Last month took place an annual Project Board meeting to discuss further direction of Czech-UNDP Partnership and its two components – Expertise on Demand and Challenge Fund. The 1st cycle of the Partnership took place from 2018 to 2021 and in Sept. 2021, the previous Project Board approved the extension of the Czech-UNDP Partnership for SDGs until 31 December 2024. During these 3 years 63 Challenge Fund projects in 6 countries (Bosna and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Ethiopia, Cambodia, Zambia) have been implemented together with 33 Expertise on Demand projects in 3 countries – Bosna and Herzegovina, Georgia and Moldova.

The Project Board in April 2022 endorsed all the previous activities and agreed on a few changes:

Expertise on Demand

The Project Board decided that the geographical scope of the Expertise on Demand will be expanded on the additional three out of RBEC priority countries (Zambia, Ethiopia, Cambodia). Expertise will now be provided in all priority countries of Czech Development Aid!

In addition, Czech-UNDP Partnership will continue expanding Czech expertise roaster and ensure that the expertise is available in a flexible manner and visible to the COs and Embassies.

Call for applications for the expertise will be hybrid – there will be a call for applications once a year, but it will also be possible to apply on rolling basis.

Challenge Fund

The Project Board decided to announce the new call for the Challenge Fund applications in summer months of 2022 – so follow our UNDP website and our Linkedin for more information on that! Applications will be opened for at least 6 weeks.

Priority for the Challenge Fund projects will be to follow synergies between UNDP CO priorities and those of Czech ODA programme.

2021 overview

Project Board was also informed about the outcomes of 2021. In total, 22 innovative Challenge Fund solutions were completed during 2021. Of the 12 awards, 5 were implemented in Moldova, 4 in Georgia, 2 in Ethiopia and 1 in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Expertise on Demand accounted for 9 transfers of the Czech expertise in Moldova, Georgia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Czech-UNDP Partnership entered 2022 with 12 Challenge Fund projects. Two Expertise on Demand projects are ongoing.

We all look forward to new challenges and opportunities that 2022 will bring and hope to receive your applications for this year´s Challenge Fund!

About the Czech-UNDP Partnership – Challenge Fund and Expertise on Demand

Through the Challenge Fund and Expertise on Demand, the Czech-UNDP Partnership for SDGs brings innovative solutions from the Czech Republic’s private sector, NGOs, universities, state institutions, research centres and individuals to tackle specific developmental challenges in the priority countries. The implementation of projects and expertises is financially supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.

Currently we are preparing a new call for application so follow us and start thinking about the ways you can participate!