Deadline: 20-Nov-20
UNDP Georgia has announced a Call for Proposals for Grant Competition to establish new or expand existing social enterprises; to develop services and products for and by vulnerable groups in response and building resilence to covid–19 pandemic.
Georgia’s economy is suffering from COVID-19 crisis as its real GDP is expected to decline by 4 per cent in 2020 (IMF, April 2020). This is mainly attributed to the halted tourism, declining consumption deteriorating trade, declining FDI and domestic investments, and weakening remittances in the country. For rural areas of Georgia that has been highly reliant on international tourism in recent years, COVID-19 creates new challenges and further exposes its vulnerabilities due to the pre-existing conditions, such as unfavourable demographic structure, poverty, high level of population aging and migration that represent a hindrance to the rural development.
The EU financed and UNDP implemented project “Improving Rural Development in Georgia” (IRDG) is addressing the challenges of rural areas in Georgia by taking actions to achieve:
- Improved governance for effective implementation of the Rural Development Strategy (2017-2020), it’s Action Plan and related programmes;
- Improved rural economic diversification, employment and services;
- Improved environment, sustainable management of natural resources and climate action. One of the key measures of the project is to support social resilience of vulnerable groups (IDPs, ethnic minorities, women, youth, people with disabilities, new migrants/returnees, people left without jobs, families with many children, single household elderly, etc.) in target rural areas of Lagodekhi, Dedoplistskaro, Tetritskaro, Borjomi, Akhalkalaki, Kazbegi, Keda and Khulo municipalities.
Purpose
The primary purpose of the call is to respond and build resilience of rural areas in Georgia to COVID-19 outbreak and the economic and social consequences through Social Enterprise development in the IRDG project target municipalities.
Priority will be given to the proposal ideas that will ensure:
- Production of goods or services based on a viable and efficient business model to address pressing social needs, including those triggered by COVID-19 pandemic.
- Reach-out to disadvantaged groups, including youth, women, PWDs, IDPs, ethnic, religious, sexual and other minorities from rural areas through their employment and skills development.
- Encourage coordination and partnership among key stakeholders, e.g. other NGOs/SEs, public authorities and business with aim to attract additional resources (human and financial) and thus contributing to sustainability and transferability of the project results.
Funding Information
- Maximum grant award for the grant(s) under this Call for Proposals is GEL 28,000.
- Proposed grant proposal(s) should be co-funded (at least 10% cash of total eligible cost) either by primary applicant, co-applicant(s) or a third party not directly involved in the project.
- Applicant organizations should submit proposals with justified and realistic budgets.
Who can apply?
The following organizations are eligible for this call:
- CSOs (non-profit (non-commercial) legal entities), registered in accordance with Georgian law and willing a) to create a social enterprise or b) to develop already existing social enterprise in the IRDG project target municipalities.
- Existing Social Enterprises (other than CSOs mentioned above) – organizations registered in accordance with Georgian law despite their legal status willing a) to create a new social enterprise or b) to develop its operations in the IRDG project target municipalities.
- Georgian legislation does not define legal status of SE, thus any organization, which treats itself as SE, despite its legal status (e.g. LLC, cooperative) could apply. Though, organization is expected to provide strong evidence of being SE not only by describing its operations, but also by providing its statute with clearly defined social mission, profit reinvested back to the social enterprise, etc.
- Individual or group of individuals willing to establish SE (in case the project idea is approved, authors have to register organization with any possible legal status, like NGO, LLC, cooperative to receive grant and start project implementation.
Note: Grant agreements under this call for proposals will be signed only with non-profit (non-commercial) legal entities. Organizations of other status (e.g. LLC, cooperative) will receive funding with other instrument: matching-grants program of IRDG project with Rural Development Agency (RDA).
For more information, visit https://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=72182