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23-Aug-2004 10:56 AM |
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LILKA Administrator Location: Germany
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Eurasia Foundation Representative Office in Armenia Request for Proposals Regional Business Development open grant competition Organizational Overview The Eurasia Foundation is a privately managed institution that receives significant funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), with additional support from other governments, foundations, corporations, and individuals. The Eurasia Foundation was established in 1993 to promote the development of democratic and free market institutions in the twelve New Independent States (NIS) of the former Soviet Union. Its primary tool in pursuing these goals is a small grants program that responds quickly and flexibly to the needs of NIS organizations. In fulfillment of its purposes, the Foundation invests resources in local institutions that help citizens become active participants in the political and economic life of their countries, while simultaneously striving to build strong partnerships between such institutions and their counterparts in other democratic nations. Goal Since independence in 1991, Armenia was striving for a modern democratic government and free market economy. The last decade was marked by significant changes in the sphere of private sector development. More than 80% of the GDP is produced in the private sector. At the same time, the analysis of the socio-economic state of Armenia[1] showed the economic centralization in the capital and low level of economic development of marzes (regions). Insufficient level of development of Small and Medium Entrepreneurship (SME) in marzes is preconditioned, among other reasons, by the lack of capacities of regional Business Support Structures (BSS). Regional chambers of commerce, business support centers and other NGOs that provide services to SMEs in the regions mostly lack technical, organizational and financial capacities for effective service provision. The current initiative is aimed at strengthening technical and organizational capacities of the selected structures through grants and Organizational Development consultancy support. The purpose of this competition is to select regional BSS type of organizations with real potential for organizational growth and strengthen them institutionally, helping to reach financial and organizational sustainability. Supported Activities Within the framework of this competition the Eurasia Foundation will support projects that include mechanisms promoting and encouraging the growth and development of a profitable private sector in regions. They may include activities directed at identification and solution of problems that prevent business development in the regions of Armenia. Examples of such activities include conducting research, training, information dissemination, publishing, and organization of exhibitions and trade fairs, introducing quality standards to ensure export promotion. This may be done along with the strengthening of the organization's technical and human capacities, enlarging the range and scope of services, establishment of different departments within the organization's structure, providing specific training opportunities in areas of leadership, management, member services and finances and other relevant topics. It may also support other mechanisms that will lead to the achievement of the overarching goals of this competition. Within the framework of this competition grantees will be provided with Organizational Development support from EF staff and its consultants. Forms and mechanisms of such support will be defined jointly by the EF and grantee organization's management. Possible approaches will include conducting participatory Organizational Assessments, SWOT analysis, as well as developing Action Plans for Capacity Development. Qualified Applicants Regional Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CCI), NGOs and business centers are eligible to participate in the competition provided they are registered in accordance to current legislation. These organizations should be based either in target regions (marzes) or have an established branch there. Proposal Selection Criteria The Foundation will consider the following criteria to ensure fair selection of proposals: Organization § Compatibility of organization's mission and strategy for proposed project § Staff capacity to implement the project § Organizational history and experience in developing SME in regions § Level of self-revenue generation for recent three years § Readiness for Organizational Development process Project design § Justification of problem § Level of impact on project beneficiaries § SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound) objectives § Logical connections and relevance of objectives, activities, outputs and outcomes § Feasibility of proposed approach § Monitoring and evaluation plan § Feasibility of the self-sustainability plan Budget § Relevance of proposed activities and budget, as well as its cost-efficiency § Level of input from own resources (is desirable) § Level of co-funding (if available) Use of Grant Funds Organizations submitting proposals must be prepared to carry out certain responsibilities should they win: 1. Competition winners will have to sign a grant agreement with the Foundation. Pursuant to that agreement, grant funds and equipment must be used only for activities directly connected to the project. 2. The winners of the competition should participate in the seminar on Grant Management and get acquainted with requirements pertaining to financial and project reporting of the Foundation. All expenses should be in compliance with USAID rules and regulations. For more information, see http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/a122/a122.html 3. The winners should express their agreement to exercise control over the appropriate utilization of equipment purchased through project funds, as well as take necessary measures for their maintenance and operation. Such equipment should be used exclusively for grant implementation. The Foundation reserves the right to withdraw equipment provided under grant resources should it find out that the equipment is not being used for the purposes agreed upon. Applicant organizations should provide detailed budget narrative, which explains the uses of funds and how estimates were determined (monthly expenses according to project plan). The Foundation primarily supports costs associated with undertaking a particular project, such as salaries and fringe benefits of project staff, project-related travel, consultants' fees, communication costs and supplies. In addition, some allowance for indirect costs may also be included. The Foundation may also provide support for equipment (e.g., personal computers, typewriters, copiers, fax machines), provided that the equipment is not readily available at the applicant's institution and is necessary to carry out the project. The budget must cover all eligible costs of the project. All items must be broken down into their individual components. The number of units for each component must be specified. For further information refer to "Application Packet Proposal Format" or to the Foundation web-site: www.eurasia.am. Decision Making Process and Competition Schedule The Foundation will provide limited support to interested organizations on Preparation of Applications in a pre-bid consulting seminar to be held in Yerevan on August 25, 2004 at 12:00 p.m., at the premises of the Yerevan Office of the Foundation at 4 Demirchyan Street. Individual consultation will not be provided. Competition schedule: Competition Announcement: August 17, 2004 Pre-Bid seminar: (12:00 p.m.) August 25, 2004 Application Submission Deadline: September 10, 2004 Announcement of Competition Awards: October 5, 2004 The review and proposal selection process will be done in three phases: 1. Basic selection with rejection of those proposals which are evidently out of the competition's frame or EF's general mandate. 2. Selection of best proposals by a Committee comprised of EF's program officers and outside consultants (optional) 3. Presentation of selected proposals to EF's Advisory Board members for final approval. Award procedures will be conducted in compliance with Foundation policies.. A detailed grant agreement with all necessary attachments will be signed, and a grant management seminar provided to the project's key personnel. All applicants will be informed about the Foundation decision before October 5, 2004. Proposal In order to participate in the competition, all eligibility requirements as outlined above should be met. The proposal submitted to the Foundation should include: § Two hard copies and one electronic copy in Russian or English of the project proposal, developed according to guidelines provided in the current Request for Proposals. § Grant Management Questionnaire should be filled out and necessary documentation provided. § A letter from the organization confirming readiness for Organizational Development support. According to Application Guidelines, the project proposal should consist of the following sections: q Basic information on the applicant q Project Description and Justification q Budget. The expected projects' budget range is $10,000 - $35,000. These numbers are indicative only and should not be treated as compulsory. Projects are expected to have duration from 9 to 18 months. Incomplete proposals will not be considered. The purpose of seeking this volume of information is to make certain that the Foundation has conducted sufficient due diligence to enable it to determine whether applicants are highly likely to fulfill the goals of the competition. The Foundation does not use information presented by applicants for purposes other than review by its own personnel (or in this case by the judges of the competition) and does not provide this information to any outside persons or institutions, except in cases where it is required by the legislation of Armenia or by the Eurasia Foundation. The Eurasia Foundation is not required to return documentation submitted in the process of application. For further information regarding proposal and budgets see section above Use of Grants Funds and EF Application Packet or visit the web-site: www.eurasia.am. Address, Contact Information and Delivery of Proposals Application packets must be submitted to the Yerevan office of the Foundation no later than 5:00 p.m., September 10, 2004, to Marina Ayvazian, Private Sector Program Officer. [1] Conducted by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and Economic Development (MTED) |
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