This project is financially supported by the Danish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Division for Eastern and Central Europe (DANCEE)

The Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe hereby announces a Call for NGO Co-operative Environmental Project Proposals.

(Maximum available Per Project is 25,000 EUR and the total amount is 200,000 EUR only for the CEE & NIS NGOs. Danish NGOs are not beneficiaries of this granting program).

Background

The Environment in CEE and NIS and the NGO Movement

The damage to the environment in Central and Eastern Europe presents risks to human health and the natural balance of life. Significant problems of air, water and soil pollution, traffic congestion, deforestation and more still remain to be addressed. At the same time, CEE countries are blessed with many relatively clean and pristine natural areas. Remediation of polluted zones and protection of rich biodiversity must take place simultaneously. Accession to the European Union increases the pressure on Central European governments to solve environmental problems while developing their economies.

At the same time the development of a civil society in the CEE as well as in the NIS Countries is underway. One of the key players in this development is the non-governmental organization (NGOs), established by and working for the public. Environmental NGOs form one of the biggest and most active civil sectors in the region. In many ways, the fledgling environmental movement helped to bring about the political changes in CEE and NIS. Working together on environmental activities people have been rebuilding a sense of community purpose, improving their local environment, and introducing a new generation to their responsibilities to the world around them.

Addressing environmental problems and measuring their impact is quite difficult. Governments often ignore or are unable to undertake local projects. Efficiency in tackling environmental problems at the level where they occur locally can be reached by supporting environmental NGOs. NGOs, as groups of local people, are aware of the issues and problems facing their own communities. Through their actions, they solve local problems, and begin to address national and region-wide problems, especially via cooperation. Further, NGOs serve to push and sometimes force governments to take action that people cannot take on an individual basis.

Environmental NGOs are usually in favor of establishing East-West cooperation, as long as they can find the additional necessary funds for it. Currently the biggest obstacles for establishing more and better East-West cooperation are the lack of financial resources and personal contacts among NGO activists who are working on similar environmental issues. To meet these needs of the NGOs in CEE and NIS countries, the REC developed the Cooperative Environmental Grants Program, which can be adapted for East - East, and East- West type of cooperation.

East West NGO cooperation in the CEE Region

East-West co-operation has been promoted by a number of organizations from just before the political changes in CEE and NIS. This has manifested itself in two main ways: the expansion of networks and the delivery of tailored programmes.

The programme "NGO cooperation beyond CEE borders" looks to link East and West and East and East. There is a gulf in co-operation between the NIS and CEE - mostly due to traditional donor funding divisions - this programme aims to address that. Additionally all the support is open to eligible organizations and therefore co-operation can occur where there is interest and not along existing members of a pan-European group. The opportunity is also open across the region.

This granting project primarily aims to enable the CEE and NIS environmental NGO movement. This means to support their activities through funding, assist them in developing positive co-operative ties with partner NGOs in the CEE, NIS and Danish NGOs.

To encourage NGOs to work together to solve environmental problems, the REC offers grants of up to 25,000 EUR to NGO teams. The topic of this Call for Tender is not predefined but cooperation among NGOs of the CEE and NIS countries with Danish NGOs is an important criteria. NGOs can bring to the REC any type of environmental issue but with just one limitation: it must be a problem, which faces more than one country. When two or more NGOs from two or more countries find a common problem, they are invited to meet together to prepare a proposal to address it.

Who is eligible?

Only registered non-governmental organizations whose work focuses primarily on the environment, from Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, FYR Macedonia, Moldavia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, FR Yugoslavia and Ukraine and are eligible to apply for the grant. NGOs must propose a one year long project that includes cooperation with an NGO partner in at least one other country. Especially cooperation among CEE, NIS and Danish NGOs is encouraged. Danish NGOs will be funded through another granting program run by the Danish Outdoor Council.

Applicants must: have experience in managing environmental projects, have at least one staff member who speaks English, own or have access to necessary office equipment like telephone, computer, fax, modem, etc., and be able to prove their interest in and ability to communicate with and cooperate with similar organizations from other countries. The NGOs working on a project funded by the proposed program will target their work towards the most appropriate areas, groups and partners: e.g. rural populations in and around borders when working on cross-border parks and rivers, local citizens in cities while campaigning for bike paths, schoolchildren and students while giving environmental education, the local or national government while lobbying for clean energy usage.

NGOs currently running an Earmarked or Cooperative project supported by the REC and Danish NGOs are NOT eligible for funding Besides, if you apply as a project Leader in one concept proposal, you may only apply as a partner in ONE other concept proposal or you may apply as a partner only in two separate projects. In both cases, the NGO must appoint different project leaders or project managers for each project proposal.