UNDP launches a new grant scheme, Fast Track Challenge programme, to support innovative and environmentally friendly urban development solutions. The grant scheme is part of the "Sustainable Green Cities" project, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The Chisinau City Hall is the key project partner.

The total grant amount is up to $8,000 each. The initiatives are to be submitted by legal entities registered in the Republic of Moldova. The applicants in the competition must provide a minimum of 30% of their own contribution from the total value of the submitted project. Project proposals accepted in the competition will cover the following areas:

1. Urban Mobility
2. Waste Management
3. Energy Efficiency and Use of Renewable Energy Sources
4. Sustainable Urban Planning

The submitted projects will be implemented within a maximum period of nine months. Co-financing may be in-kind or monetary and is to be provided by the applicant company or consortium. Also, partnerships with NGOs, companies or public institutions will be considered an asset.

The project proposals will be evaluated by an expert panel based on the eligibility criteria: relevance; innovativeness; social, economic and environmental impacts; sustainability; the degree of replication/scalability potential; territorial coverage and implementation period. The evaluation will be conducted in two stages: examining the submitted applications according to the eligibility criteria and presenting a pitch to the Evaluation Committee.

Detailed conditions of participation and the application guide can be found here. The deadline for submitting the project proposals is 3 August 2020.

The Fast Track Challenge programe was launched in 2019, and back then four proposals were selected:

• Recycling of vegetable and animal waste (anaerobic composting according to the Bokashi method).
• 30 scooters integrated in a public sharing service.
• Installation of sensors for measuring water quality in the Bic River and an online platform for data visualization.
• A new utility for a used battery from the electric vehicle.

In 2020, four more project initiatives will receive funding, and the program will continue in 2021.

“Moldova Sustainable Green Cities” Project, with a five-year duration: 2018-2022, has a total budget of $2.72 million, out of which $2.64 million are provided by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and $80,000 – co-funded by UNDP.