Albania – addressing irregular migration programme: call for proposals
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) invites organisations to submit proposals by 19 November 2026 for addressing irregular migration programme.
1. Introduction
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) invites eligible organisations to submit proposals under the Addressing Irregular Migration Programme [Bilateral] – Behavioural Insights and Social Norm Change for Migration Decision Making in Albania.
The programme seeks to reduce irregular migration pressures from Albania by increasing the uptake of sustainable domestic economic, labour mobility, and reintegration opportunities, while strengthening informed migration decision-making and resilience within target communities.
The programme will be delivered through an Accountable Grant Agreement following a competitive Call for Proposals process.
Applicants should read this Invitation together with the accompanying Statement of Outcomes and application documentation.
2. Funding opportunity
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Funding mechanism | Accountable Grant Agreement |
| Total funding available | Up to £750,000 |
| Grant duration | December 2026 – March 2028 |
| Geographic focus | Albania |
| Primary beneficiaries | Potential migrants, returnees, and other individuals in target communities vulnerable to irregular migration from Albania to the United Kingdom |
| Number of awards | FCDO reserves the right to award one or more grants |
| Lead applicant eligibility | Not-for-profit organisations, civil society organisations, research institutions, international organisations and consortia |
The final number and value of awards will depend on proposal quality, value for money and strategic fit.
3. Programme outcomes
Applicants should set out how their proposal contributes to the following outcomes:
Outcome 1: Improved understanding of migration decision-making drivers and engagement with domestic opportunities.
Outcome 2: Stronger local engagement on behavioural and social influences on migration.
Outcome 3: Effective behavioural and social norm approaches are identified, refined and assessed through testing and learning.
Outcome 4: Evidence on effective interventions informs future programming and policy.
Further information is provided in the accompanying Statement of Outcomes.
4. What we are looking for
FCDO is seeking proposals that:
- support informed migration decision-making and reduce drivers of irregular migration
- strengthen existing systems rather than creating parallel structures
- demonstrate a clear understanding of the Albanian context
- are evidence-based and adaptive
- deliver sustainable benefits beyond the grant period
- demonstrate strong value for money
- build effective partnerships with relevant stakeholders
Applicants are encouraged to propose innovative approaches that contribute to the programme outcomes.
5. Eligibility requirements
Applicants must:
- be a legally registered organisation
- have appropriate financial management and governance arrangements
- demonstrate relevant organisational experience
- be capable of receiving and managing grant funding
- be able to comply with FCDO due diligence and safeguarding requirements
Consortia are permitted. Where a consortium applies, a lead organisation must be identified. FCDO strongly encourages applications involving local Albanian organisations and institutions.
6. Proposal requirements
Proposals should not exceed 10 pages excluding annexes and should include:
Technical proposal
Applicants should describe:
- understanding of the behavioural, social, and economic factors shaping migration choices
- proposed approach and theory of change
- how the proposal contributes to programme outcomes
- target beneficiaries and geographic focus
- partnerships and stakeholder engagement
- learning and adaptation approach
- sustainability strategy
- risk management and safeguarding arrangements
FCDO expects bidders to propose a phased and adaptive delivery model. Initial delivery is expected to focus on behavioural diagnostics, stakeholder engagement, social norms analysis and intervention design, before progressing to the piloting, testing and refinement of promising approaches. Bidders should demonstrate how learning generated through implementation will be used to adapt interventions and generate practical evidence on what works, for whom and under what conditions.
Budget
Applicants must submit a detailed budget using the FCDO grant budget template.
Budgets should clearly demonstrate how resources will contribute to outcomes and value for money.
Supporting information
Applicants should provide:
- organisational profiles
- consortium arrangements (where relevant)
- relevant organisational experience
- any additional information requested in the application template
7. Evaluation process
Proposals will be assessed by an evaluation panel against the following criteria:
| Criterion | Weighting |
|---|---|
| Strategic Fit and Contribution to Outcomes | 25% |
| Quality of Proposed Approach and Outcomes | 25% |
| Value for Money (4Es) | 20% |
| Feasibility and Deliverability & Organisational Capability and Partnerships | 20% |
| Risk Management and Safeguarding | 10% |
| Total | 100% |
All proposals will be scored using a 0-5 scoring scale and moderated by the evaluation panel.
8. Value for money
Applicants should demonstrate how their proposal delivers value for money through:
- economy: appropriate inputs secured at reasonable cost
- efficiency: effective use of resources
- effectiveness: likelihood of achieving outcomes
- equity: reaching those most in need
The budget narrative should clearly explain how value for money has been considered throughout the proposal.
9. Indicative timeline
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Call for Proposals launched | 20 October 2026 |
| Proposal submission deadline | 19 November 2026 |
| Notification of outcome | 7 December 2026 |
FCDO reserves the right to amend these dates and will communicate any changes to applicants.
10. Clarification questions
All clarification questions should be submitted in writing to:
British.EmbassyTirana@fcdo.gov.uk with [Clarifying Questions] Addressing Irregular Migration Programme [Bilateral] – Behavioural Insights and Social Norm Change for Migration Decision Making in Albania – Call for Proposals in the subject title by 12 November 2026.
Responses will be shared with all applicants to ensure transparency and equal access to information. Applicants should not seek information from other FCDO staff concerning this opportunity.
11. Submission instructions
Applications must be submitted electronically to:
British.EmbassyTirana@fcdo.gov.uk with [Submission] Addressing Irregular Migration Programme [Bilateral] – Behavioural Insights and Social Norm Change for Migration Decision Making in Albania – Call for Proposals in the subject title.
The submission should include:
- technical proposal
- completed budget template
- required annexes
Late submissions may not be considered.
Please ensure that submission meets size and format criteria. The maximum message size that is allowed is 36 MB. This includes not only attachments but email itself as it reaches FCDO email system. Make sure to keep the overall size below the limit to ensure delivery of submission. It is responsibility of the applicant to send the submission in a timely manner and to check their email (including spam section) should they encounter delivery issues, and address them immediately, in such case.
12. Important information
This Call for Proposals is conducted in accordance with FCDO’s Programme Operating Framework and Grants Standards.
FCDO does not undertake to award funding to any applicant and reserves the right to:
- award all, part or none of the available funding
- award funding to one or multiple organisations
- request clarification from applicants
- discontinue the competition at any stage
Successful applicants will be required to complete due diligence and enter into a grant agreement with FCDO.