Grant on Energy for Sustainable Development
https://poweringthefuture.un.org/

Countries: Global, there are not any limitations to any specific countries.

Deadline: 15 June 2017

Grant size: 1 grant, 1,000,000 USD. Each grant cycle year, the one million US dollar grant is awarded to an individual, institution or partnership, based on their past and current achievements.

Timeframe: The recommended timeframe is three years or less. The timeframe for the implementation of the winning proposal is subject to discussions with the Advisory Council.

DESCRIPTION

The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA) is seeking applications for its 2017 UN-DESA Grant on Energy for Sustainable Development with an aim to promote leadership and innovative practices in meeting the global energy challenge.

The Thematic focus of the 2017 Grant will be on “Sustainable Energy for Eradicating Poverty and Promoting Prosperity in a Changing World”.

The grant programme is being implemented for an initial period of 5 years, from 2014 until 2019. A small Secretariat to support the implementation of the grant programme has been established within UN-DESA. The Secretariat is responsible for carrying out activities related to the grant such as: organizing meetings of its Advisory Council and High-level Steering Committee; review of applications; and implementation of capacity building and training activities. The grant programme is funded exclusively through extra-budgetary contributions, with the initial contributions provided by the China Energy Fund Committee.

ELIGIBILTY

• A person or an organization in legal existence that shares and observes the purposes and principles of the United Nations;
• In no financial distress of any kind;
• Under no threat of significant litigation or prosecution;
• Capable of demonstrating, through leadership and innovative initiatives and actions, tangible results and impacts at the local, national, regional or global levels in advancing energy for sustainable development, in a manner that is consistent with the three dimensions of sustainable development and the vision, objectives and criteria of the Grant;
• Implementing, for a minimum of three years, initiatives and actions that may relate, but are not limited, to the increased use of new and renewable energy resources, other low-emission technologies, more efficient use of energy, greater reliance on advanced energy technologies, including cleaner fossil fuel technologies, and the sustainable use of traditional energy resources, to meet the growing need for reliable, affordable, economically viable, socially acceptable and environmentally sound energy services in the longer term to achieve sustainable development and poverty eradication; and
• Committed to, and capable of, supporting the Grant’s future capacity building work.
• Outside of the United Nations system.

Notes:

• There are not any specific preferences for types of applicants
• there is no limitation on the number of co-applicants per one application
• organizations can submit more than one proposal
• there is no limitation on the number of co-applicants per one application
• partnerships are eligible for this grant
• Not-for-profit & for-profit organizations can apply for the Grant

SELECTION PROCESS

Only online submissions will be accepted. The selection of the institutions/individuals for receiving the Grant is conducted through a rigorous review process, carried out under the guidance of the Advisory Council, whose membership includes internationally-renowned experts across the fields of energy and sustainable development, and whose terms are renewable annually, depending on the future thematic focus of the Grant. A distinguishing feature of the Grant is the significant capacity building opportunity for disseminating and transferring the knowledge and experience associated with the grant through workshops, seminars and practitioner-to-practitioner training opportunities. Following each grant cycle, UN DESA and the Energy Grant Secretariat produce a publication on the organizations that reached the top of the evaluation process. This report provides an inside look on innovative practices and lessons learned, providing an easily accessible reference source for following on successful experiences and promoting the important work of the applicants and winners.

PART I - Leadership, vision and commitment: The candidate for the Grant has demonstrated, through leadership and innovative initiatives and actions, tangible results and impacts at the local, national, regional or global levels in advancing sustainable energy for eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity. The candidate has demonstrated leadership, vision and commitment in initiating and implementing polices and measures that support Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 “Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all”, in particular, by aiming actions at one or more of the following objectives:

1. Provision of modern energy services;
2. Increased use of new and renewable energy resources;
3. Other low-emission technologies;
4. More efficient use of energy; and
5. Greater reliance on advanced energy technologies.

The candidate's work has made measurable improvements supporting poverty eradication and promoting prosperity in one or more of the following fields while promoting sustainable energy:

1. Reducing poverty for children, women and men of all ages.
2. Improve standards of living for society at large or a particular community;
3. Human health;
4. Social equity;
5. Inclusiveness (gender, youth, vulnerable groups)
6. Economic growth;
7. Job creation, improved incomes and social benefits;
8. Access to education;
9. Environmental and ecosystem protection/ Climate action; and
10. Other accepted measures of quality of life.

The candidate’s work has made measurable improvements supporting SDG 7 “Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all”:

1. Improved access to reliable energy/electricity;
2. Improved access to modern cooking technologies;
3. Provision of and access to modern energy services;
4. Increased use of new and renewable energy resources and technologies;
5. Other low-emission technologies;
6. More efficient use of energy;
7. Response to climate change imperatives, ambient air pollutant, etc.;
8. Creation of innovate, new or improved sustainable energy solutions; and
9. Advanced the adaptation and/or resilience of vulnerable communities.

PART II

Sustainability, Monitoring and Implementation. The candidate has submitted a well-defined proposal with:

1. Problem Analysis;
2. Objectives and targets;
3. Beneficiaries and resultant benefits;
4. Implementation plan (including countries or regions covered by proposal);
5. Activities, expected accomplishments, implementing actors and respective capabilities, deliverables and performance indicators; and
6. Time frame for implementation (Recommended time frame is 3 years or less).

The candidate has submitted a well-defined proposal with a built-in mechanism for implementation, monitoring, and evaluation demonstrating:

1. Specific, tangible and time bound deliverables;
2. How activities will be implemented on schedule and within budget;
3. How activities will lead to the expected outputs;
4. How outputs will lead to the achievement of the objectives/targets;
5. How changes will be measured at goal-level; and
6. How the benefits will be maintained for an extended period of time.

For more information, please contact: poweringthefuture@un.org