Strengthening Biodiversity in protected areas |

Status:
Ongoing

Call number:
BIO02

Thematic area:
SK - BIODIVERSITY

Eligible applicants:
Organizations: national administration, regional administration (including associations), local administration (including associations and cities), university/academical and school, NGO/non-profit established as a legal person in Slovakia active in the field of environment protection. The Applicant must demonstrate its activities in the field of environment protection for at least the last year preceding the announcement of the Call. The Ministry of Environment of the SR and the Slovak National Parks Administrations (hereinafter also referred to as “NPAs”) are not eligible to apply for grant.

Eligible areas:
The activities can be implemented on the territory of the whole of Slovakia, except for the Bratislava Self-governing Region.

Eligible partners:
Organizations: national administration, regional administration (including associations), local administration (including associations and cities), university/academical and school, NGO/non-profit, private sector and other established as a legal person either in Switzerland or Slovakia and international organizations to be actively involved in, and effectively contributing to, the implementation of a Programme Component, are considered eligible Programme Component partners. The Ministry of Environment of the SR is not eligible to become a Partner in any of the Programme Components selected in the Call. Any of the nine Slovak NPAs may become Partners in the Programme Components selected under the call; however, they cannot be awarded project grant.

The maximum amount of the requested project grant:
500 000 EUR

The minimum amount of the requested project grant:
200 000 EUR

Co-financing:
5% co-financing is required.

Total allocation:
EUR 3 150 000

More information:

The aim of the Call for proposals Strengthening Biodiversity in Protected Areas (SK – BIODIVERSITY) (hereinafter referred to as “the Call”) is to support Programme Components focused on ecosystem and biodiversity protection in and around protected areas in Slovakia. For the purposes of this Call, protected areas are considered to be the territories of National parks and their protective zone and the territories of Protected Landscape Areas (see Annex 5), excluding Protected Landscape Areas in the territory of the Bratislava Self-Governing Region. The main objective of the Programme Components shall be biodiversity conservation – i.e. protection, management and restoration of species, habitats and ecological processes, addressing climate change mitigation and adaptation.

The Programme Components will be implemented through activities such as:

– improving the status of habitats,

– applying nature-based management,

– conducting educational and awareness-raising initiatives on environmental protection,

– and other measures contributing to biodiversity conservation and ecosystem protection.

Involvement of the local people in the activities for ecosystem and biodiversity protection shall be an important part of how to contribute to strengthening ecosystems and biodiversity.

Further conditions:

The Programme Components´ main objective must be biodiversity conservation and implementation of field area-based conservation measures contributing to effectively protecting species and habitats in the wild implemented directly in the protected area/-s in Slovakia. For the purposes of this Call, protected areas are considered to be the territories of National parks and their protective zone and the territories of Protected Landscape Areas (see Annex 5), excluding Protected Landscape Areas in the territory of the Bratislava Self-Governing Region.
The Programme Components must include involvement of the local people in the environmental education and/or in activities focused on environment conservation/protection.
The mandatory attachments to the Application are:
a. Documents demonstrating the Applicant´s activities in the field of environmental protection for at least the last year preceding the announcement of the Call,
b. Partnership statement, letter of intent or other similar documents proving the partner’s interest in participating in the Programme Component, if the Programme Component is planned to be implemented in partnership,
c. Title deeds for all properties on which construction work will take place (to be assessed as part of the Programme Component), if relevant,
d. Documents proving Local Community consultations.
The Programme Components shall be implemented in line with applicable state aid rules.
The involvement of a Swiss partner in the implementation of a Programme Component is positively perceived and may be given extra points in the Programme Component evaluation (see Annex 2 Selection criteria).

Program outcome(s):

The protection of ecosystems enhanced and their resilience to threats to the biodiversity loss increased.

Program output(s):

Pilot activities and measures for the biodiversity protection mapped, developed, tested and implemented.

Environmental education and Awareness raising activities about biodiversity conservation and sustainable forms of tourist services developed.

Local people involved in activities for ecosystem and biodiversity protection.

Link to the Application:
Link to the Application

Call attachments:

BIO02 Call for proposal

Annexes to the open call “Strengthening Biodiversity in Protected Areas”

-A1a Application form preview
-A1b Instructions for completing application egrant
-A2 Selection Criteria
-A3 Rules of Procedure Steering Committee
-A4 Search for SW contact form
-A5 List of protected areas

Additional documents:
Additional documents

Contact details:

Ministry of Investments, Regional Development and Informatization of the Slovak Republic
Pribinova 25
811 09 Bratislava

The Programme Operator can be contacted for queries by:

e-mail: swiss-contribution@mirri.gov.sk
– the request needs to be linked to the call – by call code BIO02
– questions received by e-mail will be responded within 7 days);
phone: +421-2-2092 8464.