Deadline: 13-Sep-20
As part of the Decentralization and Territorialization of the SDGs pilot project, UNCDF and UNDP, in partnership with the ministry in charge of decentralization, seek to forge a partnership with one or more promoters (SMEs, municipalities, financial institutions) located in one of the targeted municipalities.
This partnership aims to implement projects that will impact the economic empowerment of women and young people while generating benefits for the municipality. The selected projects will receive a grant and technical assistance for their implementation.
The project must generate positive economic benefits and participate in the economic empowerment of women and / or youth, for example job creation, creation of stable and sustainable income for local people and institutions, improvement of working conditions including the development of trade and market access.
NDP (United Nations Development Programme) is supporting countries in their efforts to effectively address various development challenges, based on three broad contexts that call for different forms of support:
- Eliminating poverty in all its forms and dimensions;
- Accelerating structural transformations for sustainable development; And
- Strengthening resilience to crises andshocks.
Funding Information
- For this pilot phase, the total grant amount is set at USD 300,000, with a minimum grant of USD 60,000 to 100,000 per project in order to ensure a significant impact on local development.
UNCDF offers to project owners/promoters
- Project development support:
- Development of targeted technical projects and financial support for project developers (e.g., improved project documentation, due diligence and financial structuring);
- The project’s investment documents in a format acceptable to commercial banks and investors;
- Capacity building and technical assistance for business development, improved financial management, human resource management, compliance management, financial governance and transparency, product development and value-added creation, and increased use of digital technologies.
- Connecting project owners with financial institutions and investors:
- Helps project owners access financing from financial institutions and development finance (e.g., identify the right investor based on the sector, size and type of financing required) and negotiate loan terms with potential lenders;
- For qualified projects, seed capital (subsidies).
- Gender-sensitive orientation and impact implementation assistance:
- Support for the development of a gender-sensitive business plan, maximizing the impact on women’s economic empowerment at the local level;
- Support for the development of a concrete monitoring framework on gender equality and women’s economic empowerment in the territory;
- Support management and companies to implement a gender equality policy in their business.
Criteria
Project proposals must meet the following criteria:
- Promoter / tenderer: The proposal must be carried by a municipality, an SME, an association or a financial institution.
- Geographic location: The project must be located in one of the following (5) communes: Agou 1, Oti 2, Agoenyive 5, Kozah 2, Lacs 1. Impact on the economic empowerment of women and / or youth, and on local development: The project must generate, directly or indirectly, positive economic benefits and will participate in the economic empowerment of women and / or youth, eg job creation, income generation stable and sustainable for local people and institutions, improvement of working conditions including the development of trade and market access.
- Innovation and resilience level of the project:
- the project has innovative aspects in its specific context;
- the project includes new partnerships which involve promoters from the private sector, municipalities and financial institutions;
- the project promotes and tests new approaches or methodologies;
- the project takes into account measures to adapt or mitigate climate change;
- the project calls for the practical application of a technology (digital, mobile money, etc.).
- Project status: Priority will be given to existing projects seeking expansion / consolidation. Project development activities must have gone beyond a pre-feasibility stage beyond a concept note; that is, proposals should at a minimum include a detailed business plan and budget.
- Institutional profile: Priority will be given to structures / projects:
- having a significant number of women and / or young people involved in the organizational structure and staffing, which includes female representation on the board of directors, management team and full-time staff;
- being explicitly committed to promoting gender equality in employment;
- having made explicit spending and program commitments that strengthen gender equality and support the advancement of women (i.e. gender-based training will be seen as an added value).
- Incubator-type projects, consisting in supporting project leaders with a view to their bankability, may also be supported.
- Qualified Project Management Team: The proposal should demonstrate that the proposed management team possesses the technical skills necessary to carry out the project.
- Compliance: Compliance with Togo’s laws and regulations and UNDCF / UNDP environmental and social performance standards, including labor laws, human rights (labor and women), is essential.
For more information, visit https://bit.ly/3mme2LA