C A L L   F O R   T E N D E R S

To make sustainable cities more of a reality in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the Newly Independent States (NIS), a new cooperative program offers some much-needed assistance. Ecolinks, the new USD 25 million, five-year program sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), will promote market-based solutions to environmental problems by supporting cross-border partnerships that link businesses, local governments and/or local associations in the region with counterparts in the United States and/or within the region.

Partnership grants of up to USD 50,000, managed by the US-based Institute of International Education and the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC), are available to activity teams. Activity team leaders must be from Bulgaria, Croatia, FYR Macedonia, Romania, Slovakia, Kazakhstan or Ukraine. Organisations from the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland may apply as project leaders on an exceptional basis with a limit of six applications to be accepted in this first cycle.

Applicants must propose a project in cooperation with a partner(s) from the US, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgysztan, Latvia, Lithuania, FYR Macedonia, Republic of Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine or Uzbekistan. Applicants are encouraged to send concept papers before the deadline for early screening.

The first request for applications announced in March supports activities related to environmental management systems, cleaner production practices and global climate change. Applicants should propose project activities that identify and remedy environmental problems, adopt best practices in environmental management and technologies and increase trade and investment in environmental goods and services.

The first cycle is a pilot grants round. The second grant announcement will be made in May 1999 and will be virtually the same as the first announcement. Applicants interested in the program will thus have two chances to become involved in 1999.

A second type of grant is also available to businesses, local authorities and associations. "Quick Response Awards" (QRAs) of up to USD 5,000 are designed to meet the immediate and small-scale needs of organisations exploring potential partnerships within the framework of EcoLinks. Activities must either facilitate the matchmaking of partners or promote environmental trade and investment.

Applications from all countries previously mentioned are welcome. Examples of activities funded by QRAs include, but are not limited to: travel to meet potential partners; site visits; technology demonstrations; and conferences where participants are likely to forge new relationships. Visit the Ecolinks website at www.ecolinks.org or contact Jacek Podkanski at the REC: jpodkan-ski@rec.org.