grants announcement belarus...grants announcement: belarus 4 important information the deadline for...

Grants Announcement Belarus

January, 2013 Minsk, Belarus

Grants Announcement: Belarus 2

Contents

Summary ............................................................................................................................... 3

National and local grants announcement ........................................................................... 3 Important Information ............................................................................................................ 4 Background ........................................................................................................................... 5

The SECTOR programme in Belarus................................................................................. 5 CSO support through national and local grants ................................................................. 5

National and Local Grants ..................................................................................................... 7 Grants focus ...................................................................................................................... 7 Grants timeline .................................................................................................................. 7 Grants topics ..................................................................................................................... 7 Eligible activities ................................................................................................................ 9

Eligibility and Conditions ........................................................................................................ 9 Eligibility of applicants ....................................................................................................... 9 Consortium members and other parties ............................................................................10 Administrative conditions ..................................................................................................11 Specific aspects related to participation in other SECTOR components ...........................12

Application Process ..............................................................................................................13 Stage 1: Concept paper ....................................................................................................13

Identification of partners and stakeholders ....................................................................13 Submission of concept papers ......................................................................................13 Submission of concept papers (Deadline: 28th February 2013, 17:00) ..........................14 Registration and pre-screening of concept papers ........................................................14 Evaluation of concept papers (mid-March 2013) ...........................................................14

Stage II: Full project proposal ...........................................................................................15 Preparing the full proposal ............................................................................................15 Submission of full proposals (Deadline: 27th May 2013) ................................................15 Evaluation of full proposals by the Advisory Board (mid-June 2013) .............................15 Interviews .....................................................................................................................16 Notification of decisions and winners’ meeting (July 2013) ...........................................16 Project implementation (September 2013 – August 2014) ............................................16


Summary

National and local grants announcement Programme: “Supporting Environmental Civil Society Organisations (SECTOR) in Belarus

and Moldova”, part of the framework programme “Strengthening Local Environmental Planning and Environmental Civil Society in Belarus and Moldova during 2012–2014” (STREAM)

Donor:

Government of Sweden

Implementing agency

The Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC)

Environmental topic:

Promoting environmental protection and environmental sustainability

Total amount available for grants:

EUR 305,000 National grants: EUR 185,000 Local grants: EUR 120,000

Amount per grant:

National grants ranging between EUR 15,000 and EUR 25,000 Local grants ranging between EUR 5,000 and EUR 10,000 Civil society organisations (CSOs) will also benefit from additional funds that are reserved for organisational development, capacity building, networking and dialogue promotion

Target: CSOs working in the field of environment in Belarus

Goal: To strengthen the capacity and role of CSOs in society in the field of sustainable development and environmental protection

Selection process:

The selection process for national grants and local grants will run in parallel from January 2013 to July 2013 according to the following schedule:

Concept paper submission deadline: February 28th

, 2013, 17:00 Concept paper evaluation meeting: mid-March 2013 Concept paper shortlist announcement: beginning of April 2013 Project preparation training: mid-April 2013 Full proposal submission deadline: May 27

th, 2013, 17:00

Full proposal evaluation meeting: mid-June 2013 Final decision by the REC: end of June 2013 Winners meeting: July 2013

Projects must last for up to 12 months, starting from September 2013


Important Information

The deadline for the submission of concept papers is February 28, 2013, 17:00 Please send the concept paper form and cooperative partners information by e-mail to [email protected] (In PDF and Word format). Please use the wording in the e-mail subject “Concept Paper SECTOR: Local/National Grant” (select appropriate). The concept paper must arrive by 17:00 local time on February 28

th, 2013, in order to be

considered. All applications must be submitted in Russian, Belarusian or English languages. For more information on this grants programme, please visit the website www.sector.rec.org or contact: Ms. Yulia Yablonskaya Ms. Raisa Gerasina Belarus Grants Manager SECTOR Grants Manager Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Tel: +375 29 208 94 78 Tel: +36 26 504 000

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.sector.rec.org/




Background

The SECTOR programme in Belarus The programme “Supporting Environmental Civil Society Organisations (SECTOR/STREAM) in Belarus and Moldova” focuses on civil society organisations (CSOs) as important actors in community development working in the field of environmental protection. The programme is implemented by the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC) with the financial support of the Government of Sweden as part of the framework programme “Strengthening Local Environmental Planning and Environmental Civil Society in Belarus and Moldova during 2012–2014” (STREAM). More information on the programme components can be found on the SECTOR website: www.sector.rec.org.

CSO support through national and local grants The REC is offering national and local grants under the SECTOR programme. The grants are available to CSOs to promote environmental protection and sustainable development in Belarus. Project concepts are currently invited for:

national grants of between EUR 15,000 and EUR 25,000; and

local grants of between EUR 5,000 and EUR 10,000. The overall budget for the two grant schemes is EUR 305,000: the budget for national grants is EUR 185,000; and for local grants EUR 120,000. Local grants are designed to provide short-term financial support to CSOs working at local level (municipalities/regions level) to assist them to perform environmental work, promote CSO’s participation in environmental policies development, raise public environmental awareness and promote sustainable lifestyle. Projects eligible for financing under the national grants programme should deal with environmental issues of nationwide importance or priority environmental issues within Belarus. These projects should involve cooperation with other Belarusian CSOs, as well as cooperation with local or central governmental bodies, research institutions, universities, schools and/or the business sector, etc. CSOs are invited to apply for both national and local grants simultaneously by submitting concept papers for both schemes if relevant.



A minimum of two CSOs are required to cooperate in each project under the national grants scheme. The local grants scheme is open to individual grant applicants, although joint applications are recommended. Further details are available in the section “Consortium members and other parties” of this announcement. Projects must last for up to 12 months.


National and Local Grants

Grants focus The grants programme promotes environmental protection and sustainable development in Belarus. Proposed projects should result in increased public awareness and greater public involvement in key environmental issues in Belarus, as well as improved CSO networking and greater CSO capacities for addressing environmental challenges. Projects should be rooted in local urban or rural communities and should mobilise members of the public and key actors in the community to participate in project implementation. CSOs should demonstrate how their project proposals are linked to local and/or national policy priorities, as defined in various policy documents such as sustainable development strategies, local environmental action plans (LEAPs) or Local Agenda 21. CSOs are also encouraged to demonstrate synergies with other projects or on-going processes in their community or region with the aim of addressing local needs in a coordinated manner. The REC encourages projects that are implemented according to the principles of transparency and equal opportunities. Projects should take into consideration gender equality, ethnic equality, ethical and moral issues and the prevention of corruption.

Grants timeline The application, evaluation and selection processes will take place between January 2013 and July 2013. Concept papers will be evaluated by the SECTOR international team in mid-March 2013, while full proposals will be evaluated by the Advisory Board. CSOs whose concept papers are selected will be invited to develop full proposals by May 27

th, 2013. Full proposals will be evaluated by the Advisory Board at a meeting in

June 2013. The results of this evaluation will be announced by end of June 2013. The implementation of selected projects is planned to begin in September 2013.

Grants topics

National grants topics Within this framework, the national grants should aim at one or more of the following or other similar topics:


Familiarize the CSOs, the authorities, and other stakeholders with the requirements of the international environmental agreements, European Union and national legislation, and good experiences in order to enable them to apply them in practice;

Strengthen the capacities of the CSOs to get actively engaged in the implementation of international agreements at national level, with special regards to the environmental UNECE Conventions to which Belarus is a party, which include the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention).

Strengthen the cooperative efforts among CSOs in one or more of the specific priority issues related to the national environmental and sustainable development policies in order to enter in or maintain a dialogue with the authorities responsible for such decision-making;

Promote the sustainable practices, sustainable consumption and production patterns, sustainable lifestyle (such as the green labelling of industrial and agricultural products); food safety and bio food consumption; safe handling of chemicals; reduction and prevention of pollution, including POPs; resource efficiency, energy efficiency, energy saving and use of renewables;

Contribute to development and implementation of climate change policies and action plans, support preparation of society for climate change effects, especially adaptation measures;

Local grants topics Within this framework, the local grants should aim at one or more of the following or similar topics which:

help to address environmental and sustainable development issues by promoting sustainable lifestyle, green consumption and assist in adaptation to climate change;

support the development and implementation of strategies, policies and programs on environment protection and sustainable development at the local level (including local environmental action plans, LEAPs and Local Agenda 21);

promote improvement of waste management and waste prevention including addressing the problem of illegal waste dumping;

promote sustainable water use, address the effects of water scarcity and droughts; access to safe drinking water and sanitation;

promote soil protection and prevention of land degradation, sustainable agriculture, good agricultural practices and reduction of nutrients in soil; biodiversity conservation, nature protection, protection and restoration of wetlands;


help to develop eco-tourism, eco-agriculture, bio-food production and marketing, local branding, encourage the use of local products and cooperation with farmers and local businesses, or other alternative sustainable community development options which could also lead to economic and social improvements;

help to improve energy efficiency and energy saving and promote the use of renewable energy sources.

Eligible activities CSO initiatives/activities addressing environmental protection and environmental sustainability that are eligible for support under the national and local grants scheme include, but are not limited to:

public awareness raising, educational activities;

information dissemination, organizing promotional events;

capacity building and training;

pilot and demonstration projects;

networking and cooperation among CSOs, and between CSOs and different groups and actors at local and national level (authorities, academia, journalists, youth, businesses, woman groups, faith-based organisations, etc.) on concrete environmental topics;

concrete actions to improve the environment (infrastructural development and purchase of relevant equipment are not eligible).

Eligibility and Conditions

Eligibility of applicants Applications are accepted from CSOs officially registered in Belarus or neighbouring countries that promote environmental protection and sustainable development in Belarus. The definition of a CSO for the purposes of the grants scheme is presented below.

An environmental civil society organisation is an organisation officially registered as such that:

does not act as an official governmental body;

is a not-for-profit entity (i.e. non-commercial);

functions at the local, regional, national and/or international level;

has a main purpose related to environmental protection and sustainable development; and

has a presence in public life, outside family structures, and expresses the interests and values of its members or others based on ethical, cultural, political, scientific, or philanthropic considerations.


CSOs applying for local and national grants are expected to have:

the human and organisational capacity to develop and implement a

national/local project of up to 12 months’ duration;

a proven track record in project implementation;

experience in the areas of sustainable development and environmental

protection (preferred); and

access to the minimum equipment and facilities necessary for project

implementation.

In the case of local grants, at least one of the CSOs should operate or be based in the municipality/community/region in which the grant project will be implemented. At least two CSOs must cooperate in the implementation of national-level projects, one of them acting as consortium leader. The lead CSO must be an environmental CSO that is active primarily in the field of environmental protection and sustainable development. Consortium applications are also recommended for local-level projects, although individual applicants are eligible to receive local grants. A CSO may submit a project proposal under both the national and local grants schemes simultaneously; or may submit more than one project proposal under both schemes. However, a CSO may act as consortium leader in only one of the projects submitted under the grants schemes. The lead CSO will be responsible for managing the grants project; submitting interim and final reports; and coordinating the work of all project participants. The role of the project partners and the share of the budget assigned to them should be described in the concept paper form. Environmental CSOs that involve other stakeholders or community actors in their grant application (e.g. churches, trade unions, schools, municipalities, scientific institutions, youth and women’s organisations, as described below in the section “Consortium members and other parties”), will be an advantage. The grant scheme is designed to encourage partnerships between different ethnic groups within the community. Applications should indicate the added value that cooperation or partnership will bring to the project.

Consortium members and other parties CSOs are recommended to cooperate with other stakeholders involved in environmental protection and sustainable development. Project partners or consortium members directly carry out project activities and benefit financially from the grant. Project partners may include:


registered CSOs (either in Belarus or abroad) active in the field of environmental protection and sustainable development in Belarus; and

other stakeholders or community groups registered as legal entities (either in Belarus or abroad).

Other parties that benefit from project results or that make in-kind contributions to project implementation may be involved in project implementation without profiting from a direct financial contribution under the grant.

These indirect beneficiaries may include:

targeted community or social groups, professional associations, community development groups, social groups, gender-based groups, trade unions, faith-based organisations and teachers’ groups;

the management or staff of local or national governmental authorities; or

CSOs from outside Belarus that provide additional expertise or knowledge.

Administrative conditions When preparing concept papers, the following administrative requirements should be borne in mind:

Grants will only be given to support projects led by an environmental CSO acting alone in the case of local grants, or cooperating with other CSOs in a consortium in the case of national grants.

Projects should be no longer than 12 months in duration (starting from September 2013).

Grants will not be given to support projects that focus on research or scientific work; purely operational expenditures; investments; or the purchase of land, buildings or vehicles not justified by the project’s aims (unless linked to other aspects of the project).

The only eligible costs are those that relate to actual project implementation. Overhead costs not related to the project will not be accepted.

Grants may only support the cost of salaries of CSO members involved in project implementation where otherwise they would not be able to carry out project activities. It is recommended that the costs included in the salary and consultancy budget lines comprise no more than 40 percent of the total budget.

Grant support may not be directed towards staff or officials of public administrations or local or national governmental authorities. Any consultancy payments made to individuals from these groups, with the exception of payments made to cover expenses related to participation in project-related events (e.g. travel, meals, accommodation, per diem), will result in the cancellation of the grant.

CSOs may not submit more than one project proposal as lead CSO, and may not be involved in more than three project proposals as a partner in the project application phase.

A CSO will be awarded only one project in the role of lead partner, and can be a project partner in a maximum of two projects.


If a CSO manages to provide additional funds for project implementation, it should demonstrate that donor commitment has been secured. In-kind contributions may include materials and supplies, work, communications etc.

National and local grants awarded by the REC may be used as co-financing for projects supported by other donors, provided that the REC is notified at the concept submission phase.

Specific aspects related to participation in other SECTOR components

The components of the SECTOR programme are interlinked in order to provide comprehensive assistance to CSOs. The SECTOR programme aims to strengthen CSOs individually through organisational viability and capacity-building support; and collectively though cooperative grants and support to platform building and joint project implementation in order to enable them to tackle environmental issues effectively in the long term. Successful applicants are therefore recommended to participate in all three components of the SECTOR programme:

Organisational Development

Grants Programmes

Capacity Building and Networking

For further details, see www.sector.rec.org



Application Process In the first stage of the two-stage application process, CSOs are invited to submit a short concept paper briefly describing the proposed project activities and expressing their interest in addressing a relevant environmental problem. Selected CSOs will then be invited to participate in the second stage, which requires the submission of a detailed project proposal. The best proposals will be selected by the Advisory Board in mid-June 2013. Successful CSOs are expected to receive their grants and begin implementing the approved projects by September 2013. Projects implemented under the national and local grants scheme must last up to 12 months.

Stage 1: Concept paper

Identification of partners and stakeholders When preparing their concept papers, CSOs should look for direct project partners in the case of national grants, and indirect project beneficiaries from their own sector and other areas in the case of both national and local grants (e.g. CSOs, governments, institutions, universities and businesses) that are working on similar topics. For some CSOs this may be a new challenge, while for others it may be a familiar process. If necessary, the REC grants manager can assist and advise applicants on identifying partners. A project partner is obligatory in the case of applications for national grants, and is recommended in the case of applications for local grants.

In the preparation phase, partners will need to discuss the project proposal and the actions required for successful project implementation. Information about each partner should be included in the section “Cooperating Partner Information”. This document demonstrates that the lead CSO and its partners agree to work together on writing a full project proposal in order to apply for a REC grant. The concept paper should be submitted in Belarusian, Russian or English languages.

Submission of concept papers CSOs should use the attached concept paper form when preparing their project concept. The form should include basic information, clearly indicating the project partners and other parties, and a short introduction to the project. In the appropriate section of the form the CSO should estimate the total amount of funding required from the grants programme in order to complete the entire project. The following elements should be included:

Concept paper form, including a clear, brief description of the identified environmental issue to be addressed by the project.

An estimation of the time needed to complete the tasks described.


Summary budget for completing project tasks (in EUR). At this stage only an estimate is required, without budget justifications or breakdown.

If some funding will be provided from other sources, the name of the existing or potential donor and the amount of funding requested should be provided here, including in-kind donations. There should also be a clear indication of whether the grant will be used for co-financing another application.

Information on cooperating partners, provided by the lead CSO.

Submission of concept papers (Deadline: 28th February 2013, 17:00) Electronic submission of grants applications are required, and should be received by the submission deadline, 17:00, 28

th February 2013. Please send the concept paper form

and cooperative partners information by e-mail to [email protected]. The concept paper must be send in PDF signed by the lead CSO and in Word format to allow processing and translation. An e-mail will be sent confirming receipt of the concept paper. Please contact the grants manager if you do not receive e-mail confirmation.

Registration and pre-screening of concept papers The SECTOR programme team will pre-screen the concept papers to ensure that they meet the following criteria:

applicants must be eligible to receive a grant (see Eligibility and Conditions section above);

the concept paper must address an issue related to environmental protection and sustainable development, and additional topics specified in this call; and

the application form must be completed in full, the budget and timeline must correspond to requirements, stakeholders must be identified, and information on cooperating partners must be provided.

Evaluation of concept papers (mid-March 2013) Concept papers that meet the pre-screening criteria will then be evaluated on the basis of:

o Relevance: How does the identified problem fit into the grant scheme, as described in this announcement?

o Potential impact: What does the project aim to improve or change at local or national level? Do the goals and objectives of the project contribute to the scope of the grant scheme?

o Approach: o Is the approach inclusive and integrative? Are stakeholders and

public authorities involved appropriately? Does the concept build on the principles of sustainable development and environmental



protection by engaging relevant sectors of society in finding solutions to the identified problem?

o Are stakeholders clearly identified? Are the problems, goals and suggested methods clearly and briefly described? Do the involved CSOs share the duties, tasks and responsibilities? Does one CSO take a lead role?

o Are the forecasted results clearly stated and measurable? Do these results contribute to the principles of sustainable development and environmental protection?

o CSO capabilities: Can the CSO prove it has the necessary qualifications and capacity on the basis of previous project implementation experience?

The REC will score and rank applications according to these criteria, thus applicants are recommended to these criteria into consideration when preparing their concept papers.

Stage II: Full project proposal

Preparing the full proposal Training on writing a full proposal will be organised in mid-April 2013 for CSOs whose concept papers were selected. When preparing full proposals, CSOs should follow the guidelines supplied by the REC and should take into consideration the comments and recommendations received following the concept paper evaluation. The list of forms and documents required for submitting the full project proposal will be made available at a later date on the SECTOR website www.sector.rec.org.

Submission of full proposals (Deadline: 27th May 2013) The electronic version of full proposal must be sent to the REC’s grants manager by the email to [email protected] no later than 17:00 on 27

th of May, 2013.

Evaluation of full proposals by the Advisory Board (mid-June 2013) Project proposals may be written in Belarusian, Russian or English, but the executive summary must be translated into English. Proposals will be evaluated by an independent advisory board and selection will be based on the project’s quality and feasibility; the presence and number of cooperating stakeholders; as well as the potential for measurable environmental impacts in the country.




Interviews Representatives of the REC and members of the Advisory Board may interview key actors in the proposed project as part of the evaluation. Applicants will receive notification of the date and time of any such interview at least seven days in advance.

Notification of decisions and winners’ meeting (July 2013) The selected CSOs will be invited to attend a winners’ meeting, where they will present their projects to the other grantees and sign their award agreements. The meeting will also be an opportunity for the CSOs to learn about the REC’s reporting requirements and to meet the assigned grant manager and a financial assistant from the REC’s office, who will work with them closely throughout project implementation.

Project implementation (September 2013 – August 2014)

Grant winners can expect to receive the first instalment of their grant within one month of signing the award agreement. The project implementation period is up to 12 months. The REC’s assigned grants manager will monitor project implementation by means of direct contact and field visits.

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