Joint Call for Grant Proposals for Environmental Actors on Prespa

TIRANA, January 16

The Prespa Ohrid Nature Trust (PONT) and the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) have recently agreed to combine their efforts in the Wider Prespa Area by issuing a joint call for proposals. PONT and CEPF invite applications from eligible organizations to address conservation needs outlined in this Call.

This Call is open to applicants that are based in Albania, North Macedonia or in both countries, which have been active in the Wider Prespa Area and have interest and experience in the relevant conservation actions eligible under this Call.
For this Call the applicant applying must be a legally established and tax registered organization for at least the last 2 years in either Albania or North Macedonia. Applicants must be registered as either an NGO, a scientific institution or an academic institution.
Applicant organizations must be composed of basic staff, infrastructure, financial systems and a basic financial budget.
Applicants must have their bank account and be authorized under relevant national laws to receive charitable contributions.
Individuals, community groups, municipalities or businesses must work with eligible applicants to develop applications.
Government-owned enterprises or institutions are eligible only if they can demonstrate that the enterprise or institution has:
• a legal personality independent of any government agency or actor;
• the authority to apply for and receive private funds; And
• may not assert a claim of sovereign immunity.

The scope of this call is limited to the types of activities described below:
− Strategic Direction 2 (Sustainable management of water catchments)
− Strategic Direction 4 (Conservation of plants)
Proposed interventions must support either Strategic Direction 2 or Strategic Direction 4. Applicants wishing to apply for both Strategic Directions must complete a separate concept note application for each Strategic Direction.
The geographic scope of the activities for this joint Call is limited to the Wider Prespa Area covering not only the Prespa Basin but also the entire territory of Galicica and Pelister national parks in North Macedonia that extend outside the watershed of the Prespa Lakes

Grant proposals should be built on biodiversity conservation as a fundamental component and should demonstrate positive impacts on the conservation status of biodiversity.
Where relevant, applicants are encouraged to submit concept notes which harmonize with existing national or regional initiatives. Synergies with other organizations are also eligible, with one lead organization applying, and project partners with clear roles stated in the concept note application.

Eligible Countries: Albania and North Macedonia.

Opening Date: Wednesday 15 January 2020

Closing Date: Friday 21 February 2020, 14:00 CET

Budget: Maximum budget per project is €50,000. The overall budget available under this Call is €200,000 (€100,000 from PONT and €100,000 from CEPF).

Theme: Strategic Direction 2 (Sustainable management of water catchments) and Strategic Direction 4 (Conservation of plants)
PONT is a foundation established under German Law, supporting Protected Areas (PAs) and
Environmental Actors (EAs) in the Wider Prespa Area in North Macedonia, Greece and Albania, with the mission to “provide long term financing for the conservation and sustainable management of biological diversity, natural processes and ecosystem services in Prespa and its wider area for the benefit of nature and people in the region.”
CEPF is a joint initiative of l’Agence Française de Développement, Conservation International, the European Union, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan, and the World Bank. A fundamental goal of CEPF is to ensure civil society is engaged in biodiversity conservation.

For more on how to Apply: Here

Read also: Explore Prespa Lakes, Three Countries One Region

Source: pont.org