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UNDP: Slovak Challenge Fund

Deadline: 11-Jul-21

UNDP is calling for proposals for the Slovak Challenge Fund to identify promising innovative solutions that facilitate the transfer of Slovak know-how to have a positive impact at scale and address development challenges in two programme countries: North Macedonia and the Republic of Moldova.

The purpose of the Slovak Challenge Fund is to identify promising innovations that leverage Slovak know-how and generate greater efficiency of UNDP programmes in North Macedonia and the Republic of Moldova. Specifically, they have set out to:

  • Identify solutions that generate improvement and value, especially by introducing new methods, ideas, or products.
  • Support solutions that assure viability in local conditions, long-term sustainability, and potential for scale-up.
  • Promote solutions to share knowledge and tackle development challenges in other countries.

Objectives

  • The Slovak Challenge Fund (SCF) is a component of the UNDP-Slovakia Partnership: Effective Development Cooperation Solutions for the SDGs (hereafter Partnership Project), a project financed by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic and implemented by UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub during the period 2018– 2021, to address development challenges in two programme countries: North Macedonia and the Republic of Moldova.
  • The objective of the Slovak Challenge Fund is to facilitate the transfer of Slovak know- how and innovative solutions that would address development challenges identified by the respective UNDP Country Offices, and contribute to the SDGs’ achievement.
  • The SCF is looking for innovative solutions that generate improvement and value, especially by introducing new methods, ideas, or products. The SCF recognize that innovations come in many forms – and welcome different types of innovations including products, services, programming approaches, operational changes, finance and market innovations or technology driven innovations, among others.
  • The proposed solutions need to be sustainable – and have a potential for scale-up and replication. The proposed solutions should also empower those who are being left behind (or who are at risk of being left behind). Gender sensitivity will be an integral part of the implemented projects.
  • The eligible applicants include Slovak private sector entities. The applicants are required to engage local partners to assure viability in local conditions, and to promote sustainability and scalability of the solution.

Funding Information

  • The ‘Partnership Project’ will provide between US$20,000 and US$40,000 as award through the SCF. The applicants are expected to provide in kind or financial co-financing of at least 20% of the total budget of the project.
  • The Project must be completed within 12 months.

Outcomes

The SCF recognize that innovations come in many forms – and welcome different types of innovations including products, services, programming approaches, operational changes, finance and market innovations or technology driven innovations, among others. Both programmatic and operational ideas are welcomed. The SCF views innovation in its broadest sense including:

  • a new approach, product, idea, or service that has not been tested anywhere;
  • is new to the beneficiary country (if applicable);
  • has not been applied to the sector in question in the beneficiary country;
  • Service or business model being introduced to a target group where it has not been tried before.

Eligibility Criteria

Entities wishing to apply to the SCF need to meet the following eligibility criteria:

  • The lead Applicant must be a registered private sector entity in the Slovak Republic.
  • The Project must be implemented in one of the programme countries: North Macedonia or the Republic of Moldova. The applicants are required to engage local partners to assure viability in local conditions.
  • The Applicant may partner with other Entity/Entities (the Slovak Republic) eligible for SCF support. The Applicant is responsible for the Project and must warrant that the permission of the other members has been obtained.
  • All Applicants must demonstrate their capacity to implement their proposed Project, and will need to demonstrate adequate financial, material, human and other non-financial resources to implement the proposed Project within the set timeframe.
  • The Projects must demonstrate that the activities funded by the SCF will be additional to the Entity’s existing activities – and that the projects would not go ahead without SCF funding, i.e. would not take place at the same scale or have the same development impact without the Challenge Fund contribution.
  • The proposed Project must have a potential for financial, social, and environmental sustainability – and scale-up and replication.
  • All Projects must be inclusive in nature, benefit the target beneficiaries, and contribute to the achievement of SDGs, rather than solely benefitting the participating Entity.
  • The Applicants provide co-financing of at least 20% of the total cost of the project. Co-financing can be in-kind. Co-financing above the minimum threshold is preferred and will be taken into account during evaluation.

Selection Criteria

  • The selection process is open and designed according to the principles of merit, transparency, equality, and rational use of funds, by launching one Call for Proposals per year. (The decision to open more than one Call for Proposals per year could be decided by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic.)
  • Applications are submitted and selected against clear eligibility and evaluation criteria. The Applications which fulfill all eligibility criteria, best satisfy the evaluation criteria, and can fulfill legal requirements are offered to sign an Award Agreement.
  • General rules for Applications:
    • Each Entity may submit one Application per SCF programme country, however only one Application per Entity will be selected for Award.
    • Deadline for Applications has to be strictly respected.
    • Re-submission of a modified and improved Application after the deadline for application is strictly restricted.
    • During the evaluation process, only complete Applications will be evaluated and accepted. Application and supporting documents (i.e. Extract from Public Registry) have to be provided in an electronic format.
    • Hard copy of the supporting documents might be requested.

For more information, visit https://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=78934