LONDON — The 1.2 billion British pound ($1.68 billion) Conflict, Stability and Security Fund — the United Kingdom’s largest and newest cross-governmental fund, which focuses on fragile and conflict-affected countries — has opened a new round of bidding, saying it hopes to attract a diverse range of partners, including small contractors and NGOs.
The CSSF launched in 2015 as part of the U.K.’s cross-government strategy, which aims to spend 30 percent of official development assistance through departments other than the Department for International Development by 2020. The fund is hosted by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office but reports to the National Security Council. Its budget is made up of roughly half ODA and half non-ODA funds.
Between 2016 and 2017, CSSF was the biggest spender of ODA after DFID and is the 21st largest ODA fund in the world, according to the annual report. The fund supports a range of activities under the banner of security and stability, from supporting communities affected by extremism to clearing landmines so that communities can regenerate the land.