Deadline: 4 October 2019

UNDP has announced a Call for Proposal for Engaging an NGO/CSO as Responsible Party for managing small grants programme for business start-up, renewal or expansion in the areas of Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts along the Azov sea coastline.

Small business grants programme was launched in eastern Ukraine in 2015 as a part of efforts to promote economic recovery of the conflict-affected oblasts, to enhance employment and to create income-generation opportunities for the local population and IDPs.

The overall objective of this assignment is to establish a competitive mechanism and manage the process of allocation of small business grants for business start-up, renewal or expansion in the areas of Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts along the Azov sea coastline, namely in Mangush, Volnovakha and Nikolske rayons and the town of Mariupol in Donetsk oblast (GCAs), Berdiansk, Prymorsk, Pryazovia, Orikhiv, Guliaipole, Yakymivka and Bilmak rayons and the towns of Melitopol and Tokmak in Zaporizhzhia oblast.

Components

The Programme’s interventions are grouped under the following key Programme components, which reflect the region’s priority needs:

• Economic Recovery and Restoration of Critical Infrastructure;
• Local Governance and Decentralization Reform;
• Community Security and Social Cohesion.

Funding Information

• The estimated total funds allocated for the provision of the small business grants to MSME support amounts to 730,752.00 US dollars;
• The business grants programme must be implemented through three Calls for proposals (one launched in 2019 and two launched in 2020);
• The budget for each Call for proposals is 243,584.00 US dollars.

Eligibility Criteria

Interested NGOs/CSOs must meet the following criteria to be eligible for the selection:

• Entities registered in Ukraine for at least 3 years (non-governmental, public, charitable, nonprofit);
• Applicants should officially reside and express their willingness to start-up, renew or expand MSME in the target areas, namely: Mangush, Volnovakha and Nikolske rayons and the town of Mariupol in Donetsk oblast (GCAs), Berdiansk, Prymorsk, Pryazovia, Orikhiv, Guliaipole, Yakymivka and Bilmak rayons and the towns of Melitopol and Tokmak in Zaporizhzhia oblast;
• Applicants should be able to be officially registered as private entrepreneurs or register other type of business entity in Ukraine;
• Grant applicants may submit only one application and receive only one grant;
• Only one grant can be received by immediate/close family members (namely father, mother, son, daughter, sister, brother, official spouse);
• The grant agreement on financial support between the beneficiary and the grants administrator shall oblige the grantee to return equipment or its full price (in case of damage or loss) if the enterprise is not launched according to the business plan within 60 days since the agreement signed;
• Co-financing of at least 25% of total expenses on the business establishment by the grantee, including non-cash payments in the form of equipment, premises or other type of property is an obligatory requirement for the financial support;
• Businesses solely aimed at trade and distribution that are not connected to any of the prioritized value chains will not be supported;
• Women and men are equally encouraged to apply for each Call for Proposals.

Evaluation Criteria

The CSOs/NGOs that are compliant with minimum evaluation criteria will be passed to technical evaluation

• Officially registered organization (NGO/CSO) at least 3 years;
• Experience in the management of grant programmes / provision of credit loans (at least two programmes with total number of recipients over 50);
• Experience in project implementation or execution of contracts for provision of professional services in the area of grant programmes management / providing credit loans with a total budget of projects / contracts from USD 100,000.00.

Eligible Country– Ukraine

How to Apply

Proposals must be submitted online via eTendering system.

For more information please visit http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=59462