The Strategic Programme Fund (SPF) is the largest policy-related programme run by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). SPF aims to provide financial support to projects around the world that help to progress the UK’s international strategic objectives.

Present in Vietnam since 2005, SPF focuses on promoting human rights, the rule of law, access to justice, good governance and media development.

Funding priorities within Vietnam

Human rights

• Strengthening international and national human rights mechanisms and increasing the monitoring role of civil society and media.
• Criminal justice: to promote international human rights standards in prisons, the legal system and police work.
• Abolition of the death penalty: reduction in the number of offences to which the death penalty is applied; identification and implementation of suitable alternatives with a view to eventual abolition; and greater transparency in the application of the death penalty.

Democracy and accountability

• Improving electoral processes: more transparent, independent and fair electoral procedures.
• Promoting civil society's ability to influence, monitor and hold accountable state institutions.
• Freedom of expression: legislation on freedom of information; improved media environment, and; more assertive and effective media.

Funding criteria

1. All projects must support the Embassy’s Country Business Plan and the Fund’s strategy on the areas listed above.
2. One-year projects should be deliverable within one UK financial year (from April to March) and should be fully completed and invoiced before 31 March on the year of the project. Multi-year projects with a clear impact on the UK’s strategic objectives will be considered favourably.
3. Requests for co-funding, involving other donors, will also be considered.
4. SPF project funding will be paid in arrears. We cannot advance funding. Payment is made quarterly.

Application for funding

If you have project proposals that correspond with the aims of our strategy, you are invited to submit your proposals to the British Embassy in Hanoi.

The embassy will undertake an initial assessment on whether the project concept fits our objectives and can be taken forward. If that is the case, we will work with you to develop a project bid and submit it to the Programme Team in London for consideration.

SPF-funded projects

You can find further details of the recent projects supported by SPF in Vietnam here.