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 programme is an initiative under the Sida-SEI Strategic Fund managed by SEI’s Asia Centre.
Call for concept notes
SEI welcomes concept notes for events in Asia on advancing
environmentally sustainable development, gender equality, and poverty
reduction.
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.
Programme grant
A total of 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.
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 recipients
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 for selection
Due to limited funding, SEI in consultation with Sida will undertake a
selection process of the submitted concept notes on the basis of the
following criteria:
- Thematic focus and relevance within the area of environmental sustainable development.
- Equal and balanced participation of women and men such as resource persons, panelists, and discussants in the event.
- Demonstrate likelihood that the event leads to more gender-responsive policy outcomes.
- Regional-level strategic outreach and the scope of the event within the Asia Region, as opposed to a country-level event.
- Demonstrate that the event would benefit the citizens of the region, with particular attention to the poor, women, and other marginalized groups.
- Demonstrate likelihood to change practice and policy that will address poverty alleviation in the region.
- Use of innovative facilitation methods and technologies to enhance participation and active discussion among participants.
- Soundness of monitoring and evaluation plan for monitoring the change of behavior of target groups.
- Reasonable proposed budget.
