Deadline: 20-Dec-21
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has announced the applications for the Polish Challenge Fund to facilitate the transfer of the Polish know-how and innovative solutions that would address development challenges identified by UNDP Country Offices in Georgia, Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine and contribute to the achievement of the SDGs.
- Identify solutions that generate improvement and value, especially by introducing new methods, ideas, or products.
- Support solutions that assure viability in local conditions, long-term sustainability, and potential for scale-up.
- Promote solutions to share knowledge and tackle development challenges in other countries.
Kinds of Challenges
- Green Technologies & Smart Solutions: Introducing or improving the current state of green technologies and other smart solutions, which have positive impact on local communities and industries, in the field of energy efficiency, waste management, water management, smart water solutions, air pollution or sustainable agriculture. Examples:
- Smart clean water solutions for local communities and industries (e.g. sewage treatment plants; installation of solar vacuum collectors for water heating).
- Biomimicry and/or nature-based solutions to address climate change and biodiversity crises in general; and to reduce air pollution, waste- and water-related problems in particular.
- Green technologies for energy efficiency in public buildings (e.g. managing energy efficiency, consumption and costs by intelligent motion detectors and monitoring systems).
- Waste management with special focus on elimination of plastic use (e.g. promoting biodegradable products) or sustainable agriculture.
- Information and Communication Technologies (ICT):Introducing or improving the current state of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and/or open data use for public services or local governance. Examples:
- Citizen-centric local governance through innovative technology – develop solutions for the improved governance for the municipalities.
- ICT solutions for better public service delivery.
- ICT for sustainable tourism development.
- Enhanced business continuity in public administration through cloud services and cybersecurity standards.
- Early warning system about climate-related risks at the level of local or regional community.
- Anti COVID-19 Solutions: Introducing or improving the current state of digital and emerging solutions/technologies to address development issues resulting from the global health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, for public services or local governance. Examples:
- Digital technologies and knowledge/solutions for safe back-to-office and back-to-school.
- Digital technologies and knowledge/solutions to accelerate digital literacy of public schools, teaching staff and students.
- Digital technologies and knowledge/solutions to integrate use of big data into statistical works and to overcome challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Psychosocial well-being during extended remote working, teaching and studying.
- Technology and smart solutions for social distancing and COVID-19 safe tourism, economic recovery and well-being beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
- ICT for COVID-19 vaccine promotion and for confronting misinformation about vaccines.
- Addressing root causes of COVID-19 (and other zoonoses) – e.g. deforestation, destruction of natural habitats and biodiversity loss.
- Addressing COVID-19 related waste problems (e.g. masks).
- Smart Cities: Introducing or improving the current state of smart cities and urban intelligence to address growing urbanization challenges for public services or local governance. Examples:
- Efficient use of infrastructure through artificial intelligence and data analytics.
- Gender-responsible solutions and technologies for improved public spaces.
- Technology and data innovation for road and travel safety (e.g. adjusting light cadence and timing to respond to real-time traffic, reducing road congestion).
- Solutions to promote cycling and green mobility in urban areas.
- Smart and inclusive tourism infrastructure and services with focus on persons with disabilities.
- Solutions for urban transformation of the coal-dependent (mono-functional) cities (technological, social, cultural, political and economic).
Funding Information
- Receive price funding ranging between US$20,000 and US$40,000 for the period of 7-12 months.
- Possibility to access the UNDP global presence (+170 countries) and networks to help support the selected solutions to scale-up and replicate to new countries.
- Possibility to get reference letters for other public procurement and tender (after successful Project execution and completion).
Outcomes
- The PCF recognizes that innovations come in many forms – and welcomes different types of innovations including products, services, programming approaches, operational changes, finance and market innovations or technology driven innovations, among others. Both programmatic and operational ideas are welcome.
- The PCF views innovation in its broadest sense, including:
- a new approach, product, idea, or service that has not been tested anywhere;
- new to the beneficiary country (if applicable);
- has not been applied to the sector in question in the beneficiary country; or
- service or business model being introduced to a target group where it has not been tried before.
- The supported outcome is a new approach, product, idea, or service. The supported outcome can be in a form of field testing and/or feasibility study.
Eligibility Criteria
- The eligible Applicants include private sector entities, research institutes and universities registered in the Republic of Poland. The Applicants are required to engage local partners from Georgia, Republic of Moldova and Ukraine to assure viability in local conditions. Partnership needs to be documented by Letter of Intent or Contract.
- Entities wishing to apply to the PCF need to meet the following eligibility criteria:
- The lead Applicant must be a private sector entity, research institute or university registered in the Republic of Poland.
- The Project must be implemented in one of the programme countries: Georgia, Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. The Applicants are required to engage local partners to assure viability in local conditions.
- The Applicant may partner with other Entity/Entities (registered in the Republic of Poland), eligible for the PCF support. The Applicant is responsible for the Project and must warrant that the permission of other partners was obtained.
- All Applicants must demonstrate their capacity to implement proposed Project and adequate financial, material, human and other non-financial resources to implement proposed Project within the set timeframe.
- The Projects must demonstrate that the activities funded by the PCF will be additional to the Entity’s existing activities – and that the Project would not go ahead without the PCF funding, i.e. would not take place at the same scale or have the same development impact without the Polish Challenge Fund contribution.
- The proposed Project must have a potential for financial, social and environmental sustainability – and scale-up and replication.
- All Projects must be inclusive in nature, benefit target beneficiaries, and contribute to the achievement of the SDGs, rather than solely benefitting the participating Entity.
- The Applicants provide Co-financing of at least 20% of the total cost of the Project. Co-financing can be financial or in-kind. Co-financing above the minimum threshold is preferred and will be taken into account during evaluation.
For more information, visit https://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=84556