How to Write a Concept Note for a Donor (Format, Length, and Scoring)

What is a concept note, and when do donors ask for one?

A concept note is a short version of your project that a donor uses to decide who gets invited to send a full proposal. It saves both sides time. You don’t write 30 pages for a call you can’t win, and the donor reads hundreds of short notes instead of hundreds of long proposals.

The EU uses this two-step approach in many calls for proposals. Its guidelines say that “in the first instance, only concept notes” are submitted, and only shortlisted applicants are asked for a full application (EU call guidelines). The US State Department’s version is the “statement of interest,” which one current notice describes as “a concise concept note” (State Department). UN agencies on the UN Partner Portal each use their own concept note template, either for a published call or as an unsolicited idea (UN Partner Portal).

Some funders have closed the door to unsolicited concept notes. The Mott Foundation stopped accepting unsolicited letters of inquiry in January 2025 (Mott), and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation doesn’t accept unsolicited proposals (Hilton). Check a funder’s “how to apply” page before you write anything.

What format does an EU concept note follow?

EU external action calls use a fixed form, Annex A.1. We checked two calls open in October 2026, for Zambia and Ethiopia, and the form was the same in both (Annex A.1). It has these parts:

1. Summary of the action: a table of the overall and specific objectives, target groups, final beneficiaries, expected outputs, and main activities. It has no page limit.
2. Description of the action: no more than 2 pages.
3. Relevance of the action: no more than 3 pages.
4. Applicant and project details, then a signed declaration by the lead applicant.

The format is fixed too: A4 pages, 2 cm margins, Arial 10, single spaced. The description has to cover seven points: the background and context, the objectives, stakeholders and consultations, the intervention logic with risks and assumptions, the types of activities, cross-cutting issues such as gender and environment, and the timeframe. The relevance section covers fit with the call’s objectives, fit with the country’s needs, the target groups and final beneficiaries, and your added value.

Three rules catch people out. Only the form is evaluated, so “no additional annexes shall be sent.” The budget is just an estimate of the EU contribution, but it can’t change by more than 20% in the full application. And you must submit online through the EU’s PROSPECT system; concept notes sent any other way are rejected (EU call guidelines). You’ll also need a PADOR registration and a PIC from the EU Participant Register. Our guide to donor tenders and EU registration explains both.

How are concept notes scored?

In current EU calls, the concept note is scored out of 50. Reviewers give each item 1 to 5 points, from very poor to very good (EU call guidelines):

• Relevance, 20 points: fit with the call’s objectives, fit with the country or sector’s needs, how well you’ve defined the target groups and final beneficiaries, and added value. Each is worth 5.
• Design, 30 points: the intervention logic counts double (10 points). The context and problem analysis, risks and assumptions, activities, and cross-cutting issues are worth 5 each.

The pass mark changes from call to call, so read it in the guidelines. The Ethiopia call shortlists notes scoring at least 30 out of 50 (Ethiopia call). The Zambia call asks for at least 80%, or 40 out of 50. After that, the EU keeps only the highest scores until the shortlisted requests add up to two or three times the call’s budget. So passing the mark doesn’t guarantee an invitation.

One common mix-up: the rule that an application is rejected below 12 points applies to your financial and operational capacity at the full application stage. It isn’t part of the concept note score.

The State Department scores statements of interest on three equally weighted criteria: the quality of the program idea, the organization’s capacity and record on past grants, and program planning. In that notice, a lower indirect cost rate breaks a tie (State Department).

What should go in each section?

Write to the scoring grid. Use the donor’s headings in the donor’s order, so a reviewer can find each answer in seconds.

Context and problem. Describe the specific problem in the specific place, with numbers and a source. Name who is affected and why the problem persists. A national statistic is a start, but data from your own baseline or needs assessment is stronger.

Objectives and intervention logic. This is worth the most points in the EU grid, so make it the clearest part. State one overall objective and one or two specific objectives, then show how your outputs lead to them. Our post on theory of change vs logframe shows how to set out that chain. A short, made-up example: “By training 40 community health workers (output), we expect more mothers in two districts to attend four antenatal visits (outcome), contributing to fewer complications at birth (impact).”

Target groups and beneficiaries. Give numbers and describe the people: who they are, where they live, and how you’ll reach them. “Vulnerable communities” scores poorly. “1,200 pregnant women in 14 villages of a named district, identified through the health post registers” scores well.

Activities. Group them under the outputs they produce. Every activity should lead somewhere in your intervention logic, and every output should have activities behind it.

Risks and assumptions. List real risks with a response to each, such as flooding on the access road during the rainy season and a plan to schedule fieldwork around it. Avoid generic lines like “political instability.”

Added value and partners. Say what you bring that others don’t: presence in the area, trust with a community, a method that has worked before, or a partner with a skill you lack. If you have co-applicants, give each a clear role.

Why do concept notes get rejected?

Some rejections happen before anyone reads the content. In EU calls, a missed deadline, a submission outside PROSPECT, an incomplete checklist, or “any error or major discrepancy” with the instructions can each lead to rejection (EU call guidelines). At the State Department, a statement of interest that doesn’t respond to a specific addendum of the notice is ruled ineligible.

The others lose points on substance. An EU delegation information session in Benin in October 2026 listed common weaknesses. They included partnerships that don’t meet eligibility rules, weak links to the call’s objectives, vague target groups, objectives that are too ambitious or too vague, weak risk analysis, and unclear roles (EU Delegation Benin, in French). The presenter was an independent consultant, so treat it as practical advice, not EU policy.

One newer issue: the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women says it will penalize applications “predominantly written using AI without meaningful human input” (UN Trust Fund). Use tools if they help, but the analysis and the voice should be yours.

Concept note checklist before you submit

• You’re eligible: the lead applicant, every co-applicant, and the country of work all match the call.
• You used the donor’s form, headings, font, margins, and page or word limits.
• Every scoring criterion has a clearly labeled answer.
• The objectives, outputs, and activities line up, and the numbers match everywhere they appear.
• The budget estimate is realistic, since some donors limit how much it can change later.
• Your registrations, such as PADOR or the UN Partner Portal, are done.
• Someone who didn’t write it has scored it against the grid.
• You’re submitting at least a day before the deadline.

Looking for calls to apply to? See where NGOs in Africa can find grants and calls for proposals. Want a second reader before you submit? Our concept note review scores your draft against the call’s grid in five business days.

Frequently asked questions

References: EU call guidelines, EuropeAid/187975 (Zambia); Annex A.1 concept note form; EU call guidelines, EuropeAid/187801 (Ethiopia); UNICEF concept note template; Enabel grant application file; State Department Advancing Global Health APS; UN Trust Fund 2025 call. Sources checked October 26, 2026.

This article is general information. It is not legal, tax, accounting, or financial advice, and reading it does not make you our client. Laws, regulations, and funder policies change, so check the cited sources and your own award terms before you act. Aventis West is not a law firm or an accounting firm. For advice on your own situation, talk to a qualified attorney or CPA. See our terms of use.