Most recent developments, including the sharp increase of the COVID-19 cases, with its negative effects on the economic situation in the regions, amplify the need for further action. To tackle the immediate needs of the Armenian communities Switzerland and Germany respond to this backdrop by jointly contributing CHF 230,000 each. Focusing on a better use of the existing economic development potential, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) use these additional resources to set up a “Small Grants Scheme”.
Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Vache Terteryan, Deputy Head of Mission of Swiss Embassy and Deputy Regional Director of Swiss Cooperation for the South Caucasus Werner Thut, Deputy Head of Mission of German Embassy Klaus Wendelberger launched the initiative on November 18, 2020. The first call for proposals will take place in early 2021.
The grants should enable municipalities to improve social and economic infrastructure in respective communities, as well as create jobs, promote self-employment, address household income issues, ensure diversification of local production, and more. The scheme will incentivize small and medium-size projects, initiated by the municipalities in partnership with local (non-state) economic actors.
Municipalities and/or public-private consortia can present their project proposals to the Small Grants Scheme Core Group. The application process will be curated by GIZ. Project proposal budgets can range between 5,000 EUR and 20,000 EUR which will be granted through GIZ. In exceptional cases amounts up to 50,000 EUR can be granted, notably for inter-municipal projects.
Since 2015 Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) have been assisting the Government of Armenia in the implementation of territorial and administrative reform and supporting the local authorities. The implementing partners of the “Improvement of the local self-governance system Armenia” programme are GIZ, the Council of Europe (CoE) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
For additional information please contact Vardan Janazyan, Media and Communication Officer of the Swiss Cooperation Office in Yerevan.
Tel: +374 41 457580
Email: vardan.janazyan@eda.admin.ch.
Embassy of Switzerland in Armenia
Melik-Adamyan Street 2/1, 0010 Yerevan
General : +374 10 52 98 60
