-Launching Event- Municipal Assembly Hall, Municipality of Suharekë/Suva Reka

1. IRDSIntegrated regional development in the Municipality of Suharekë/Suva Reka in the sector of agriculture -Launching Event- Municipal Assembly Hall, Municipality of Suharekë/Suva Reka September 28th, 2010

2. Why we are launching the LDF? • To encourage farmers/other relevant actors to promote integrated and sustainable regional development in the municipality of Suharekë / Suva Reka • To promote more competitive agricultural products in local market vs. importation. • Increase the productivity of the agricultural products in the municipality of Suharekë/Suva Reka • Improve packaging, marketing, quality and regular supplies of the agricultural products, etc. • Extend the production cycle of the agricultural products in the municipality of Suharekë/Suva Reka • Enhance the competitive advantage of agricultural products in the municipality of Suharekë/Suva Reka, fresh and processed products.

3. Priority issues include: • Improvement of agricultural production infrastructure • New technologies- Upgrading the processing and packaging infrastructure of agricultural products • Greenhouse production- Off seasonal vegetable and fruit production • Projects that provide employment prospects and opportunities of marginalized groups and unemployed (i.e. women, youth and minority communities) for engaging in the agriculture and rural development • Projects supporting agricultural associations and individual farmers through the provision of small tailored made assistance and technical assistance • Joint ventures among agricultural producers and traders

4. Eligible activities for funding: • Strengthening of knowledge capacity about potentials in agriculture • Facilitating the introduction of new technologies related to agricultural production, processing, hygiene, quality and marketing. • Supporting synergies between agriculture and other forms of businesses; • Making farms more efficient; • Improving the storage of finished products • Promotion of new crops and new processed products • New, high-yielding varieties • Protecting agricultural land to maintain / improve production.

5. Ineligible activities for funding: • Purchase of tractors and other supporting equipment, impacting only limited beneficiaries. • Consumables like seed and fertilizers without any underlying concept • Requests for milking cows or other livestock, without having a proper explanation on the ROI and other relevant benefits. • Projects with slow and questionable ROI

6. Who can apply? • Applicants must reside, and/or conduct their business or organization in the municipality of Suharekë/Suva Reka • Local farmers and local businesses • Agricultural associations • Non governmental organizations • Local authorities • Prospective enterprises in the field of agriculture, food processing and agricultural products or related trade.

7. Size of the grants • The overall indicative amount made available under the first call for proposal is EUR 100,000.00. The minimum amount of awarded grants is 5,000 € and the maximum is 30,000 €. • The maximum contribution of IRDS/LDF will be at 80% of the total amount of the project.20% is the minimum financial contribution from applicants. • The consultancy services needed for implementing the proposed projects by the applicants will be financed 100 % by the project

8. How to apply? • Applicants should submit a proposal, where they should describe the project idea. The applicants can apply in English and local languages, using the format that can be downloaded from the IRDS project website: www.irds-ks.org. • Hand-written applications will not be accepted. • Applicants are requested to submit one original proposal in A4 size, in sealed envelope and marked as Personal Information and Technical application. The applicant’s personal information table should be submitted in a separate sealed enveloped using the forms available at: www.irds-ks.org. The two enveloped should be placed in a neutral outer envelope. • The complete application forms (part a: technical application form), budget, (part b: budget) and applicant’s data (part c: personal information table) a) must be printed and supplied to the Directorate of Planning, Development, Agriculture and Forestry Municipality of Suharekë/Suva Reka. • Applicants must provide three offers collected from the local vendors for the requested good that should be purchases under the project.

9. One envelope with technical application (description of project and budget) One envelope with the personal information table Proposal has to be submitted in a neutral Envelop marked with LDF First call

10. How to apply? (continued) • The outer envelope must bear the title of the call: LDF 1st call and if delivered by mail the address of the Directorate of Planning, Development, Agriculture and Forestry Municipality of Suharekë/Suva Reka. • Proposal must be submitted through registered mail or by hand delivery at the address bellow: Directorate of Planning, Development, Agriculture and Forestry Municipality of Suharekë/Suva Reka Appointed MDC staff for receiving applications: Mr. Halit Elshani • The deadline for submission of applications is 22nd of October 2010, 17h00 local time. • Applications received after the deadlines will not be accepted.

11. Explanation of the forms • Technical Application form • Budget form • Personal information form

12. Evaluation of the proposals • All proposals will be evaluated by the external expert who will be engaged by the IRDS project. After the evaluation of the proposals, theexternal expert will short list the best projects. The expert will submit for final endorsement the short list of proposals to the evaluation committee. • The project team will not have the right to vote for proposals • Successful and non successful applicants will be notified by e-mail or by phone by latest within 10 working days after the submission deadline.

13. Selection criteria • How realistic and feasible is the proposed activity • Strategy outlined (creativity) • Defined Goals • Capacity (enterprise, individual or community group) to manage the activity • Appropriate and reasonable costs • Number of job creation and their sustainability • Quick ROI • Innovative • Sustainability of the project • Technical ability • Environment, gender mainstreaming and minorities projects will receive extra points during the evaluation

14. Further information about application • Phone calls and meetings with the project staff are not allowed • Questions about the procedures not about the content may in addition be sent by e-mail to: info@irds-ks.orgno later than 5 days before the deadline for the submission of proposals

15. Time line for Applicants Deadline for question related to process Information Session 30th of September 2010 22nd of October 2010 at 17:00 28th of September 2010 15th of October 2010 at 23:59 Closing for Application Start of submission for applications

16. Evaluation and awarding procedure Grant contract signed Opening of Applications Site Visits (verification process) 5th of November 2010 25th of October 2010 12th of November 2010 Notification of awards

17. Verification Process • For selected projects a verification of following details is foreseen: • Details provided in the form through a site visit • If the information provided in the forms is not true – the applicant will not be eligible for any further funding from the LDF (blacklisted) • Offers collected from Applicant • The project will collect control offers to verify if the offers reflect a real market price • If the offer collected by the project is 20% cheaper then the average of the 3 offers provided by the applicant - the applicant will not be eligable for any furhter fundig from the LDF (blacklisted)

18. Example _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Offer A: 1200 Offer B: 1100 Offer C: 1300 Average Price 1200 Threshold 960 Project gets offer for 1150 Project gets offer for 1000 Project gets offer for 940 OK Project's offer has to be chosen Application rejected applicant blacklisted