Работа и карьера

ТИП КОНКУРСА : 

Grants

ПОДРОБНОЕ ОПИСАНИЕ : 

Grants program to strengthen strategic and operational capabilities of associations in the agriculture, tourism, and high-tech sectors in Armenia

Issuance date: August 9, 2024
Submission deadline: Rolling basis for the period September 15, 2024 – September 30, 2025

USAID Economic Foundations for a Resilient Armenia Activity (“USAID Economic Foundations”) is releasing Annual Program Statement (APS) No. APS-2024/001-CAPBLD-for-Associations to award grants in support of its activities (“Capacity Building Grants Program”). Grants will be awarded and implemented in accordance with USAID and US Government regulations governing grants and USAID Economic Foundations’ internal grants management policies.

Through the Capacity Building Grants Program, USAID Economic Foundations aims to enhance the productivity of associations in the agriculture, tourism, and high-tech sectors of Armenia. By strengthening their internal organizational capacities, these associations can significantly contribute to the sectoral cohesion and increased competitiveness.

The focus of this APS is on identifying agriculture, tourism, and high-tech industry associations that would like to strengthen their strategic and operational capabilities. The Capacity Building Grants Program focuses on enhancing the resilience and competitiveness of these key industries of the Armenian economy by equipping associations with skills, knowledge, and resources needed to effectively support their members and contribute to the competitiveness of the tourism, agriculture and high-tech sectors.

USAID Economic Foundations’ support of individual grant activities for this specific APS is planned to range from a minimum of $20,000 to a maximum of $70,000, whereby grants will be disbursed in equivalent AMD amounts. Leveraged contributions are planned to start at a minimum of 10% of the total project cost, whereby higher contributions are encouraged resulting in higher scoring during evaluation. Eligible costs will be VAT-exempt based on USAID’s official letter on VAT exemption provided to grantees for official reporting. The period of performance of individual grant activities is planned for a maximum of 12 months, starting no earlier than November 1, 2024, and ending no later than September 30, 2026.

ТРЕБОВАНИЯ : 

Applicants must strictly adhere to the requirements of this APS. Grant applications may be submitted in English or Armenian. Grant applications will be accepted in electronic form only and exclusively in the format provided in Attachments 1-8.

Please reference APS-2024/001-CAPBLD-for-Associations in any response to this APS. Any questions related to this APS must be submitted to USAID Economic Foundations’ Grants Team at [email protected]. Questions must be submitted in writing; phone calls will not be accepted. Questions and requests for clarification, and responses thereto, that USAID Economic Foundations believes may be of interest to other applicants, will be circulated to all APS recipients who have indicated interest in submitting applications. Only written answers issued by USAID Economic Foundations will be considered official and carry weight in the APS process and subsequent evaluation. Any verbal information received from employees of USAID Economic Foundations or any other entity shall not be considered as an official response to any question regarding this APS.

ПРОЦЕДУРА ПОДАЧИ ЗАЯВОК : 

Please note this APS will close on September 30, 2025. Applications in response to this APS will be reviewed on a rolling basis and awarded depending on availability of funds. Applicants are encouraged to apply early to increase the likelihood of application consideration before funds are exhausted. Applications and any required supporting documentation shall be submitted before the periodic deadlines set on a rolling basis:
- September 15, 2024
- January 1, 2025
- April 1, 2025
- July 1, 2025
- September 30, 2025

Applications received after a specified periodic deadline will be duly considered for the next rolling deadline. Applicants are free to pursue the specified deadlines at their own discretion.

The electronic applications shall be submitted to USAID Economic Foundations’ Grants Team at [email protected], whereby “APS-2024/001-CAPBLD-for-Associations” and the applicant’s association name shall be stated in the subject line of the email. To ensure their submission was well received, applicants will be notified by a confirmation of receipt from USAID Economic Foundations’ Grants Team. Applications will be accepted only if the information is provided in the format requested by this APS. The grant application package shall include:
- Grant application form (Attachment 1) and Attachments 2-8, including:
- Color scan of the association’s state registration certificate (from the State Register of the Legal Entities of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia) and beneficial ownership declaration.

The grant application templates of Attachments 1-8 in English and Armenian can be downloaded from https://www.cnfa.org/economic-foundations-grant-portal/

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ОТКРЫТ ДЛЯ/ КРИТЕРИИ ОТБОРА : 

Applicants that submit applications in response to this APS must be legally registered entities in the Republic of Armenia and must submit registration documents as a pre-requisite for receiving grant resources. For the purposes of this APS, eligible applicants are:
- Public non-governmental institutions (e.g. state or community non-commercial organizations),
- Non-profit organizations.

To be considered eligible for grant receipt, applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Be a legal entity registered in the Republic of Armenia.
- Be in operation for at least one full year.
- Demonstrate that benefits derived from the award will have positive impact on other actors in the market system, particularly those in the sectors of agriculture, tourism, and/or high-tech.
- Commit to adhering to high ethical standards, including transparency in business dealings and record keeping.
- Be prepared to undertake an independent financial review and assessment, as requested.
- Demonstrate ability and/or willingness to learn how to maintain business, financial, and technical records, either manually or electronically.
- Agree to abide by acceptable environmental standards and to present information regarding potential environmental risks and mitigation measures. A negative environmental assessment can be a condition for disqualification.
- Be eligible for receipt of USG funds, including complete www.SAM.gov registration.
- Be up to date on all applicable taxes and other legal obligations to the Government of the Republic of Armenia.
- Provide a minimum required percentage of the total project cost, higher contributions are encouraged resulting in higher scoring during evaluation.
- Reach aggregate evaluation scoring of at least 70 points to be considered for a site visit.
- Complete pre-award assessment. USAID Economic Foundations may use site-visits to verify the information provided in the applications, evaluate the proposed project location, perform an initial environmental assessment, conduct an initial pre-award assessment (PAA) or validate PAA findings to evaluate basic operational, administrative, and financial capacities of the applicant and verify that selected applicants can adhere to simple best practices and procedures in managing grants.
- Submit all mandatory documents prior to the deadline stipulated in the APS.

While USAID Economic Foundations will consider all applicants, when selecting potential awardees priority will be given to projects by entities that display professional affiliation with the sectors of agriculture, tourism, and high-tech, engage disadvantaged groups, including women, youth, and marginalized groups, and show the realistic potential for business growth (enhanced portfolio of services, expanded network of members, creating new sustainable jobs, etc.).

In case a successful application involves a partnership, Economic Foundations will sign a grant with one locally registered partner only, as the responsible/liable entity for the grant.

ЦЕЛЕВАЯ АУДИТОРИЯ : 

Associations in the agriculture, tourism, and high-tech sectors in Armenia

О ПРОГРАММЕ : 

USAID Economic Foundations for a Resilient Armenia Activity is a 5-year activity of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by CNFA, more info can be found here https://www.cnfa.org/program/usaid-economic-foundations-for-a-resilient-armenia/. The primary goal of USAID Economic Foundations is to introduce innovative, sustainable, and scalable solutions and build the capacity of Armenia’s government, industry, lenders, and investors to facilitate the growth and competitiveness of agriculture, tourism, and high-tech enterprises, thereby building the resiliency of Armenia’s economy.

Through the Capacity Building Grants Program, USAID Economic Foundations intends to improve and further the sectoral competitiveness in the target sectors of agriculture, tourism, and high-tech and aims to enhance the productivity of associations in the said sectors, thereby building the resiliency of Armenia’s economy. By strengthening their internal organizational capacities, these associations can significantly contribute to sectoral cohesion and increased competitiveness. The associations’ improved productivity and capacity will enhance their ability to not only provide better membership services and help members diversify exports and improve productivity, but also organize collective actions and engage with the Government of Armenia. Associations qualifying for institutional grants will use these funds to enhance internal organizational capacities, promote data collection, engage in and support data-driven and evidence-based advocacy, facilitate and use public-private dialogues, and offer various member services, such as trade fair participation, industry and business-to-business (B2B) events, technical training, familiarization (FAM) trips, buyer visits, and study tours, to ultimately meet one or several of the following objectives:
- Capacity building: improve the governance, management, and operational efficiency of industry associations through capacity building workshops and training programs.
- Strategic planning and development: support associations in developing and implementing strategic and operational plans that align with industry needs and national economic priorities.
- Member services and engagement: strengthen the ability of associations to provide valuable services to their members, including networking opportunities.
- Advocacy and policy influence: equip associations with skills and tools needed to effectively advocate for policy changes that benefit their industries.
- Sustainability and financial management: introduce technology upgrades and digital transformation projects, improve financial planning, fundraising, event management, focusing on key industry events, and revenue generation capabilities to ensure long-term sustainability.

Geographic area of intervention: Applicants must be officially registered industry associations operating on the territory of the Republic of Armenia and in USAID Economic Foundations’ target sectors of agriculture and/or tourism and/or high-tech, or if their activities relate to and/or have impact on the target sectors.