OpportunityTitle: Virunga Mountain Gorilla Initiative on Tourism and Energy Poverty: Strengthening the Greater Virunga Transboundary Core Secretariat
AdditionalInformationOnEligibility: The Department encourages foreign and domestic organizations and governments that have not previously received international programming funding from the U.S. Government to apply under this announcement.  Applicants must have at least three years of demonstrated expertise in the following subject areas: regional cooperation; multi-stakeholder engagement; researching and/or monitoring illegal charcoal production or timber harvesting from Virunga National Park; engaging with high-level local and national government officials; and the development of transboundary partnerships to address the goals of this RFA.  Applicants should already have personnel and offices in the region where the grant&#146;s programs will be implemented.
Description: The Office of Ecology and Natural Resource Conservation of the Bureau of Oceans, Environment, and Science (OES) at the Department of State announces a Request for Applications for management of the project entitled, &#147;Virunga Mountain Gorilla Initiative on Tourism and Energy Poverty: Strengthening the Greater Virunga Transboundary Core Secretariat (TCS).&#148; The Initiative aims to strengthen the TCS strategic, managerial, communications, technical, and operations capacity to support conservation of Central Albertine Rift biodiversity for long-term socio-economic development through strategic transboundary collaborative management. Promoting economic development through tourism that includes and engages local communities, and development of energy alternatives to stem illegal charcoal production from Virunga National Park, are key objectives of this program. The Grantee and its partners (if any) will work collaboratively with OES, the U.S. Embassy in Kigali, the U.S. State Department regional environmental hub officers of Central and East Africa, and relevant African countries&#146; government offices, as appropriate, to ensure the TCS provides a powerful and visible platform for constructive engagement across borders that will help to implement the TCS&apos; 10-Year Transboundary Strategic Plan and build on long-standing conservation efforts of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership.Total U.S. Department of State funding for this grant is $198,000. The Grantee is expected to provide costsharing. Organizations with experience described in Sections 1 and 3a and Appendix A1.1 are encouraged to submit proposals.Contact Person: Antoinette CondoBureau of Oceans, Environment, and Science condoaj@state.govPhone: (202) 647-0657, Fax: (202) 736-7351 Please carefully read the entire solicitation package if you plan to submit an application; there are steps that you should take immediately in order to make your submissions by the deadline.
GrantorContactEmailDescription: urbinaMA1@state.gov
GrantorContactText: Maria Urbina &lt;br/&gt;Program Specialist &lt;br/&gt;Phone 202-647-4346
CloseDateExplanation: Submission of applications by 6 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) April 30, 2010.