The Polish-Canadian Trilateral Co-operation Programme co-finances NGO projects. Information on how to apply is compiled on this webpage and can be downloaded here.

Background	Project Duration
Types of Grant	Deadline
Grant Size	Application Forms
Own Contribution	Application & Procedures
Funding Priorities	Languages
Grantmaking Criteria	Tips
Guidelines	Pdf Download

This programme is jointly funded by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) within the ODACE (Official Development Assistance in Central Europe) framework. Poland has participated in ODACE since 2002. This Canadian programme is aimed at enhancing the institutional capacity of ministries dealing with development co-operation in individual countries covered by the programme (Poland has already completed that stage) and implementing trilateral projects contributing to the increased flow of development assistance funds to the countries that need them. Poland is currently implementing the second stage of the programme. ODACE will be completed in 2007.

Co-financing of non-government organisation (NGO) projects.

The maximum aggregate amount of funds to be distributed is PLN 5.2 million (approximately € 1.35 million). The funds allocated to selected projects will stem in equal parts from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and CIDA. The minimum allocation per project is PLN 200,000 (approximately € 52,000).

It is required that NGOs contribute to at least 10% of project budgets with their own resources in cash or in kind.

Thematic focus:

• Strengthening civil society including capacity building of partner country NGOs;
• Transition to democratic values and processes and strengthening democratic institutions at national, regional, provincial and local and municipal levels, including reform of the legal system and public sector management;
• Reconstruction and reinforcement of security following civil unrest, including integration of former soldiers, refugees and internally displaced persons;
• Poverty reduction and support to disadvantaged groups, including reconstruction of medical and educational infrastructure; agricultural and rural development; prevention of HIV/AIDS; provision of shelter and potable water;
• Private-sector development, and development and reinforcement of market economy institutions;
• Promotion of gender equity,
• In projects in Ukraine:

• Support to economic reform, especially corporate governance; the financial, banking and insurance sector; micro-credit institutions; the labour market and social security; the development of the small and medium-sized business sector, as well as energy security and the modernisation of the power industry;

• European integration;

• Developing local infrastructure, including local governments and support for the development of private education;

• Development of school co-operation and youth exchange;

• Additionally, projects can raise public awareness on development assistance issues in Poland.

Associations, foundations and other non-profit entities registered in the Republic of Poland and operating outside the public finance sector can apply for subsidisation within the framework of the calls for proposals.

The selection committee applies the following evaluation criteria:

• Proposals must comply with the conditions set out in the calls for proposals (including target countries and regions as well as areas of assistance defined in the regulations);
• Relevance to the actual needs of the project beneficiaries in target countries (the needs of the beneficiaries should be documented, for example by the local administration or, alternatively, a reference to Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers, etc.);
• Internal consistency of the project (including the relevance of suggested actions to the assumed goals, external factors taken into consideration) as well as added value of the project (in the form of an innovative approach, multiplication effect, a good practice model, environmental protection, etc.) and equal opportunities (especially in terms of gender) of access to the benefits of the projects;
• Good management and efficiency (co-operation and partnership with local institutions, inclusion of objective, verifiable indicators to be used for measuring the effects of the proposed actions, sustainability);
• Experience, financial and operational capacity of the applicant and local partners in implementation of similar projects

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Guidelines are provided with the announcement of the call for proposals and are available here.

As an indication, in 2006, the time limit for implementation of the project was 15 December 2006.

As an indication, in 2006, the deadline for submitting applications was 1 May 2006.

Application forms are provided with the guidelines of the calls for proposals. They must be submitted by regular mail to the Education for Democracy Foundation.

Applicants are required to submit five copies of their application in the format presented in the application form included as an appendix to the regulations of the call for proposals. The hard copy of the application should be sent along with an electronic version (on CD-ROM or diskette, in MS Word or Excel format).

The submitted applications are evaluated by a selection committee appointed by the Education for Democracy Foundation in consultation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and CIDA.

The selection committee will make recommendations to the ministry on the proposals to be approved and rejected and the amount of the total contribution to be granted for each project. The ministry in turn will submit a request to CIDA for allocation of 50% of the total estimated amount for approved projects.

Applicants are notified in writing about the result of the proceedings after the proceedings are completed, and a list of organisations which have been granted the subsidy are published on the website of the Education for Democracy Foundation (www.edudemo.org.pl) within two weeks after the final decision.

The application must be submitted in Polish and, partially, English.

An information session for potential applicants on how to complete and submit project proposals was held approximately 10 days after publication of the call for proposals. Information of the actual time and venue of the session was available on the website of the Education for Democracy Foundation.

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