Calls for Applications: Special Programme (Eighth Round)

 Deadline Date: August 23, 2024

 Donor Name: UN Environment Programme

 Grant Size: $100,000 to $500,000

The Special Programme issues periodic calls for applications for funding of projects aimed at institutional strengthening for the sound management of chemicals and waste.

The objective of the Special Programme is to support country-driven institutional strengthening at the national level, in the context of an integrated approach to address the financing of the sound management of chemicals and wastes, taking into account the national development strategies, plans and priorities of each country, to increase sustainable public institutional capacity for the sound management of chemicals and wastes throughout their life cycle. Institutional strengthening under the Special Programme will facilitate and enable the implementation of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, the Minamata Convention and the Global Framework on Chemicals.

Scope of the Special Programme 

• The Special Programme should avoid duplication and proliferation of funding mechanisms and associated administration, and should fund activities that fall outside the mandate of the Global Environment Facility.

A Special Programme Project:

• Is a country-driven project that is conceived and implemented by the applicant 
• Builds long-term capacity in the relevant ministry or ministries 
• Has a sustainable financing mechanism or a plan for ensuring long-term sustainability 
• Focuses on multi-sectoral involvement 
• Improves chemicals and waste management to mitigate negative impact 
• Engages with private sector stakeholders 
• Promotes an enabling environment to foster the ratification and implementation of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, the Minamata Convention and implementation of the Global Framework on Chemicals in a cross-cutting approach. 
• Coordinates the implementation of policies, strategies and national programmes for the sound management of chemicals and waste 
• Has a gender mainstreaming component and promotes consideration of gender and UNEP safeguards standards 
• Emphasizes gender-disaggregated data collection where relevant 
• Creates synergies with other related initiatives in the country in the context of the ongoing reform of the United Nations Development System

Funding Information

• The Special Programme Trust Fund may provide support from US$ 50,000 to US$ 275,000 per individual country project proposal, including inception workshop, possible administration fees, costs for monitoring and evaluation and financial audit. In certain circumstances, an applicant country may request up to a maximum of US$ 500,000.

Expected Outcome

• The expected outcome of the Special Programme is to strengthen the capacities of national institutions to do the following:
  • Develop and monitor the implementation of national policies, strategies, programmes and legislation for the sound management of chemicals and waste; 
  • Promote the adoption, monitoring and enforcement of legislation and regulatory frameworks for the sound management of chemicals and waste; 
  • Promote the mainstreaming of the sound management of chemicals and waste into national development plans, national budgets, policies, legislation and implementation frameworks at all levels, including addressing gaps and avoiding duplication; 
  • Work in a multisectoral, effective, efficient, transparent, accountable and sustainable manner in the long term; 
  • Facilitate multisectoral and multi-stakeholder cooperation and coordination at the national level; 
  • Promote private sector responsibility, accountability and involvement; 
  • Promote the effective implementation of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, the Minamata Convention and the Global Framework on Chemicals;
  • Promote cooperative and coordinated implementation of the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions, the Minamata Convention and the the Global Framework on Chemicals at the national level.

Activities

• The activities funded under the Special Programme may encompass the following:
  • Identifying national institutional capacity, weaknesses, gaps and needs, as well as strengthening the institutional capacity to do so, where required;
  • Strengthening institutional capacity to plan, develop, undertake, monitor and coordinate the implementation of policies, strategies and national programmes for the sound management of chemicals and wastes; 
  • Strengthening institutional capacity to improve progress reporting and performance evaluation capabilities; 
  • Promoting an enabling environment to foster the ratification of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions and the Minamata Convention; 
  • Enabling the design and operation of institutional structures dedicated to the promotion of the sound management of chemicals and wastes throughout their life cycle; 
  • Strengthening institutional capacity to promote measures to support all aspects of the sound management of chemicals and wastes, including more specific nationally identified thematic areas covered by the Instruments.

Eligibility Criteria

• Support from the Special Programme will be available for developing countries, taking into account the special needs of least developed countries and small island developing States, and for countries with economies in transition, with priority given to those with least capacity.
• Applicants will be eligible if they are party to any one of the relevant conventions or have demonstrated that they are in the process of preparing for ratification of any one of the conventions.
• Applications will include identification of the associated domestic measures to be taken to ensure that the national institutional capacity supported by the Special Programme is sustainable in the long term.

For more information, visit UN Environment Programme.