Call for Proposals: Amazon+ Program

Deadline: 07-Oct-2024

The Italian Agency for Development Cooperation has announced a call for proposals to foster effective and sustainable cooperation with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to support the Italian Development Cooperation Agency (AICS) in the implementation of strategic actions.

Program Objectives and Priorities

• The global objective is to strengthen the capacity of the Amazon countries (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Surinam and Venezuela) to mitigate CO2 emissions, adapt to climate change and improve biodiversity protection. Through the active participation of indigenous peoples and local communities, the prevention of deforestation and forest degradation in the Amazon rainforest is sought to be significantly enhanced, generating tangible and sustainable results.
• The specific objectives of the present call for proposals are: Establish strategic alliances with NGOs, universities or research centers, committed to environmental conservation and sustainable development, with the aim of implementing concrete initiatives that contribute to strengthening local capacities, preventing deforestation and forest degradation, and promoting the effective participation of indigenous pueblos and local communities in the protection of the Amazon Rainforest. The proposed actions must be aligned with the general objective and demonstrate a measurable and lasting impact on the mitigation of CO2 emissions and the preservation of biodiversity in the region.
• The priorities of the present call for proposals are:
  • Strengthening of capacities: Strengthen national and local capacities through the application of political and financial instruments, as well as exchanges, to prevent and mitigate the incidence of deforestation, environmental degradation and forest fires.
  • Dialogue and Articulation Intra-regional: Facilitate spaces of dialogue and articulation at an intra-regional level, with the active participation of decision makers at the national, subnational, local, local communities and other sectors. These spaces will focus on the sustainable management of forests, the fight against deforestation, forest degradation and the prevention of forest fires.
  • Academic Training and Scientific Research: Reinforce academic training and scientific research to address and complete crucial scientific gaps that significantly contribute to curbing deforestation, environmental degradation and forest fires.
  • Implementation of Pilot/Emblematic Projects: Develop and implement pilot/emblematic projects in strategic landscapes, in collaboration with territorial administrative entities and policies that demonstrate a favorable ambition. These projects will focus on the prevention and mitigation of deforestation, environmental degradation and forest fires, acting as exemplary models for the region.

Funding Information

• The approximate total amount assigned to the present call for proposals is 1,500,000 EUR.
• Amount of subsidy:
  • The subsidy requested within the present call for proposals will be included between the following minimum and maximum amounts.
    • maximum amount: 1,500,000 EUR
    • minimum amount: 1,250,000 EUR

Duration

• The initial duration of any action may not be lower than 18 months or higher than 20 months.

Location

• The actions must be located in a maximum of six (6) countries where the Amazonia+ program is being developed: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. The applicant will determine, according to its technical and administrative capacity, the definition of a minimum of four (4) countries that will be the object of the action.

Eligibility Criteria

• Principal applicant
  • To be able to opt for a subsidy, the applicant principal must.
    • to be a legal person;
    • not be for profit;
    • be a civil society organization based in one (1) of the eight (8) countries of the Amazon basin or the European Union with a domicile abroad; and
    • be legally authorized to operate in at least two (2) countries of the six (6) targeted countries where the Amazonia+ program is developed: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela; and
    • be legally constituted at least ten (10) years prior to the date of submission of the proposal, must have all official documentation in force for its registration with the competent national authorities or agencies of the country of origin and have at least five (5) years of experience prior to the submission of the proposal in the execution of environmental projects in the Amazon region in one of the countries targeted by this call; and
    • the legal entity must have specific experience in the celebration and execution of at least one (1) legal or contractual business whose object and/or obligations and/or scope and/or conditions are related to some of the specific objects or related to this call and whose value is equal to or greater than thirty percent (30%) of the official budget established in this call, and
    • be presented with at least one (1) co-applicant; and
    • in which at least one (1) of them is a Higher Education Institution, legally constituted at least five (5) years before the date of submission of the proposal, and that has current authorization to provide its services by the competent national authorities or organizations of its country of origin. It may be private or public and have headquarters in one of the six (6) targeted countries where the Amazonia+ program is developed Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela.
  • International organizations will not be eligible under this convocation
• Co-applicants
  • The co-applicants will participate in the design and execution of the action, and the costs they incur will be eligible in the same way as those incurred by the main applicant.
  • In this call, the main applicant must be presented with at least one (1) co-applicant, each of whom accredits compliance with the following eligibility criteria:
    • be a legal entity; and
    • be legally authorized to operate in one of the six (6) targeted countries where the Amazonia+ program is being developed: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela; and
    • be legally constituted for at least five (5) years prior to the submission of the proposal and have all the official documentation in force for its registration with the competent national authorities or organizations of the country of origin; and
    • preferably prove at least two (2) years of experience prior to the submission of the proposal in the execution of projects or research on environmental issues in the Amazon region in one of the countries targeted by this call;
  • Co-applicants must sign the mandate form.
• Affiliated Entities
  • The lead applicant and its co-applicants may act with affiliated entities.
  • Only the following entities may be considered as entities affiliated with the lead applicant or the co-applicants:
    • Only entities that have a structural link with the applicants (i.e. the lead applicant or a co-applicant), especially if the link is legal or capital.
    • This structural link mainly covers two aspects:
      • Control on annual financial statements, consolidated financial statements and other related reports of certain types of undertakings.
      • Thus, entities affiliated with an applicant may be:
        • Entities controlled directly or indirectly by the applicant (subsidiaries or first-tier subsidiaries). They may also be entities controlled by an entity controlled by the applicant (second-tier subsidiaries), and the same applies to the next levels of control.
        • Entities that directly or indirectly control the applicant (parent undertakings). They may also be entities that control an entity that controls the applicant.
        • Entities under the same direct or indirect control as the applicant (associated undertakings).
      • Membership, i.e. the applicant is legally defined as, for example, a network, federation or association in which the proposed affiliated entities also participate, or the applicant participates in the same entity (for example, network, federation or association) as the proposed affiliated entities.

For more information, visit Italian Agency for Development Cooperation.