civic action for security and environment programme 

CALL FOR CONCEPT PAPERS
No.  RFP/AZE/001/2011

The Office in Baku of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is pleased to announce the Call for Concept Papers under Civic Action for Security and Environment (CASE) Programme. CASE Programme provides funding to the civil society projects that address one of the following environment and security topics: sustainable management of natural resources; combating land degradation; natural and man-made disasters; management of hazardous wastes and chemicals; mining; sustainable transportation; climate change; and energy.

Deadline
Applications must be delivered on or before 17 March 2011, 12:00 hrs (GMT+4) in a sealed envelope marked with “No. RFP/AZE/001/2011 – Concept Paper for CASE - Do Not Open Before 17 March 2011, 12:00 hrs (GMT+4)”.  Applications sent by e-mail and fax will not be accepted. Concept papers must be submitted in Azerbaijani. The prices shall be quoted in AZN.

Eligibility
As the primary target beneficiaries of CASE-Azerbaijan Small Grants Programme, a full range of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) operating in the country is eligible to apply to the programme.

Further Information
A complete set of the Call for Proposals documents may be obtained at the OSCE web site (http://www.osce.org/tenders/). Please address all your queries or questions to Ms. Zahra Ahmadova, Economic and Environmental Unit, OSCE Office in Baku, at zahra.ahmadova@osce.org.  

february 2011
Baku, Azerbaijan

Table of Contents

Civic Action for Security and Environment (CASE) Small Grants Programme
Overview
About CASE-Azerbaijan
Thematic areas
Priority Themes for Small Grants
Cross-cutting Themes
Eligibility
Eligible Organizations
Eligible Projects
Concept Paper Template
Budget
Supporting documents
Submission of Project Proposals
Review Process
Internal review
Review and evaluation of the concept papers
Preparation and review of full proposals
Assistance to Preparation of Concept Papers and Project Proposals
Application Checklist

Civic Action for Security and Environment (CASE) Small Grants Programme
Overview 
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is the world’s largest security organization with 56 participating states from Europe, Central Asia and North America. Cooperation and security is at the centre of OSCE mandate. 
Through its involvement in the Environment and Security (ENVSEC) Initiative covering the Central Asia, South Eastern Europe, the Southern Caucasus and Eastern Europe regions, OSCE has been addressing a variety of environmental problems which pose security risks to communities within and across national borders. 
Within the framework of its mandate, OSCE has a growing engagement with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in both operational and policy work that cuts across the three dimensions of security, namely the politico-military, the economic-environmental and the human. Issues related to “environment and security” offers a distinctive entry point for OSCE to establish a strategic, mainstreamed partnership with CSOs as well as to facilitate partnerships of CSOs with Governments, academia, business community and donors.
In this respect, OSCE has developed and launched CASE – Civic Action for Security and Environment, which has been designed as a small grants programme.
The overall objective of CASE is to create an enabling environment for CSOs to be a strong partner primarily to the government as well as to other stakeholders in collaboratively addressing environment and security challenges. This objective is intended to be achieved primarily through awareness programmes on the linkages between environment and security, capacity building of CSOs and providing grants for their projects that demonstrate such linkages. 
About CASE-Azerbaijan 
OSCE Office in Baku implements the CASE programme since October 2009 with funding from Statoil, the Government of Austria and Canadian International Development Agency. The programme provides small grants to the civil society activities that address the priority themes at the interface of environment and security (see ‘Thematic Areas’, page 3). 
Primary target beneficiaries of CASE are the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), which are defined as non-state actors whose aims are neither to generate profits nor to seek governing power. They comprise the full range of formal and informal organizations within civil society, including but not limited to Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs), Community-based Organizations (CBOs), journalist associations, trade unions, and trade associations. 
The screening of concept papers and award decision is made by the CASE-Azerbaijan National Screening Board (NSB). Currently, the Board is comprised of the representatives of Statoil, Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, UNDP, OSCE Office in Baku and a civil society organization. 
The maximum value of grant to be provided under CASE-Azerbaijan is 10,000 AZN per grant. 
There are no limitations with regard to the number of concept papers that any eligible CSO may submit under CASE-Azerbaijan. However, regardless of the number of concept papers submitted, each eligible CSO shall be entitled to receive grant, if selected, for only one specific project in each project selection cycle under CASE-Azerbaijan.

Thematic areas
Priority Themes for Small Grants
Each concept paper submitted under CASE-Azerbaijan should specifically target one of the priority themes delineated below, and display the explicit linkages of the targeted priority theme with the interface of environment and security issues:
•	Sustainable management of natural resources (including integrated water resources management, protection of water sources and water quality, fostering co-operation for river basin management, sustainable development of mountain ecosystems, biodiversity conservation, development of forest resources/reforestation, etc.)
•	Combating land degradation (including the improvement of soil management, preventing, controlling and reversing desertification/land degradation, combating soil contamination, combating salinization, promoting sustainable agricultural practices, improving soil fertility management, etc.)
•	Natural and man-made disasters (including earthquake-based environmental risks, potential impacts of disasters on migratory pressures, reducing flood risks, strengthening community-level disaster preparedness, reducing disaster-prone health risks, etc.)
•	Management of hazardous wastes and chemicals (including the mitigation of risks from cross-border wastes, reducing pollution from heavy metals, recycling/disposal of hazardous wastes and chemicals, reducing the pollution of soils due to oil exploitation/spills and toxic waste, etc.)
•	Mining (including the reduction of the negative impacts of mining on the environment, encompassing soils, water and vegetation, as well as air pollution, etc.)
•	Climate change (including the strengthening of partnerships that foster exchanges of experience and expertise on climate change, public awareness-raising, promoting carbon offsetting programmes, local climate change activities that are linked to market mechanisms and policy interventions, etc.)
•	Energy (including the improvement of energy efficiency in order to meet sustainable energy objectives, integrating policies on energy, focusing on alternative renewable energy resources, demonstrations of energy efficient technologies and practices at the community level, etc.)
•	Sustainable transportation (including the addressing of transboundary and country-level transportation security issues, promoting environmentally sustainable means of transportation, etc.)
Cross-cutting Themes
Whenever applicable, the concept papers shall address cross-cutting themes under the targeted priority theme. The cross-cutting themes on the role and participation of women and the youth should be given due consideration. 
The followings encompass the cross-cutting themes:
•	Support to Environmental Governance may be addressed by the applicants through, inter alia, seeking improved dialogue between different stakeholders on priority themes, targeting incremental improvements likely to pave the way for longer-term institutional and policy changes, streamlining with the activities of the Aarhus Centres, stimulating the implementation of relevant UNECE Environmental Conventions, seeking tangible improvements in environmental governance, etc.
•	Social Aspects of Environmental Security may be addressed by the applicants through, inter alia, considering the potential impacts of environmental security on migration, seeking to contribute to the initiatives toward transforming environmental risks into co-operation in pertinent areas, introducing innovative tools and approaches to highlight social aspects of environmental security, etc.
•	Role and Participation of Women may be addressed by the applicants through, inter alia, ensuring that women’s organizations are consulted during the course of the project, ensuring that the project design provides opportunities for women to participate equally, highlighting the gender perspective in all events, incorporating gender perspectives/analysis in projects, obtaining women’s opinions and perspectives on environment/security issues and concerns, etc.
•	Role and Participation of the Youth may be addressed by the applicants through, inter alia, ensuring that youth organizations are consulted/involved during the course of the project, targeting the youth as a major group amongst the beneficiaries of the project, obtaining the opinions and contributions of the youth on environment/security issues and concerns, involving special activities for awareness-raising and capacity building of the youth in pertinent priority themes, etc.

Eligibility
Eligible Organizations
As the primary target beneficiaries of CASE-Azerbaijan Small Grants Programme, a full range of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) operating in the country is eligible to apply to the programme.
The primary eligibility criterion for a CSO is to be a non-state actor whose aim is neither to generate profits nor to seek governing power.
In this context, CASE-Azerbaijan Small Grants Programme is open to applications from CSOs comprising the full range of formal and informal (registered and non-registered) organizations within civil society, including but not limited to Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), academia, journalist associations, trade unions, and trade associations.
However, with respect to the general framework of eligibility delineated above, the following points should be taken into consideration:
•	In the case of “informal” CSOs that are not legally registered (such as “platforms” or “civil initiatives” that serve as an umbrella for individual (formal/registered) CSOs), due to the lack of a “legal personality” of such CSOs, the respective concept paper should be submitted by a suitable legally registered CSO with the consent and on behalf of the CSO or the whole platform. 
•	Besides local and national CSOs, the partnership of internationally recognized CSOs is also encouraged. On the other hand, such CSOs (particularly, local branches of international CSOs) are expected to be involved as supporting partners, and not as lead institutions and/or direct beneficiaries.
•	In order to avoid potential conflicts of interest, albeit complying with the general eligibility criteria, project applications by CSOs that are constituents of National Screening Board are not deemed as eligible.
Eligible Concept Papers
CASE-Azerbaijan is open to concept papers within the following context:
•	The nature of the project is either one or a combination of the following types of projects: “demonstration project”, “capacity building and networking project”, “awareness-raising project”, “dissemination of lessons learned project” and “policy dialogue project”.
•	The concept paper incorporates mechanisms for “partnership” with other CSOs, private sector, academia, etc. (Such mechanisms are expected to be based on written agreements or protocols describing the nature and sustainability of partnerships.)
•	The concept paper complies with, and/or compliments, the respective policies of the Azerbaijan Government in the specific area of activity.
•	The concept paper does not duplicate other ongoing efforts. In particular, projects previously supported (or considered to be supported) by similar grant programmes shall not be deemed as eligible.
•	The concept paper incorporates basic tools and mechanisms for ensuring the sustainability of the project’s impacts.
Concept Paper Template
To respond to the Call for Concept Papers, interested CSOs must submit Concept Papers using CASE Concept Paper Template (Annex 1). Concept papers must be submitted in Azerbaijani. Applicants must strictly comply with the concept paper and budget format. The concept paper should be formulated carefully and clearly to allow for genuine assessment. 
Please follow the following format requirements when completing the template:
•	No more than three and a half (3.5) pages
•	Single spaced
•	Font size no bigger than 10
•	Arial font

Budget
Project budget (Annex 2) must be adequate to attain project’s objective(s) and target outputs, the budget items and cost estimates should be realistic vis-à-vis the activities, and the proposed expenditures should primarily relate to the project content rather than reflecting institutional overheads. Costs incurred for the preparation of the application will not be covered by the grant and will not be included in the budget.
Clarify specific details for each cost line, for example, the number of experts multiplied by the number of days worked multiplied by the daily fee. 
With regard to the salary budget line, for each position relating to the project you should include the gross figure that takes into account tax; you should indicate for each position what percentage of time the person will spend working on the project. 
The applicants may include in the budget the procurement of items that cost less than 250 EUR to facilitate day to day operations.
Because not all project expenditure can always be predicted at the outset of a project, it is acceptable to propose to a donor, the inclusion in the budget of an appropriate contingency fund for unforeseen expenditure.  If the donor accepts the contingency fund in the budget, it will be important to receive written approval from the donor for the expenditure of this money before it is spent.
Supporting documents
The applicants must submit the following supporting documents:
•	Copy of Certificate of the State Registration;
•	A list of all key management personnel;
•	Letter(s) of support (if applicable). In case proposed project builds on partnership, the letter(s) of support should be obtained from all project partners;
•	Completed and signed Certificate of Compliance (Annex 3).

Submission of Concept Papers
The complete application package containing Concept Paper, Budget, Certificate of Compliance and other supporting documents must be submitted in a sealed envelope marked with “No. RFP/AZE/001/2011 – Concept Paper for CASE - Do Not Open Before 17 March 2011, 12:00 hrs (GMT+4)” to the below address before the relevant deadline:
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
Office in Baku
Attn: Fund Administration Unit
The Landmark III, 2nd floor, 96 Nizami St.
AZ1010 Baku, Azerbaijan
The outer envelope must bear the full name and address of the applicant. It is in applicant’s interest to provide the OSCE with accurate contact details, preferably an e- mail address. 
The applications must be submitted by post or by hand-delivery. Proposals sent by facsimile or e-mail will not be accepted.
The deadline for applications is 17 March 2011, 12:00 hrs (GMT+4).
Review Process 
The grant award decision will be made according to the following steps: 
Internal review
Prior to their review by the CASE-Azerbaijan National Screening Board, applications will be screened by the OSCE Office in Baku for their compliance with the eligibility requirements and adequacy vis-à-vis CASE priority themes. 
Applications which do not meet the eligibility criteria will be automatically rejected. The application will also be immediately rejected if:
•	the application is received after the closing date;
•	the application does not comply with the requirements for maximum amount;
•	the project proposal is not submitted in Azerbaijani language using the Concept Paper Template;
•	the project budget is not submitted in the requested format.
Review and evaluation of the concept papers 
The eligible concept papers will be subject to the NSB review and evaluation. The Board will evaluate the concept papers using the criteria outlined below. Additionally, the Board will discuss the concept papers to decide on the short-list of applications. 
Total (100 points)
Organizational Information (10 points)
Project Rationale (20 points)
Project Purpose & Results (25 points)
Target Beneficiaries (10 points)
Project Activities (10 points)
Partnership Framework (10 points)
Sustainability (10 points)
Budget (5 points)
Preparation and review of full proposals
The OSCE Office in Baku will request the short-listed applicants to submit a full proposal. These proposals will be subject to further review and selection by the Board. The number of grant awards will be subject to the availability of funds.  If more funds become available during the fiscal year, additional grant awards will be made with priority going to the applicants in the short-list. The concept papers that do not satisfy the evaluation criteria will receive no further review. 
The results of the selection will be announced only after the final selection of grantees.
Assistance to Preparation of Concept Papers and Project Proposals
As part of the capacity building framework of the CASE Programme, guidance and technical assistance shall be provided to the proponent CSOs in the preparation of their Concept Papers, if requested. However, such guidance and assistance will by no means be interpreted as an assurance for the selection of the respective concept paper or project proposal.
For any questions, guidance or technical assistance related to CASE-Azerbaijan Small Grants Programme, please contact Zahra Ahmadova, Economic and Environmental Unit, OSCE Office in Baku, at zahra.ahmadova@osce.org before the deadline for applications. 
Application Checklist
Prior to sending the Application, check if you have all the needed documentation:

•	Stamped concept paper and budget;
•	Stamped and signed Certificate of Compliance;
•	Copy of Certificate of the State Registration;
•	A list of all key management personnel;
•	Letter(s) of support (if applicable).