The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is accepting proposals for Polish Challenge Fund to facilitate the transfer of the Polish know-how and innovative solutions that would address development challenges identified by UNDP Country Offices in Republic of Moldova and contribute to the achievement of the SDGs.

This activity is an effort to identify promising innovative solutions that facilitate transfer of the Polish know-how to have a positive impact at scale and address development challenges and immediate needs in the Republic of Moldova (as the negative impact of the conflict in Ukraine).

Purpose

The purpose of the Polish Challenge Fund is to identify promising innovations that leverage Polish know-how and generate greater efficiency of UNDP programmes in the Republic of Moldova (as the impact of the conflict in Ukraine).

• Identify solutions that generate improvement and value, especially by introducing new methods, ideas, or products.
• Support solutions that assure viability in local conditions, long-term sustainability, and potential for scale-up.
• Promote solutions to share knowledge and tackle development challenges in other countries. Engage the local partners and give them the ownership of solutions.

Kinds of Challenges

Green Technologies & Affordable Energy Sources: Introducing and/or improving the current state of green technologies and other smart solutions in the energy sector, which have a positive and immediate impact on local communities and industries, in the field of energy efficiency, ensuring the energy affordability, and mitigating the impacts of energy poverty for local communities in the Republic of Moldova and refugees from Ukraine.

Examples:

• Development of partnerships and strategies to collaborate to overcome barriers and energy poverty, e.g. through peer-topeer networks partners develop and implement strategies for clean and/or affordable energy deployment, development of the renewable and green technologies for the provision of energies to the residential networks, neighborhoods or towns, etc.
• Installations of green and affordable technologies for immediate help to the local communities and/or refugees, e.g. solar rooftops, new types of sources of the solid fuels (briquettes), etc.
• Introduction of new types of localized energy plants and energy sources, i.e. installation of heat pumps for the low-income households, etc.
• Leverage new energy-saving technologies, e.g. interior lighting improvements, rooftop unit replacements and retrofits, and the use of energy management systems, etc.
• Green technologies for energy efficiency in public buildings (e.g. managing energy efficiency, consumption and costs by intelligent motion detectors and monitoring systems).

Digital Innovations & New Solutions for ICT Sector: Introducing and/or developing digital public services and digital public goods, including the use of open-source tools and technologies to improve and support the public service delivery, increasing people’s engagement, enhancing transparency, accountability, and inclusion and, ultimately making life better for local communities in the Republic of Moldova and refugees from Ukraine.

Examples:

• Present new concepts, tools and techniques, to support strategies, capabilities and action planning in the areas of innovation and digital government, e.g. data mapping and surveys for local governments, to integrate use of big data into statistical works and to overcome challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic and war in Ukraine;
• Mentor, source funding, test, and scale digital solutions and tools for immediate help with the long-term impact to the local communities and refugees, e.g. development and/or introduction of interactive platforms and apps for sharing the information and provision of the jobs on market, health services, social care and education, etc.
• Engagement of the local and refugee talents from the digital and ICT sectors for public good, e.g. establishment and/or development of digital labs and platforms for effective digital transformation, etc.
• Development of the capacities and creation of new job opportunities for all, including vulnerable groups and capacity developers, e.g. hackathons and events to map the data and track the impact of people mobility, energy poverty, etc.
• Introduction of technologies, and policies to fight the genderbased violence and human trafficking of refugees, e.g. introduction of multi-functional mobile application safeguards women against domestic violence, etc.
• Markets, Employment, and Other Support: Encouragement of economic growth and mitigation of negative impacts of economic decline in the sectors of agriculture, market, employment, and other. Examples:
• Use of modern technologies and/or introduction of innovations in agriculture and food productions, e.g.  innovative cultivation technologies and process management tools for introducing plants to cultivation according to new cultivation technology, etc.
• Development of knowledge and technologies that will make modern agriculture and farming more sustainable, resilient, and productive, e.g. opening of new markets and value-chains, introduction of new fertilizers and feeding systems, etc.
• Introducing new methods and technologies for fresh food sector, e.g. technologies that can help prompt sustainable and effective packaging toward fresh food options, etc.
• Encouragement of economic growth by supporting small and medium-sized businesses that invest in research and development, create new job opportunities, or enhance capacity building, etc.
• Mentoring and support to the local companies to boost the economic development and avoid the losses caused by the economic decline, i.e. establishment of partnerships for employment and production of new goods, capacity building and introduction of new skills, etc.

Funding Information

• Receive price funding ranging between US$20,000 and US$40,000 for the period of 7-10 months.
• Possibility to contribute to the UNDP efforts to address the challenges and immediate needs in the Republic of Moldova (as the impact of the conflict in Ukraine).
• Possibility to access the UNDP global presence (+170 countries) and networks to help support the selected solutions to scale-up and replicate to new countries.
• Possibility to get reference letters for other public procurement and tender (after successful Project execution and completion).

Eligibility Criteria

• The eligible Applicants include private sector entities, research institutes and universities registered in the Republic of Poland. The Applicants are required to engage local partners from the Republic of Moldova to assure viability in local conditions. Partnership needs to be documented by Letter of Intent or Contract.

Entities wishing to apply to the PCF need to meet the following eligibility criteria:

• The lead Applicant must be a private sector entity, research institute or university registered in the Republic of Poland.
• Non-governmental organisations, which are registered in the Polish National Commercial Register, but their status confirms they are public benefit organizations are not among the eligible lead Applicants. The Project must be implemented in the Republic of Moldova.
• The Applicants are required to engage local partners to assure viability in local conditions. The local partners have to be an integral part of the project team, and the project budget should cover the local needs in the Republic of Moldova). There are no further limitations regarding the legal identity of the local partners.
• The Applicant may partner with other Entity/Entities (registered in the Republic of Poland), eligible for the PCF support.
• The Applicant is responsible for the Project and must warrant that the permission of other partners was obtained.
• All Applicants must demonstrate their capacity to implement proposed Project and adequate financial, material, human and other non-financial resources to implement proposed Project within the set timeframe.
• The Projects must demonstrate that the activities funded by the PCF will be additional to the Entity’s existing activities and that the Project would not go ahead without the PCF funding, i.e. would not take place at the same scale or have the same development impact without the Polish Challenge Fund contribution.
• The Project must demonstrate that the activities funded by the PCF will address development challenges and immediate needs in the Republic of Moldova (as the impact of the conflict in Ukraine). The proposed Project must have a potential for financial, social and environmental sustainability – and scale-up and replication.
• All Projects must be inclusive in nature, benefit target beneficiaries, and contribute to the achievement of the SDGs, rather than solely benefitting the participating Entity.
• Support of the initiatives promoting the use and production of tobacco, alcohol, drugs, firearms and other dangerous substances and tools is not allowed.

Source: https://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=93174