Sustainable Water and Natural Resources Management and Protection

Deadline: 20-Nov-21

European Commission is calling for proposals for Sustainable Water and Natural Resources Management and Protection to mitigate climate changes consequences by improving the resilience of rural populations, maintaining the quality of their environment and resources, and increasing their livelihoods.

The Government “Water Sector Reform Programme” for 2016-2025 aiming to reorganise the water sector in line with Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) principles, based on hydrological boundaries. A Water Strategy is guiding the implementation of reforms in the water sector and highlighting the importance of water resources management as key to adapt to climate change. The government of Tajikistan currently implementing National Development Strategy (NDS) of the Republic of Tajikistan 2030, with the aim of improving people living standards through sustainable economic development.

Objectives

The global objective of this call for proposals is: to enable inclusive growth and resilience to extreme climate conditions in rural communities, based on improved agriculture and sustainable use of water and natural resources.
The specific objective(s) of this call for proposals is/are: to improve livelihood in rural areas, by improving management of natural resources to reduce poverty as well as food and nutrition insecurity in upper catchments of Zeravshon river Watershed.

Priorities

The priority(ies) of this call for proposals is/are:

Sustainable production practices are promoted among rural communities
Watershed management plans under Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) are prepared and possibly implemented
Nutrition at community level is improved: safe and supportive environments for enhanced nutrition at all ages.
Access to safe drinking water and sanitation is improved

Cross Cutting Issues

The following main cross cutting issues to be taken in account:

Capacity building of Community Based organisations: Actions should contain a significant element of capacity building geared towards local community organisations in a way to guarantee principles of empowerment, accountability, participation and non-discrimination of vulnerable.
Gender mainstreaming: The project should specifically target women who are de facto the main economic operators in the rural parts of the country, ensuring women participation and representation in any water user groups and in Community-based Organisations for the management of natural resources. Women and children should benefit from the actions to improve household water delivery and energy efficiency measures.
Covid-19 response: Proposals need to contain an element of analysis and response to the long-term consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. These elements have to be streamlined through the project and possibly develop innovative activities that build resilience.

Funding Information

The overall indicative amount made available under this call for proposals is EUR 15 000 000.
Any grant requested under this call for proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum amounts:
- minimum amount: EUR 15 000 000
- maximum amount: EUR 15 000 000
Any grant requested under this call for proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum percentages of total eligible costs of the action:
- Minimum percentage: 60 % of the total eligible costs of the action.
- Maximum percentage: 90 % of the total eligible costs of the action

Eligibility Criteria

Lead applicant
- In order to be eligible for a grant, the lead applicant must:
  - be a legal person
  - be non-profit-making
  - be a specific type of organisation such as: non-governmental organisation, public sector operator, local authority, international (inter-governmental) organisation
  - be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action with the co-applicant(s) and affiliated entity(ies), not acting as an intermediary.
Co-applicant(s)
- Lead applicants established in Tajikistan must act with at least one co-applicant established in Tajikistan.
- Lead applicants not established in Tajikistan must act together with at least two co-applicants established in Tajikistan.
- Actions proposed by lead applicants, that are not established in Tajikistan must be based on local initiatives and should ensure genuine involvement of co-applicants established in Tajikistan during all stages of the implementation. Applications must demonstrate expected benefits and added value of the partnership in responding to identified local needs. The Evaluation Committee will give particular importance to the “quality of partnership”.
- Co-applicants participate in designing and implementing the action, and the costs they incur are eligible in the same way as those incurred by the lead applicant.
- Co-applicants must satisfy the eligibility criteria as applicable to the lead applicant himself.
- Co-applicants must sign the mandate
Affiliated Entities
The lead applicant and its co-applicant(s) may act with affiliated entity(ies).
Only the following entities may be considered as affiliated entities to the lead applicant and/or to co-applicant(s):Only entities having a structural link with the applicants (i.e. the lead applicant or a co-applicant), in particular a legal or capital link.
This structural link encompasses mainly two notions:
- Control, as defined in Directive 2013/34/EU on the annual financial statements, consolidated financial statements and related reports of certain types of undertakings:
  - Entities affiliated to an applicant may hence be:Entities directly or indirectly controlled by the applicant (daughter companies or first-tier subsidiaries). They may also be entities controlled by an entity controlled by the applicant (granddaughter companies or second-tier subsidiaries) and the same applies to further tiers of control;
  - Entities directly or indirectly controlling the applicant (parent companies). Likewise, they may be entities controlling an entity controlling the applicant;
  - Entities under the same direct or indirect control as the applicant (sister companies).
- Membership, i.e. the applicant is legally defined as a e.g. network, federation, association in which the proposed affiliated entities also participate or the applicant participates in the same entity (e.g. network, federation, association,…) as the proposed affiliated entities.