Africa · Services
Concept Note Review for NGOs
Send us your draft concept note and the call for proposals. Within five business days, we return a review scored against the call’s own evaluation grid, line edits in your document, and a check of the eligibility and format rules. When you’ve revised it, we review it once more.
Who is a concept note review for?
NGOs, community organizations, networks, and consulting firms applying to the EU, UN agencies, embassies, and foundations. It helps most when:
- You have a strong program but haven’t applied to this donor before.
- A past concept note was rejected and you don’t know why.
- The deadline is close and you want a second reader who knows how reviewers score.
What do we check in a concept note?
- Eligibility. Whether your organization, your partners, the country, the amount, and the duration meet the guidelines. A note that fails here is rejected before anyone scores it.
- Relevance. How clearly the note answers the call’s objectives and priorities, using its own words.
- Design and logic. Whether the problem, objectives, results, and activities connect, and whether the target groups and partners are clear. Our guide to theory of change and logframes covers this logic.
- Scoring. We score the draft against the grid in the call, the same way a reviewer would. Our guide on how to write a concept note shows how these grids work.
- Format. Page limit, template, language, and required annexes.
What do you get?
| Deliverable | What it is |
|---|---|
| Scored review | Each criterion in the call’s evaluation grid, how we would score your draft, and why |
| Line edits | Tracked changes in your own document |
| Eligibility and format check | A pass or fail list against the call’s guidelines: applicant, partners, country, amount, duration, page limit, template, and annexes |
| Follow-up review | One more review of your revised draft before you submit |
How does a concept note review work?
- Send the call and your draft. Email us the call for proposals, the guidelines, your draft, and the deadline. We reply with a fixed fee and the date you’ll get the review.
- Review. Within five business days of the go-ahead, you get the scored review, line edits, and eligibility check.
- Revise and send it back. We review the revised draft once more before you submit.
Send your draft early. A review is most useful when you have time to act on it before the deadline.
How much does a concept note review cost?
It’s a fixed fee in US dollars, agreed before we start. The fee depends on the length of the note and the call’s requirements. Real donors never charge a fee to apply, so be careful with any offer that asks for one.
Can you write the concept note for us?
Yes. If you’d rather we write it, or take it through to the full application, see our proposal services for NGOs in Africa. To find calls to apply to, see our weekly list of open calls for proposals.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a concept note review take?
Five business days from when you confirm, for the first review. The follow-up review of your revised draft is usually faster.
Can you review a full application, not just the concept note?
Yes. Full applications, budgets, and logframes are quoted separately, because they take longer to review.
Do you guarantee our concept note will be selected?
No one can. Selection depends on the other applications and the donor's budget. A review makes sure your note is eligible, complete, and clear about what the reviewers are scoring.
Do you charge a percentage of the grant?
No. A review is a fixed fee agreed before we start, whatever the outcome.
Have a deadline coming up? Send us the call for proposals and your draft, and we’ll reply with a fixed fee and a return date.
Book a call Email us