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Description of process

The grants announcement covers the following information:

Grant recipients

Only registered NGOs whose activities are mainly in the environmental field are eligible for grants. Other types of organisations may cooperate with NGOs in projects, but the grant applicant must be an NGO. NGOs applying for national grants should be well developed and have experience in environmental issues and in management. They should be equipped with such basic infrastructure as an office, phone, fax, email, paid staff, etc.

Geographic reach

National grants are available in the REC-eligible countries. Specifics under this section should reflect the donor and project requirement.

Uses of national grants

While local grants help local level, grassroots NGOs to build capacity and run small programmes, national grants are directed at NGOs with some experience in running projects which deal with issues of nation-wide importance, include inter- and intra-sectoral cooperation, and enable the NGO movement as a whole to participate in environmental decision making at the national level.
The projects should address a national-level environmental problem that is considered a priority issue for the country. Cooperation between other sectors of society such as business, government, academia or schools is the best way to find solutions for these problems.

Finally, the project must have tangible results. Meetings and seminars, while an important part of gathering information, bringing people together, and educating people, should not be the only goal of a project but just part of it. Environmental projects should result in environmental change with a national environmental impact. (For example, dialogue with the national forest industry and the Ministry of Forestry could result in forest-friendly legislation and forest management).

Limitations

Limitations can be of a content or administrative nature and are all indicated in the grants announcement and guidelines.
 
The usual administrative limitation on grants excludes:

• projects in which the main result is research, data collection and sampling (When research results are used in support of other parts of a project, for example, using data about endangered species as the foundation for a conservation plan, then the REC country office will consider the project);
• purely operational expenditures, such as salaries or rent;
• operation expenses, including salaries and overheads, above given limits (30-40 percent) of the total budget;
• salaries, consultant costs, and per diem above rates beyond what is reasonable for the given country. The rates REC uses as standard should be available in each REC country office;
• costs related to participation in activities and travel out of the REC region; and
• religious activities, political activities, the purchase of buildings or land, investments, vehicles or the construction or remodelling of facilities.

Other specific exclusions can be added depending on the donor or the project ToR limitations.

Financial grants terms

The usual maximum amount of a national grant is EUR 15,000. A NGO should not receive more than one grant during a one-year period. Separate branches of the same NGO can each receive up to one grant per year, as long as each branch is registered and has a separate bank account with a different project leader. The REC encourages NGOs to seek matching or supporting funds from other sources. For example, NGOs may wish to seek funds from other foundations, from state and local governments, or environmentally friendly businesses in their countries.

Specific financial requirements can be given by the donor and indicated in the grants announcement and guidelines.

Project period

• The usual project period for the national grants is one year.  Nevertheless the specifics of the project period are given in the project proposal or donor and indicated in the grants announcement and guidelines.
• Projects must start within three months after the award announcement. The award announcement is the awarding letter that informs the grantee about the awarded grant.

The grants announcement is made public at the national level  through:

• the REC country office website;
• REC publications (Green Horizon) and or the country office bulletin;
• NGO electronic networks/ lists;
• NGO meetings in countries;
• direct mail;
• other NGO websites (regionally and nationally); and/or
• depending on particular donor requirements, publication in national newspapers might be used

Task	Responsibility	Days
Develop an announcement that contains information on eligibility and scope, and the concept paper application format.	COGM	1/2
Announce the call at the national level through REC communication channels	Info managers	1/2

Related policies

Grants policies in openness and transparency of the grants announcement

Supporting docs

Annex I – National grants announcement

Financial