Beirut, 6 July 2017 – The USAID-funded Building Alliance for Local Advancement, Development, and Investment (BALADI) program launched the third call for proposals to support municipal development projects that respond to Lebanese host community needs. The launching took place at a press conference held at the Beirut Symposium in Sin El Fil in the presence of USAID Lebanon Mission Director Dr. Anne Patterson, RMF Executive Director Mr. Michel Moawad, and Mrs. Racha Hourani representing the Head of the Office of Common Administration at the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities General Elias Khoury.
Started in September 2012, BALADI assists municipalities to improve public service delivery with a focus on projects that encourage inclusive cooperation with citizens to accomplish shared goals. The BALADI project announced two earlier calls for municipal applications in 2013 and 2015, respectively, and selected 57 projects for grant-based funding, engaging more than 130 municipalities throughout Lebanon. These activities are meeting the needs of host communities by providing back-up electric power through solar energy generation, health services, public school improvement, and other social services. The supported activities will benefit more than 100,000 people by September 2017.
USAID has just extended the BALADI project through September 2018 in response to the continuing needs of host communities and vulnerable areas in Lebanon, particularly in light of the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis. The BALADI project, through Rene Moawad Foundation, will support an estimated eleven to twenty new municipal-led local development activities nationwide. BALADI assistance will be considered for projects that primarily require equipment and machinery, can be implemented in four months, and have an immediate and sustainable impact for a significant number of beneficiaries. BALADI grants could reach up to $100,000 for each supported activity. The beneficiary municipality and community are expected to contribute 20% of project costs, in kind or in cash.
Details on BALADI project assistance, selection criteria, orientation sessions for interested applicants, and how municipalities may apply, can be found on the BALADI website http://baladi-lebanon.org/en
Proposals must be submitted by August 10, 2017.
