Call for Proposals: Piloting Eco-Innovation in Vietnam

Deadline: 28-Apr-25

The United Nations Environment Programme is inviting applications to support SMEs in Vietnam to address the use of harmful chemicals in their value chain by adopting circular business models in line with UNEP’s eco-innovation approach.

The project will select implementing partner(s) in Vietnam (e.g., business association, technical centre). The implementing partner(s) with the support of global experts (provided by UNEP) will coach the SMEs and SME networks (‘replicators’) to implement eco-innovation methodology with identified companies, especially SMEs (brands and producers, including (partially)) women-owned enterprises), including identification of hotspots, development of new business strategies and models to phase out chemicals of concern, development of roadmaps and regional and global expertise to implement selected projects from the roadmap.

One known constraint to adoption of eco-innovation is the access to finance and investment. The implementing partner will map financial mechanisms, institutions and instruments in-country and in value chain and summarize these in a resource library. Global experts (provided by UNEP) will review financial institutions and initiatives’ financing policies for chemicals; and circular textiles business models’ criteria to contribute to the resource library. Global experts will jointly with the national implementing partner provide national and regional training including guidance (multimedia format) to the selected textile SMEs on data needed for bankable proposals as well as emphasis on gender-specific challenges and potential solutions. With support from the global experts the selected country implementing partner will guide the SMEs to develop bankable proposals.

Funding Information

• The maximum budget for the implementation of the project is 100 000 USD.
• The project implementation period is from June 2025-December 2026.

Deliverables

• The expected deliverables over the project implementation phase (Q2 2025-Q4 2026) are following:
  • Providing eco-innovation guidance and support to 12 textile SMEs in Vietnam to develop new circular business models that address the use of chemicals of concern, including POPs
  • Provide support to 4 textiles SMEs in developing bankable proposals and reduce the use of chemicals of concern; complete and report results of the eco-innovation process for in line with UNEP guidelines.
  • Map existing national and regional finance possibilities for SMEs in the textiles sector in Vietnam.
  • Develop business plans and bankable proposals for 4 SMEs to implement their new circular business models.
  • 6 case studies of SMEs that have received training and support on eco-innovation, including the 4 that have developed bankable proposals

Eligibility Criteria

• The applicant organization must have verifiable experience in engaging with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), preferably from the textiles sector. The organization must be registered in Vietnam, have proven experience in implementing projects of similar scale and nature Vietnam.
• The proposals/applications will be reviewed according to how they meet the following criteria.
  • Technical expertise
    • Quality of the application
    • Technical expertise and ability to deliver timely;
    • Existing networks with relevant local and international stakeholders such as textiles industry, research institutes
    • Proven experience of ability to work in the Vietnamese context and sufficient language skills
  • Past experience
    • Past experience
  • Budget
    • Available in-kind contribution
    • Cost effectiveness
• Registered non-profit organizations registered in Vietnam (NGOs, governmental agencies etc.) that are providing services to the government and/or industry and functioning as intermediary in one or more of the following areas: textile circularity, eco-innovation, chemicals management in the textiles sector. Such organization could for example be Non-Government Organisations (NGOs), Not-for-profit Organisations (NPOs), research and innovation centres. Applications from the private sector or from consortia will not be considered.

For more information, visit UNEP.