Deadline: 31-Dec-23
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), through its innovation laboratory, IDB Lab, and in collaboration with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) seeks to support innovative solutions that contribute to the sound management of hazardous Chemicals and Waste (C&W) to protect human health and the environment, and address climate vulnerability in the Caribbean region.
Priority Waste Streams
- IDB Lab seeks to identify innovative solutions that soundly manage the following priority waste streams, particularly affecting poor and vulnerable in the 10 target countries:
- Used lubricating oils
- This waste stream is generated in large quantities in participating countries in the transportation, electricity generation, and industrial sectors.
- Used and end-of-life tires
- This waste stream is generated in large quantities in the transportation sector, and its disposal in landfills and open dumpsites throughout the Caribbean poses both a human health hazards as well as a management issue as they take up a large amount space in landfills, or are disposed by burning, which worsens pollution.
- Used and end-of-life vehicles
- End of life vehicles are in most cases subject to very informal recovery efforts or are left to decay in abandoned areas. The volume of non-depolluted vehicles pileup around landfills and other dump sites and represent a large pollution potential.
- Used and end-of-life electronic and electrical equipment (e-waste)
- This waste stream is generated from a very wide range of economic activities, ranging from household waste generation to sophisticated ICT generated waste.
- Plastics
- This waste stream is generated mainly by the food and beverage industry. Single use plastics, including styrofoam and polystyrene food containers, have been one of the most prevalent sources of plastic waste in participating countries.
- Manufacturing/industrial waste
- Priority industrial waste in participating countries include garbage, dirt and gravel, masonry and concrete, scrap metals, trash, oil, solvents, chemicals, weed grass and trees, wood and scrap lumber, and similar wastes.
- Organic and municipal solid waste
- This category of waste, while not falling under the ambit of the hazardous C&W conventions, comprises over 70% of total waste streams going to landfills in participating countries. These wastes are easily combustible and lead to the rapid spread of landfill fires.
- Medical waste
- Medical waste, including used surgical equipment, sharps, and biowaste, is a major concern in participating countries. With the advent of the COVID-19 epidemic, medical waste generation has increased, and improperly discarded personal protective equipment, hand sanitizer containers, face masks and gloves are increasingly appearing in rivers, oceans, and coastal areas.
- Hazardous pesticides
- could also be prioritized as long as they contribute to the reduction of environmental pollution in participating countries.
- Used lubricating oils
Funding Information
- Applicants can request project financing via the following financial instruments:
- Loan (Reimbursable)
- IDB Funding: between US$500,000 – US$2,000,000.
- Counterpart funds: Desirable, but not required 50% of the total project amount, half in cash and half in kind. Counterpart will be positively considered for selection.
- Contingent Recovery Financing (Reimbursement conditions to be agreed during due diligence)
- IDB Lab Funding: between US$300,000 – US$750,000.
- Counterpart funds to be provided by the Applicant: 50% of the total budget, half in cash and half in kind.
- Grants (Non-reimbursable)
- IDB Lab Funding: between US$300,000 – US$750,000.
- Counterpart funds to be provided by the Applicant: 50% of the total budget, half in cash and half in kind.
- Technical Cooperation (TC) Prototypes (Non-reimbursable)
- IDB Lab Funding: between US$100,000 – US$150,000.
- Counterpart funds to be provided by the Applicant: 20% of the total budget, can be all in kind (case by case basis).
- Loan (Reimbursable)
- TC Prototypes are aimed at testing early-stage innovations and technological solutions with a rapidly executing, simplified structure (18 months duration, no more than three procurements).
What are they looking for?
- The proposed solutions must:
- Be innovative in nature and present a business model that has not been implemented before in the country or that adds an innovation component to an existing model.
- Focus on reducing environmental pollution and climate vulnerability, thus, contributing to at least one of the following indicators:
- reduction, disposal/destruction, phase out, elimination and avoidance of chemicals of global concern and their waste in the environment and in processes, materials and products (metric tons of toxic chemicals reduced)
- reduction, avoidance of emissions of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) to air from point and non-point sources
- reduction of marine litter.
- Promote the social and economic inclusion of poor and vulnerable population; and
- Contemplate a path for scalability or replication, as well as financial sustainability.
Geographical Scope
- 10 target Caribbean countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago.
Eligibility Criteria
- Startups, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), corporations, NGOs, and others with demonstrated expertise in managing at least one of the priority waste streams mentioned.
- If your organization is located in one of the 10 target countries where the project will be implemented, you may submit a proposal.
- If your organization is located in one of the 48 IDB member countries other than one of the 10 target countries where the project will be implemented, you may submit a proposal only in partnership with an organization registered and located in one of the 10 target countries where the project will be implemented. The Caribbean-based organization should be materially involved in the activities of the proposed project. Project impact must favor one of the 10 target countries.
For more information, visit Inter-American Development Bank.