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ASIA Region
Link: http://www.sei-international.org/projects?prid=2075

Call for concept notes: SEI welcomes concept notes for events in Asia on advancing environmentally sustainable development, gender equality, and poverty reduction.

Deadlines: Grants will be issued on a quarterly basis; concept notes should be submitted at least 3 months before the planned activity; the quarterly deadlines are:
• Quarter 1: 31 December (of the previous year)
• Quarter 2: 31 March
• Quarter 3: 30 June
• Quarter 4: 30 September

Grant size: 1,200,000 SEK will be awarded evenly in the 4 quarters of a year to support 4 strategic events each year with the maximum limitation of 300,000 SEK. The awards can fund an event in its entirety or provide supplemental funding. Funds can cover staff costs (within a reasonable range), meeting/conference expenses, travel costs of strategic participants, outreach costs (such as for communication and media), monitoring and evaluation (M&E) expenses.

DESCRIPTION
With support from the Government of Sweden, SEI funds events focused on environmentally sustainable development, gender equality, and poverty reduction. Organizations across Asia or addressing issues in Asia are invited to submit concept notes.

The Regional Asia Environment Conference Support Programme funded by Sweden aims to promote informed dialogue where different groups and stakeholders can share knowledge in regional forums and other strategic events with the goal of helping to shape public policy to advance environmentally sustainable development.

The events should preferably bring representatives from government, the private sector, and civil society together with researchers, and feature active exchanges between participants.

Overall, the programme seeks to change mind-sets and everyday practices to ultimately benefit the citizens of the region, with particular attention to poor and marginalized groups such as, but not limited to, women, children, ethnic minorities and other environmentally vulnerable groups based on their specific contexts.

The programme will seek to strengthen environmentally sustainable development, gender equality, and poverty reduction in the region. Selected events should build new knowledge; leadership; strengthen existing capacity; enhance and foster networks and partnerships; and generate new collaborations and undertakings in ways that are gender-responsive. Special priority will be given to applicants who address gender issues and work towards the advancement of gender equality in innovative ways. There is also scope to consider private-sector collaboration and partnerships for development and corporate social responsibility (CSR). Events should also demonstrate likelihood to change practice and policy.

ELIGIBILITY

• Recipient organizations should be based in Asia or, if they are based outside the region, be addressing issues relevant to Asia.
• Recipients can be public nonprofit organizations or networks with experience in providing dialogue platforms to enable different groups and stakeholders who can share knowledge in the areas of environmentally sustainable development, gender equality and poverty reduction in Asia with focus on Southeast Asia.
• Depending on their role and interests, private-sector participants may be responsible for their own expenses, with a possible exception for cost-sharing option for micro- and small enterprises with resource constraints.
• The concept note should explain how the funds will add value to the event beyond what the existing funding can provide.

CRITERIA:

1. Thematic focus and relevance within the area of environmental sustainable development.
2. Equal and balanced participation of women and men such as resource persons, panelists, and discussants in the event.
3. Demonstrate likelihood that the event leads to more gender-responsive policy outcomes.
4. Regional-level strategic outreach and the scope of the event within the Asia Region, as opposed to a country-level event.
5. Demonstrate that the event would benefit the citizens of the region, with particular attention to the poor, women, and other marginalized groups.
6. Demonstrate likelihood to change practice and policy that will address poverty alleviation in the region.
7. Use of innovative facilitation methods and technologies to enhance participation and active discussion among participants.
8. Soundness of monitoring and evaluation plan for monitoring the change of behavior of target groups.
9. Reasonable proposed budget.

For more information: Ms. Miaojie Sun
Programme Coordinator
Sida-SEI Strategic Fund
Regional Asia Environment Conference Support Programme
Email: seia-conference@sei-international.org
Phone: +66(0)2 251 4415-8
Fax: +66 02 251 4419