Mercedes-Benz South Africa Limited (MBSA) is calling on non-profit organisations (NPOs) to submit proposals to be considered for charitable donation funding under its Socio-Economic Development (SED) programme. Any funding awarded under this call is a donation and shall not constitute sponsorship, procurement, advertising, marketing support or any commercial arrangement.

NPOs are invited to submit proposals for charitable donation funding, without any requirement, expectation or acceptance of commercial consideration, branding rights, advertising rights, preferential treatment or other return benefit to MBSA, for socio-economic development programmes in the following areas:

• Youth Development
• Arts & Culture
• Sport for Development
• Youth Entrepreneurship
• Sustainability Project
• Community Upliftment Project
• Projects/programmes based in East London and Pretoria will have an added advantage; however, applications from other locations are also welcome and will be considered.

If any proposal includes or contemplates reciprocal benefits to MBSA, including logo exposure, advertising value, media rights, brand placement, speaking opportunities, endorsement rights, merchandise, image rights or any other commercial benefit, MBSA may reclassify the proposal as sponsorship or partnership activity and require separate assessment, approvals and contracting in accordance with the applicable Mercedes-Benz sponsorship and partnership requirements.

Funding requests should be between R100,000 and R1,000,000. Funding may be awarded for programme costs, capacity-building initiatives, and project implementation, provided that the funds are used only for the approved charitable purpose, are supported by a meaningful project rationale and are not used for any commercial, promotional or private benefit purpose.

Requests for debt repayment, political activities, religious propagation activities, loans, individual case assistance, retrospective funding, projects that are not covered by the applicant’s constitutional documents, or any funding that may create a conflict of interest, corruption risk, sanctions risk or reputational risk for MBSA or the Mercedes-Benz Group will not be considered.

• Applicants must be registered NPOs operating for a minimum of two years
• All applicants must demonstrate a proven track record in delivering community-based programmes
• Applicants must be recognised as charitable organisations or entities eligible to receive charitable donations under applicable South African law and must be authorised under their constitutional documents to accept donations.
• Applicants, relevant project partners and material third parties must be capable of being assessed as unobjectionable following MBSA’s legal, tax, integrity, sanctions, corruption, reputational and compliance due diligence.
• Applicants must not be competitors of any Mercedes-Benz Group company and must not be located in a sanctioned country.

MBSA will not consider proposals or fund applicants, projects, activities or partners that fall within any of the following exclusions:

• Political organisations
• Religious propagation activities
• Individual beneficiaries
• Retrospective funding
• Fundraising events
• Capital projects (if excluded)
• Activities, organisations or persons that violate applicable laws, the principles of the UN Global Compact, or Mercedes-Benz Group values, corporate principles, objectives, programmes, products or employees.
• Activities, organisations or persons that discriminate on prohibited grounds, make antisemitic statements or engage in antisemitic conduct, create a concrete conflict of interest or corruption risk, are located in sanctioned countries, or may expose MBSA or the Mercedes-Benz Group to reputational harm or negative press coverage.
• Proposals that offer or require commercial consideration, reciprocal benefits, advertising rights, sponsorship benefits, brand exposure, media rights, endorsement rights, merchandise rights or any other return benefit to MBSA, unless separately assessed and approved under the applicable sponsorship and partnership process.
 

• Organisational background
• Problem statement
• Project objectives
• Activities and implementation plan
• Geographic areas served
• Monitoring and evaluation approach
• Sustainability plan
• Detailed project budget
• Risk mitigation measures
• Confirmation that the project aligns with MBSA’s corporate citizenship / socio-economic development objectives and includes measurable impact indicators, intended beneficiaries and a method for demonstrating the use of funds.
• Disclosure of all material third parties, implementation partners, intermediaries, subcontractors or agents involved in the project.
• Disclosure of any political affiliation, political beneficiary, political office bearer involvement, lobbying activity, political contribution element or political visibility objective associated with the applicant or the proposed project.
• Disclosure of any proposed use of MBSA, Mercedes-Benz or Mercedes-Benz Group names, logos, trademarks, images, publicity materials, media engagement, public announcements, endorsements, brand placement, signage, merchandise or communication rights.

Applications will be assessed based on, but not limited to, the following:
 

• Alignment with MBSA SED focus areas
• Community impact and reach
• Organisational capacity and governance
• Financial sustainability
• Monitoring and evaluation capability
• Innovation and scalability
• Geographic relevance to MBSA operating communities
• Outcome of MBSA’s partner and project risk assessment, including legal, tax, sanctions, corruption, conflict of interest, data protection and reputational risk considerations.
• Whether the proposal contains any element that may require assessment as sponsorship, partnership, media collaboration, political visibility activity or brand-related arrangement rather than a pure charitable donation.
 

Proposed projects should be implemented within a 12-24 month period.

Successful applicants will be required to submit periodic narrative and financial reports and may be subject to monitoring visits by MBSA representatives. For donations equal to or exceeding the applicable internal reporting threshold, applicants will be required to provide detailed documentation on impact measurement and use of funds in the format prescribed by MBSA. Applicants must retain supporting documentation and provide it to MBSA on request.

To apply for funding, applicants are required to submit a complete application accompanied by all the supporting documentation listed below.

1. Proposal and overview of the applicant NPO
2. Number of beneficiaries impacted by NPO
3. NPO registration documents, including CIPC documents
4. A valid Section 18A certificate
5. B-BBEE Certificate or sworn affidavits confirming B-BBEE contribution
6. Certified ID copies of directors (certification should not be older than 3 months from the date of application)
7. Directors' CVs
8. Signed Annual Financial Statements for the last three (3) years, or management accounts.
9. List of other funders/donors
10. Declaration of conflict of interest
11. Proof of physical address (not older than 3 months)
12. Board Charter / Board terms of reference
13. Tax clearance certificate, or Tax Compliance Status (TCS), or SARS Letter of Good Standing
14. SARS certificate
15. Constitution, trust deed, memorandum of incorporation or equivalent governing document confirming the applicant’s charitable objectives and authority to receive donations.
16. Written confirmation that the applicant can issue a valid tax receipt or donation confirmation acceptable to MBSA, where applicable.

Applications must be submitted via email to: csr-sponsorships@mercedes-benz.com
 

• 01 September 2026
• Late submissions will not be considered

• Applicants will be required to agree to the MBSA Donation terms and conditions.
• Former recipients of the MBSA SED/CSR funding are eligible to apply
• In instances where one or some of the required supporting documentation cannot be submitted, a letter signed by the NPO’s directors must be provided indicating the reasons motivating the exclusion of a required document.
• No applicant may use MBSA’s, Mercedes-Benz’s or any Mercedes-Benz Group company’s name, logo, trademark, image, branding or other intellectual property in any publication, announcement, media release, signage, promotional material, merchandise or communication without MBSA’s prior written approval. Any approved communication must remain consistent with the charitable nature of the donation and must not create sponsorship, advertising or endorsement rights unless separately approved and contracted.
• MBSA reserves the right to request additional information, conduct further due diligence, require internal approvals, decline any proposal, withdraw or suspend consideration of a proposal, or require a written donation agreement before any funds are disbursed.
• MBSA reserves the right, at any time and for any reason, to amend, supplement, suspend, cancel, withdraw, reissue or terminate this call for proposals, in whole or in part, without incurring any liability to any applicant or prospective applicant.
• MBSA does not guarantee that any proposal will be accepted, that any donation will be awarded, or that any applicant will receive funding. Submission of a proposal does not create any entitlement, legitimate expectation, contractual relationship, partnership, sponsorship arrangement, procurement process or obligation on MBSA to proceed with an award. Applicants participate in this process at their own cost and risk, and MBSA will not be liable for any costs, expenses, losses or damages incurred in preparing, submitting or participating in this call for proposals.
• MBSA shall not be obliged to provide reasons for the acceptance, rejection, suspension, withdrawal or non-selection of any application, and MBSA’s decision in respect of the allocation of donations shall be final.
• Any award is conditional upon successful completion of MBSA’s internal approval processes, due diligence checks, budget release requirements and execution of MBSA’s donation terms and conditions, standard donation agreement or any other documentation required by MBSA. Completion of due diligence or notification of shortlisting shall not create any obligation on MBSA to approve or disburse funding.
• Applicants are subject to sanctions and compliance screening as part of MBSA's due diligence process. MBSA reserves the right to reject any application where sanctions, legal, regulatory or compliance risks are identified.
• If MBSA determines that any information supplied by an applicant was false, misleading, inaccurate or incomplete, or that donated funds were used for any purpose other than the approved charitable purpose, MBSA may suspend funding, terminate the donation arrangement, withdraw or cancel any award, and recover all or part of the donated funds.
• MBSA and its authorised representatives may, on reasonable notice, inspect or request records, supporting documentation, project activities, financial information and evidence relating to the donation in order to verify compliance with the approved purpose, use of funds, reporting obligations and applicable MBSA requirements.
• Applicants must promptly notify MBSA of any material change affecting the applicant, its governance, legal status, tax status, charitable status, financial position, key personnel, implementation partners, project arrangements, conflict of interest disclosures, sanctions status or any information provided in the application.
• No applicant may directly or indirectly offer, promise, give, request or accept any gift, hospitality, inducement, facilitation payment, benefit or other advantage to or from any MBSA employee, director, trustee, representative or related party in connection with this call for proposals or any SED donation.
• Applicants warrant that neither the applicant nor any of its directors, trustees, office bearers, beneficial owners, implementation partners, intermediaries or material third parties are subject to applicable sanctions, trade restrictions, debarment, official watchlists or other legal prohibitions, and must notify MBSA immediately if this changes.
• Donations may only be used for the approved project and may not be transferred, assigned, redirected, applied for the benefit of any other organisation or person, or used for loans, debt reduction, individual case assistance, political activities, religious propagation, commercial benefit or any unapproved purpose without MBSA’s prior written approval.
 

• All personal information submitted as part of this application process will be processed in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) No 4. of 2013. Personal information will be collected and used solely for purposes related to the assessment, administration, due diligence, verification and management of the funding programme.
• By submitting an application, the applicant confirms that it has the necessary authority and, where required, the necessary consent to provide any personal information contained in the application and supporting documentation.
• MBSA may share the information submitted with internal stakeholders and authorised third parties involved in the assessment, due diligence, compliance, sanctions screening, governance and administration of the funding programme.
• Information will be retained only for as long as necessary to fulfil the application purposes or as required by applicable law and MBSA record-keeping requirements.
• Successful applicants will be required to sign a Data Protection Agreement.
 

Applicants must submit a duly completed and signed Declaration of Interest / Conflict of Interest in the form attached as Annexure A. A separate Declaration must be completed and signed by each trustee, director, office bearer, member, beneficial owner, executive manager or other person who participates in, controls, approves, manages, implements or will benefit directly or indirectly from the proposed SED donation. Failure to submit a complete Declaration of Interest / Conflict of Interest will result in disqualification of the application.

Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the global company, Mercedes-Benz AG. Established in 1948, MBSA is one of the largest automotive groups in South Africa. MBSA headquarters are located in Pretoria, Menlyn Maine where the Sales and Marketing office for Mercedes-Benz Cars and Mercedes-Benz Vans operates from. With about 3.300 employees, the East London Plant is an important part of the global C-Class production network, manufacturing Mercedes-Benz C-Class cars in both left- and right-hand drive for the local and export markets.

With sustainability as a guiding principle of the global Mercedes-Benz strategy, this means creating lasting value for all stakeholders: for customers, employees, investors, business partners and society as a whole. Leveraging Mercedes-Benz AG’s pioneering achievements of more than 130 years, Mercedes-Benz aspires to be the leader in the field of electric mobility. At Mercedes-Benz, the strategy is to go all electric by the end of the decade, wherever market conditions allow. Electric intelligence and sustainable modern luxury is what Mercedes-EQ stands for. Mercedes-Benz anticipates that by 2026 EVs will contribute 50% of total sales.

Learn more about current topics and events related to Mercedes-Benz South Africa on our LinkedIn Page.

For additional corporate information, please visit https://corporate.mercedes-benz.co.za/.

 

For enquiries relating to this call for proposals, please contact: csr-sponsorships@mercedes-benz.com

1. What is the MBSA Socio-Economic Development (SED) funding call?

MBSA invites registered non-profit organisations to submit proposals for charitable donation funding under its Socio-Economic Development (SED) programme. The funding is intended solely to support qualifying community development initiatives and does not constitute sponsorship, procurement, advertising, marketing support, or any other commercial arrangement. Proposals that include commercial or branding benefits for MBSA may be reclassified and assessed under separate sponsorship or partnership processes.

2. Who is eligible to apply?

Applications are open to registered non-profit organisations (NPOs) that:

• Applicants must be registered NPOs operating for a minimum of two years
• All applicants must demonstrate a proven track record in delivering community-based programmes
• Applicants must be recognised as charitable organisations or entities eligible to receive charitable donations under applicable South African law and must be authorised under their constitutional documents to accept donations.
• Applicants, relevant project partners and material third parties must be capable of being assessed as unobjectionable following MBSA’s legal, tax, integrity, sanctions, corruption, reputational and compliance due diligence.
• Applicants must not be competitors of any Mercedes-Benz Group company and must not be located in a sanctioned country.
 

3. What types of projects will MBSA consider for funding?

Funding applications are invited for programmes aligned to one or more of the following focus areas:
• Youth Development
• Arts & Culture
• Sport for Development
• Youth Entrepreneurship
• Sustainability
• Community Upliftment
• Programmes based in East London and Pretoria will have an added advantage; however, applications from other locations are also welcome and will be considered.

4. What types of funding requests will not be considered?

MBSA will not consider proposals or fund applicants, projects, activities or partners that fall within any of the following exclusions:
• Political organisations
• Religious propagation activities
• Individual beneficiaries
• Retrospective funding
• Fundraising events
• Capital projects (if excluded)
• Activities, organisations or persons that violate applicable laws, the principles of the UN Global Compact, or Mercedes-Benz Group values, corporate principles, objectives, programmes, products or employees.
• Activities, organisations or persons that discriminate on prohibited grounds, make antisemitic statements or engage in antisemitic conduct, create a concrete conflict of interest or corruption risk, are located in sanctioned countries, or may expose MBSA or the Mercedes-Benz Group to reputational harm or negative press coverage.
• Proposals that offer or require commercial consideration, reciprocal benefits, advertising rights, sponsorship benefits, brand exposure, media rights, endorsement rights, merchandise rights or any other return benefit to MBSA, unless separately assessed and approved under the applicable sponsorship and partnership process.

5. What documents are required to apply for funding?

Applicants must submit a completed application together with a comprehensive proposal and all required supporting documents. These include the organisation's registration and governance documents, financial records, tax compliance documentation, B-BBEE information, details of directors, proof of address, beneficiary information, a list of other funders, a conflict-of-interest declaration, and confirmation that the organisation can issue valid donation receipts. Incomplete applications or missing supporting documentation may result in the application not being considered.
 

6. What criteria does MBSA use to assess funding applications?

Applications are assessed on their alignment with MBSA's SED focus areas, expected community impact, organisational capacity, governance, financial sustainability, monitoring and evaluation capabilities, innovation, scalability, and relevance to MBSA's operating communities. MBSA also considers the outcome of its risk assessment and whether the proposal is a charitable donation or should instead be classified as a sponsorship or partnership arrangement.

 

7. How will I know if my application is successful, and what happens if I receive funding?
Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application in September 2026. Successful applicants will be contacted directly by MBSA and will be required to submit regular narrative and financial reports, may be subject to monitoring visits, and must provide impact measurement and supporting documentation as requested. Additional reporting requirements may apply for larger donations.

 

8. How should applications be submitted?

Applications must be submitted electronically via email to:
csr-sponsorships@mercedes-benz.com
Applications received after the closing date of 01 September 2026 will not be considered.

9. Do I need to declare a conflict of interest?

Yes.

Applicants must disclose any actual, perceived, or potential conflicts of interest involving Mercedes-Benz South Africa employees, directors, or related parties as part of the application process.

A separate Declaration must be completed and signed by each trustee, director, office bearer, member, beneficial owner, executive manager or other person who participates in, controls, approves, manages, implements or will benefit directly or indirectly from the proposed SED donation.

Failure to submit a complete Declaration of Interest / Conflict of Interest will result in disqualification of the application.
 

10. Who can I contact if I have questions about the programme?

For any enquiries relating to the Socio-Economic Development Programme or the application process, please contact:
csr-sponsorships@mercedes-benz.com