NGO
Support Programme |
Mission
The Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC)
views non-governmental organisations (NGOs) as key players in improving
the environment. Through local, national and regional grants, the NGO
Support Programme channels donor funds to NGO projects throughout Central
and Eastern Europe (REC) that achieve tangible results.
Strengths
The NGO Support Programme maintains strict standards of fairness and transparency
in its granting procedures. It consistently receives a high number of
competitive applications, and its processes can be readily adapted to
various topics and scope.
Equally proficient at the national, regional and local levels, the REC's
staff of environmental professionals, its network of 16 country offices
and its independent advisory boards provide unparalleled expertise on
environmental issues in Central and Eastern Europe.
With over fifteen years of grant-making experience, the REC's NGO Support
Programme has developed the flexibility, accountability and competence
that ensure a seamless transfer of resources.
The history of REC grants
The REC has been issuing grants since the early 1990s. It has distributed
more than EUR 10 million since 1994, and the number of NGOs benefiting
from its local, national and regional grants increases every year due
to the generosity of its main donors: the environmental ministries of
Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Italy, the European Union, the Dutch
and Swiss ministries of foreign affairs, USAID, USEPA, the World Bank
and the Japan Special Fund.
The REC has successfully raised an average of over EUR 1 million in funds
per year, ensuring the smooth continuation of NGO grant support for the
past 15 years. High standards of professionalism and rigorous competition
for grants make our programmes valuable to donors and applicants alike.
Type of grants
The NGO Support Programme cooperates with the country offices in the REC's
16 beneficiary countries to offer three types of grants to NGOs:
Local grants: REC local grants are distributed by its
country offices. Since 1994, 80 percent of all funds granted by the REC
have gone to NGOs in Central and Eastern Europe.
The focus of local grants has shifted through the years in response to
the economic and social developments in the region. In the early 1990s,
local grants mainly supported grassroots NGOs and their institutional
development. Their current focus is on local environmental problems, in
addition to essential NGO development. Support from local grants varies
from country to country, but the maximum amount per grant is EUR 5,000.
Amount per grant: EUR 5,000 (maximum)
Language: local language
Administrated by: REC country offices
National grants: The national grants were established
at the end of 1990s to address environmental issues with national importance,
which require the involvement of the stakeholders in the grant implementation.
The grant amount is generally larger than for the local grants, and the
environmental impact of the project is more significant. The national
grants address earmarked topics such as climate change, biodiversity,
and brown issues. These grants are administrated by the REC's country
offices in the local language.
The grants selection process includes two steps: the concept paper and
the full proposal stage.
Amount per grant: max. EUR 10,000
Language: local language
Administrated by: REC country offices and NGO Support Programme
Regional grants: The largest grants managed by the REC
are regional in nature. These projects address issues that cannot be solved
by one country alone, and therefore rely on cross-border cooperation.
Since their establishment in 1996, the REC has provided EUR 150,000 -
200,000 in regional grants per year.
Through these grants, the REC promotes regional cooperation between NGOs
and facilitates dialogue between stakeholders participating in the grant's
implementation. Due to their regional content, these grants are managed
by the NGO Support Programme, and the application process is in English.
The grant's selection process includes two steps and involves international
and independent experts in the decision-making process.
Amount per grant: EUR 25,000 - 35,000
Main
issues targeting the NGOs projects:
1) Environmental protection (general)
2) Sustainable Development
3) Waste Management
4) Water Management
5) Rural (areas) Development
6) Public participation (in environmental decision making processes)
7) Danube River nutrient reduction
8) Biodiversity protection, Eco Tourism development etc.
9) Local/Cantonal Environmental Action Plans Development
10) Urban Development etc.
In
the past two years REC BiH granted 828.100 KM (422.500 EUR)
to ecological NGOs in BiH working on different projects and in different
fields: devising a local Ecological Action Plan (9 projects), waste management
and rural development (7 projects), sustainable development (11 projects)
reduction of nutrients in the Danube River basin (13 projects), crosscountry
cooperation in the basin of the Drina River (3 projects) and water management
(6 projects).
Contact:
NGO Support Programme
The Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe
Ady Endre ut 9-11.
2000 Szentendre, Hungary
Tel: (36-26) 504-000
Fax: (36-26) 311-294
E-mail: NGOSupport@rec.org
