Deadline: 14 April 2020
The Slovak Agency for International Development Cooperation (SAIDC) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) jointly launch a call for Slovak entrepreneurs to participate in the recently created Slovak Challenge Fund, which aims to involve the Slovak private sector in addressing development cooperation challenges through innovation.
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 partner 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.
Outcomes
The supported outcome is a new approach, product, idea or service. The supported outcome is also a feasibility study providing an innovative and replicable solution to the identified development challenge. The study will include evidence that the proposed solution is feasible, and an implementation plan specifying concrete actions and partnerships necessary for the implementation of the solution. It will list all associated activities, stakeholder engagement, implementation costs and possibilities for scale-up.
Funding and Duration Information
- The ‘Partnership Project’ will provide between US$20,000 and US$40,000 per project through the SCF.
- The applicants are expected to provide in kind or financial co-funding of at least 20% of the total Project costs.
- The Project must be completed within 12 months from the grant award.
Typical items that can be covered from the Challenge Fund may include, but are not limited to:
- Salaries of project staff;
- Technology, design, business, development and other consultancy services;
- Advisory inputs;
- Small equipment and supplies;
- Training and workshop expenses;
- Costs including travel connected to the implementation of the Project.
Eligibility Criteria
Entities wishing to apply to the SCF need to meet the following eligibility criteria:
- The lead Applicant must be a registered entity (from the private sector) in the Slovak Republic.
- The Project must be implemented in one of the partner countries: North Macedonia or the Republic of Moldova.
- 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 Applicant may partner with other Entity/Entities eligible for SCF support. The Applicant is responsible for the Project and must warrant that the permission of the other members has been obtained.
- The funding request is for a specific, new and innovative project, documented in the methodology of the feasibility study, that addresses the set development challenge. The SCF views innovation in its broadest sense including: i) a new approach, product, idea or service that has not been tested anywhere; ii) is new to the beneficiary country (if applicable); iii) has not been applied to the sector in question in the beneficiary country; or iv) service or business model being introduced to a target group where it has not been tried before.
- The proposed Project must have a potential for financial, social and environmental sustainability and scale up.
- 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 Applicant must apply for an Award ranging between US$20,000 USD and US$40,000.
- The Applicants provide co-funding of at least 20% of the total cost of the project. Co-funding can be in-kind. Co-funding above the minimum threshold is preferred and will be taken into account during evaluation.
- 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.
For more information, visit https://www.mzv.sk/web/kisinov-en/slovak-aid/slovak-challenge-fund