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Environmental problems do not stop at country borders. Threatened and endangered species rely on habitat in different countries for the different stages in their life cycle. Rivers and bogs form and cross country borders, carrying pollutants along the way. The former regime left undisturbed natural borders around many countries, which can either be protected or exploited. Transportation and energy systems, many of them inefficient and in need of improvements, criss-cross the region. Industrial sites spew pollution which is carried by the wind.
NGOs in all the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) are working hard to find solutions to these issues. At the REC, we believe that by working together, NGOs from affected countries can have a greater impact on environmental quality than they do working alone. We have seen that governmental officials are more willing to respond to projects with an international element, when they feel that the eyes of other governments and press are looking at them. It is one of the goals of the REC to help in the development of an strong international environmental movement by the year 2000.
To encourage NGOs to work together to solve environmental problems, the REC offers grants of up to 25,000 ECU to NGO groups. The topic of this Call for Tender is wide open. NGOs can bring to the REC any type of environmental issue with just one limitation: it must be a problem which faces more than one country. When two or more NGOs from two or more countries find a common problem, they are invited to meet together to prepare a project proposal which gives a solution to this problem.
Registered non-profit, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia and Yugoslavia should apply for the co-operative grant. NGOs currently running an Earmarked or Cooperative project supported by the REC are NOT eligible for funding.
First, the grant will be given to NGOs working on co-operative projects. NGOs from at least two different countries will work together on an environmental issue that affects them both. NGOs will work together to apply for the grant, implement the program, and prepare project reports. Only NGOs may receive REC funds, but NGOs are also encouraged to work closely with other institutions such as local and national governments, schools, farms, businesses, and universities.
Second, projects should address transboundary or regionwide environmental problems. The Call for Tender is very open to NGO's ideas. Some transboundary problems may be geographical, for example: a shared river, watershed, or habitat. Other transboundary issues may involve rare or endangered species that are found in different countries. For example, NGOs might work together to save a bird species that migrates from one country into another. A third type of transboundary issue could be pollution. Global climate change _ caused by changes in landscape, increase in traffic, and inefficient use of fossil fuels _ is a pollution problem that threatens us all and requires strong international cooperation to solve. In general, transboundary projects work to solve physical, environmental problems or issues found in two or more countries.
Regionwide projects are slightly different from transboundary projects. Regionwide projects may deal with problems common to all CEE countries, for example, sustainable development. NGOs may also wish to co-operate to address problems of environmental education, recycling, resource use, privatisation, public participation in decision making and implementation of environmental legislation, or the environmental implications of accession to the European Union. Educating the public about global climate change could also be a regionwide project.
Projects may address any environmental topic which is a priority in the CEE region!!! REC will not limit the range of topics in this Call for Tender. The only limit is that projects must be co-operative. In past Calls for Tender, NGOs proposed projects on all different topics, including energy; pollution; protection of species; education; biodiversity; sustainable agriculture, sustainable rural development, sustainable development in general; watershed protection, environmental policy, environmental computer networks, and many more. Any topic will be considered, as long as partners agree upon a project.
The important point is that the environmental problem must exist in both countries involved. It should be a priority environmental topic for both countries, with impact on the CEE region as a whole. Projects that are local in scope are not eligible.
The application is a two-part process. In the first part, NGOs write a short Concept Paper briefly describing their projects. At the end of this paper is a Format for the Concept Paper. REC will evaluate the Concept Papers based on certain standards and criteria (described in Stage 2: Evaluation of Concept Papers). The top Concept Papers will be selected. Those selected NGOs will be asked to write a detailed Project Proposal. Grants will be awarded based on the detailed Project Proposals.
Grants will be awarded only to organisations working together on projects. NGOs should begin by finding partners in other countries who are working on similar topics. You may wish to find partner organisations using the following resources:
With the other NGOs you should agree on a topic and a project idea. You need to have the framework of a project. At this stage, very exact details are not necessary.
You must use the following forms:
Concept papers must be sent to all of the following places. First, send the concept paper to the REC Headquarters in Szentendre. Next, send the concept paper to the following local offices of the REC: The Local Office in your country and the local office in the country of your partner. The REC Local Offices always have a chance to comment on the concept papers.
The Concept Papers will be evaluated by an internal panel. REC Local Office Representatives will also give their opinions. Projects will be chosen based on a minimum of five criteria:
REC will notify NGOs within two weeks of the evaluation meeting if their Concept Papers were selected, and within one month of the evaluation meeting if their papers were not chosen. The NGOs proposing the best concept papers are eligible for a start up grant. We will make sure that your NGO still needs the funding in order to meet your partners. If so, we will transfer it to the lead NGO's bank account. The project leader must keep careful records of how the money was spent and to make a report of it, including all receipts.
One representative from one NGO must be the Project Manager for the whole project. The co-operating partners must agree on the Project Manager. All partners must agree that Project Manager has the responsibility for managing the preparation grant for the project.
If your NGO is chosen to write a project Proposal, REC Headquarters will send you the standard guidelines for writing a cooperative project proposal. The NGOs should carefully follow these guidelines. Each project proposal must include a report on how the preparation grant was spent, following the guidelines included. Project proposals will be due to REC postmarked January 11, 1999. Proposals may be sent via email, fax, or mail. Supporting documents and documents containing signatures should be mailed.
Again, the complete Project Proposals will be judged by a panel of experts. Proposals will be prescreened to make sure that all necessary documents are present, including the financial report on the start-up grant. The Grants Assistant will contact you to obtain any missing documentation.
Criteria for choosing projects include:
Grant winners will be notified and invited to the REC Headquarters in Szentendre for the traditional Winners Meeting. At this meeting, you (and depending on availability of funds, your partner or partners) will present your joint project to the other grantees. You will also meet your Project Officer and Financial Assistant from REC Headquarters who will work closely with you as you implement your project. Together, you will agree on the terms of your contract: your schedule for providing progress and financial reports; and our schedule for providing you with funding based upon your progress in implementing the project.
Grant winners should expect their first grant installments no sooner than one month after the Award Agreements are signed.
Application format is available on their webpage.
Contact your Local Office Representative or the REC Headquarters office for more information (36-26 311-199, fax 36-26-311-294) and additional copies. Applications may be sent by mail, fax, or email, postmarked by November 2, 1998. Send the completed Format to: The REC Local Office of your country, the REC Local Office of your partner(s) country, and to:
Headquarters REC
Grants Department
Ady Endre ut 9-11, 2000
Szentendre, Hungary
If you choose to apply via email, the signed Statements of Cooperation MUST be sent by mail or fax. Send applications to [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], or [email protected].
Webpage: http://www.rec.org/REC/Programs/Grants/ngo_coop.html
Last updated: November 6, 1998
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