'Cisto, da se zna!' Innovation Challenge Begins

December 4, 2020

True environmental stewardship starts at the level of our home and neighbourhood. Each of us can make the change and contribute to cleaner and environmentally friendly neighbourhoods. Many communities around the world are working to reduce waste, even become “zero waste communities” – re-thinking and changing the whole system of the way we use or dispose of resources themselves.

This is why UNDP Accelerator Lab in Bosnia and Herzegovina is launching ‘Čisto, da se zna!’ challenge inviting innovative proposals from interested neighbourhoods or community facilitators on how to make communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina cleaner and reduce waste.

The objective of the ‘Čisto, da se zna!’ Innovation Challenge is to identify and support innovative community-driven and collaborative initiatives that test blueprint waste management approaches within a selected community zone and thus help transform it into a clean, green area, which is sustainably kept as such through community and business ownership.

Innovation Challenge invites proposals that combine transformative actions from at least two of the three areas below:

Area I: reduce waste
Area II: reuse waste
Area III: recycle waste

UNDP will award up to 5 initiatives and financing from UNDP per initiative cannot exceed BAM 10,000 (VAT excluded). The duration of each initiative should not exceed 6 months.

Co-financing by applicants is not mandatory. However, if provided, co-financing will be positively evaluated.

The deadline for submission of applications is 17 December 2020 at 10:00 using the application form at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/otpad

Who can apply?

Proposals can be submitted by:

non-governmental organisations (grass-root organizations, civil society organizations, citizen associations, local development agencies, innovation centers, etc.) registered in Bosnia and Herzegovina
local communities (mjesne zajednice) in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The role of applicants in the proposal is that of community facilitator. Applicants can submit applications individually. Please note that the applying legal entity needs to have an organisational bank account. For the applicants (mainly MZs) that do not have bank accounts in their name, it is encouraged to seek for partnership organisations that can receive the project funds. This Innovation Challenge highly encourages partnerships with one or more of the below-listed stakeholders: private sector (companies, start-ups, shops, etc.);
public and private educational and cultural institutions (elementary and secondary schools, libraries, etc.);
local government utility companies;
behavioural scientists;
informal citizens’ groups;
‘unusual’ individual stakeholders or community ‘influencers’;
media;
non-governmental organisations other than the applying one;
mjesne zajednice, other than the applying one.