant before the
submission of a full proposal

As a concept note is much shorter than a full project proposal, less time and resources are
needed to prepare a full project proposal

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Disadvantages
The preparation of concept notes costs time and money, and only in specific cases the project
idea will fit a call of proposals

Financing programs requesting concept notes for the first step of the selection process
usually demand documents with a number of pages and words, which are not enough to
communicate the project idea, making the preparation of a concept note a challenge for the
participants

Concept notes are generally binding documents submitted to donor agencies. After a
participant has been invited to submit a full proposal, usually the aim of the project should
be kept for the second step. However, the most you will research and prepare the document,
you will find that the idea could be changed and even improved, but it might not be accepted
by the selection committee

Introduction
Factsheet Block Body

A concept note is a brief outline of your proposed project. “The purpose of a concept paper,
from the funding agency’s point of view, is to help applicants develop more competitive
proposals and to save time by eliminating proposals that are not likely to be funded. The
applicant’s purpose in developing a concept paper is to capture the interest of the funding
agency and demonstrate that the idea they are proposing is worthy of further consideration.
Therefore, the first sentences of a concept paper are very important. You want the funding
agency representatives or board members to continue reading!” (AUB 2010). 
“Any proposal needs the involvement of different team members, such as from the technical,
financial and administrative side. Input from stakeholders or other specialists with different
backgrounds helps bring in the necessary expertise, but also a larger variety of ideas on how
to solve a particular issue and achieve the previously agreed objectives. To manage the
proposal development in an efficient way it is advisable to assign the lead role to one specific
person. This person is then responsible for the coordination of the overall proposal
development, for communication with potential funders and for making sure that all
different pieces of input are brought together in a consistent and coherent text” (PHILIP et al.
2008). 
In order to prepare a successful concept, note, you will have to spend time carefully thinking
and planning the action. How well you plan the action will largely influence how good the
actual results are. The planning is perhaps the most critical stage of a project and this should
reduce the risk of you preparing a concept note that is rejected by the donor
agencies (REPOA 2007). To ensure that the project will contribute to the implementation of
the overall action plan for a sustainable sanitation and water management in your locality,
the activities of the concept note to be drafted should aim at meeting at least one of the
objectives of the overall strategy and/or community action plan. 
The length and the format for writing a concept note actually depend upon the donor agency.
Usually donors do not have a format for a concept note as they have for a full proposal. But
there are some agencies that issue solicitation for concept notes based upon a basic format
given in their guidelines for funding request (FUNDS FOR NGOs 2010). In general, it is

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important to keep in mind that it should be the shortest possible text for the project idea. So,
the shorter the better! Most donor agencies request a minimum of three pages to a maximum
of five pages.

Template for Concept Note

Factsheet Block Body

(Adapted from PHILIP et al. 2008)

1. Title: it should be snappy, informative, and distinctive. It may be divided into two parts
with the first one being short and catching the readers’ attention and the second one
more ‘serious’ and informative.

2. Background: it may be composed following two guiding questions: 1. Why it is crucial to

address the problem identified?; 2. What has already been done to solve the problem?
3. Objectives: they should relate to the more general objectives as previously agreed and
entered into the local action plan.

4. Outputs: they should be directly related to the project objectives. Typically they are
tangible items, such as a newly constructed technical facility, the publication of
information materials, or events, such as workshops or stakeholder meetings.
Depending on the project in question, intangible items might also be mentioned, such as
a rise in awareness (see PPT).
5. Activities and duration: a summary of the planned activities to achieve the project
objectives should be included here.

6. Beneficiaries and impacts: this section will be important for getting “buy-in” from the
donor. It should contain: The expected benefits, both in quantitative and qualitative terms,
and when and where they will occur; The underlying assumptions and the reasons why
these benefits can be expected; for a specific group of beneficiaries; Considerations
concerning how and by whom the impacts will be assessed.

7. Project management (includes monitoring and evaluation): this section should explain

how the objectives will be achieved and how the project will be managed and evaluated.
It should become clear who will lead the project and what roles and responsibilities the
various people in charge of tasks such as financial management, monitoring and
evaluation will have.
8. Budget (only if requested by the donor agency): before drawing up the budget, it is
necessary to get an overview of the inputs needed to achieve the objectives. These may
be, for example: people, travel costs, vehicles, equipment, supplies, services, works,
facilities and overheads.

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More Tips for The Development of your Concept Note:

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Factsheet Block Body

 Do not overwhelm the reader with details, but avoid sounding vague or unsure about
what you want to accomplish. Be positive and definite (AUB 2010).

 Consider your audience. In most cases, you will have to write different concept notes for
different donors for the same issue. Only when your concept note fits into the framework
of the donor, your request will have a chance. Get as much information as possible on
objectives, “hot topics” and interests of the organisation you are sending the concept note
to.

 Consider your language. If your concept paper is going to be reviewed by scientists in

your field, scientific terms and technical jargon may be acceptable. However, if your
proposal is being reviewed by generalists or lay persons, this type of language will not
communicate your ideas effectively.

 Only include budgetary information if it is specifically requested.

 Appearance is important. This concept paper represents you! The type size should be
large enough to read easily, and margins should be standard size. Check for spelling
errors before submission. Attention to details is important. Number all pages. Place your
name and date in the header. Include your contact information with the concept paper
(AUB 2010).

 Identify a door opener if you are not writing your concept note for an announced call from
the organisation. Sending random concept notes to the general address of an
organisation are rarely successful. If you do not know anybody who could introduce you
to somebody of the targeted organisation, try to establish personal contact by phone or
with in a meeting. Only once you have convinced somebody who supports your concept
idea within the donor organisation, you will have a realistic chance with a “wild” concept
note submission.

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