Emerging Donors Challenge Program (EDCP) Round 7

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PROGRAM DESCRIPTION U.S. Embassy Kyiv’s Office of Assistance Coordinator announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications for the seventh round of the EDCP to continue building U.S. foreign assistance partnerships with 11 emerging donor governments (EDGs) in Central and Eastern Europe to share their transition and EU integration experiences with Ukraine.  Please carefully follow all instructions below. Program Objectives: The U.S. Department of State Office of the Assistance Coordinator for Europe and Eurasia (EUR/ACE) has launched the seventh round of the EDCP to continue building U.S. foreign assistance partnerships with 11 emerging donor governments in Central and Eastern Europe: Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Through the EDCP initiative, the United States builds partnerships with these new donor countries by co-financing joint foreign assistance activities aimed at sharing the EDGs’ transition and EU integration experiences with Ukraine. EUR/ACE has identified the following priority objectives for EDCP funding: Energy and Cyber Security : The U.S. Embassy Kyiv’s Office of Assistance Coordinator will consider proposals that improve energy and cyber security in Ukraine.  On energy, proposals could support Ukraine’s efforts to improve the legislative and regulatory environment for the energy sector and comply with EU and Energy Community requirements.  Proposals could also enhance energy diversification by improving the ability of Ukraine to plan, implement, and sustain energy projects, including clean technology and renewable energy initiatives, and by increasing opportunities for Western investment.  Cyber activities could include proposals to assist Ukraine to develop critical cybersecurity capacities within the public and private sector, promote public awareness of cybersecurity and cyber hygiene, strengthen detection and response mechanisms, or develop curricula for cybersecurity training. Access to Western Markets :  The U.S. Embassy Kyiv’s Office of Assistance Coordinator will consider proposals that increase integration with Western markets, establish a fair and transparent business environment, and increase opportunities for U.S. investment and trade.  Proposals could include facilitating the implementation of relevant EU and international standards, improving the ease of doing business, or enhancing the ability of private sector companies to compete in Western markets and increase exports. Strengthening Resilience through Democratic Consolidation : The U.S. Embassy Kyiv’s Office of Assistance Coordinator will consider proposals that build greater democratic resilience in Ukraine.  This could include proposals to strengthen independent media and civil society organizations, combat disinformation, improve media literacy, bolster democratic institutions, and increase government transparency and accountability, including through e-governance capabilities and other efforts needed to narrow the space for corruption to occur. A typical assistance activity will likely be a joint project, implemented with one emerging donor partner in Ukraine, for which the U.S. cost share will be no more than 50 percent.  No single U.S. contribution may exceed $100,000.  Multiple EDG partners may contribute to the same activities, and implementing organizations may include government entities, research institutions, and/or nongovernmental organizations .  Most EDCP activities will likely entail co-financing new projects.  Embassy, however, may consider other means of collaboration, such as co-financing existing U.S. or EDG assistance activities or enhancing ongoing U.S. assistance activities by facilitating the participation of EDG officials or EDG-identified experts.  Selected activities should include a significant amount of content from institutions, advisors or other sources of knowledge in the EDG countries in order to meet the EDCP objective of fostering the transfer of transition experience to the beneficiary country. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION Funding Instrument Type: Grant Program Performance Period : Proposed programs should be completed in 18 months or less. If you have any questions about the grant application process, please contact: TysonJE@state.gov and HetunYI@state.gov

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