Deadline for submitting applications 11:59pm on 2 July 2021.
Overview
The SMEP Plastics Fund has a total budget of up to £5 million over 3 years. We are seeking calls for concepts for research and development projects that have the potential to bring new solutions into the plastics value chain upstream of the end-of-life solutions. Ideally, these should be well-positioned to be taken up at scale by industry in the region.
Priority will be given to SMEP target countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan although applications from other ODA countries can also be considered. Providers may elect to work in more than one country in a (sub-)region.
The deadline for submitting applications is 11:59pm on 2 July 2021.
What the fund will achieve
This Plastics Fund under SMEP aims to improve pollution levels, human health, and the environment through achieving a reduction in plastic pollution in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The Fund aims to advance solutions to reduce the incidence of one-way, disposable plastic articles, which are poorly conceived and therefore prone to ending up as litter. Further details can be found in the link below.
How to apply
To apply and for more information, please follow this link. Applications for concepts are welcome from now until 11:59pm on 2 July 2021. Successful applicants will be invited to submit full proposals. It is anticipated successful proposals will begin implementation in November 2021.
Background information
The Sustainable Manufacturing and Environmental Pollution (SMEP) Programme, funded by the United Kingdom’s Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) in partnership with the United Nations Conference for Trade and Development (UNCTAD), supports innovative solutions that prevent pollution from manufacturing being released into the environment. It includes a focus on generating evidence and practical solutions to address the problem of plastic ocean pollution. The programme has an investment fund of up to £20 million to be disbursed over a 5 year period (2019-2024) with up to £5 million of this potentially available for this Plastics Call.
The SMEP programme funding calls are managed by a Procurement Management Agency (PMA) consortia led by Pegasys and including South, South North and International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD). Procurement related queries should be directed to procurement@smepprogramme.org SMEP is funded by FCDO’s Research and Evidence Department in partnership with UNCTAD.
