The goal of the BEI Grant Program in Central Asia is to assist businesses, professional associations, non-governmental organizations and other private sector entities to implement unique, innovative and worthwhile projects and undertake initiatives to improve the business environment, particularly for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Central Asia. The BEI Grant Program is designed to contribute to the development of better SME policies, deregulation at the local, national and regional level, improved public-private dialogue and proper implementation of laws and regulations, thus leading to an improved business environment for SMEs. Grants will be used to support BEI activities by providing resources to build local technical capacity among select business associations and other stakeholders representing the private sector and to create mechanisms to improve advocacy efforts and information dissemination. Grants further will serve as a platform for improved business conditions and best practices and will directly support the programmatic goals of BEI and supplement its internal technical resources.

Grants will be considered in one of two broad categories – Advocacy and Association Operations Development. These are consistent with the overall goals and activities of the BEI project and should help focus potential applicants. While it is expected that most grants will fit these two categories, expressions of interest may be considered for any grant project that can demonstrate a real benefit to the business environment consistent with BEI goals and objectives.

Projects aimed at reducing legal/administrative barriers, improving protection of property and economic rights, strengthening policy analysis or public-private dialogue, or developing more efficient mechanisms for resolving disputes fall into this category.  Projects that build on the existing capacity of business and professional associations and other educational or non-governmental organizations, where possible, to advocate for sound public policies and inform the business community are also included in this category.  Projects will address very specific issues affecting SMEs.  Grant support can be provided for projects including, but not limited to, the development and promotion of laws and other normative or sub-normative acts, to solve a particular problem, to protect and lobby the interests of clients and business associations‘ members on a political level, to initiate working groups or more permanent consultative bodies to participate in the legislation drafting process or general policy dialogue, to analyze a particular business environment issue and use the results for future reforms, to publish the results of advocacy campaigns, to provide direct interventions protecting or defending economic or property rights, to improve and expand the amount and availability of information important for businesses and any other activities consistent with BEI’s goals that demonstrate real and sustained improvement in the business environment.

Association operational development includes projects that expand regional connections between associations and improve the business management and service delivery of grantees. Services include various projects aimed at the expansion of the existing range of membership dues and non-dues services and the development of new ones, provided to associations’ members to generate income, improve the image and raise the value of an association. The projects in this category should also intend to attract new members and enhance the financial sustainability and operations of the organization. It is expected that the member services will not be free-of-charge, and this will help the association to convert to self-financing. Development of cooperation between the association members, improving their entrepreneurial activities, promoting their products and services (in the case of industry unions), any other activities directly resulting in an increase of members’ profits, sales, or outputs will be considered as member services with a possible provision of grant support. Along with the application the grantee has to submit the cash flow projections that show the income of the association from the newly introduced service and proves the future financial sustainability of the organization.

Further information on the specific activities of the BEI Project can be found in the country pages of this site.

While grant applications are invited for any initiative consistent with the goals of BEI (as indicated above), only those that can demonstrate an expected direct and measurable impact on the business environment or address fundamental systemic issues underlying the legal and regulatory environment for business will be considered.

There is no established limit on the size of proposed grants. However, given that grant funds are limited and the fund is expected to last three years, average sizes of grants are expected to range from $2,500 to $15,000.

It is BEI policy that the principle of cost sharing is an important element of the BEI-grantee relationship. Application of cost sharing should be flexible and case-specific, but potential applicants may use 20% as a suggested reference point. The value of existing space, equipment and other assets or regular administrative expenses will not be accepted as cost-share contributions.

Grant funds will be used to support targeted interventions, whether short, medium, or long-term, as well as supplementing or expanding those activities and operations considered central to the overall mission of the applying organization. Proposed activities should be clearly consistent with the goal of improving the overall environment for business and be likely to directly produce or logically lead to economic benefits for association members and other private sector beneficiaries of legal reform and operational improvements. Grants will not cover costs of operations, overhead, or routine activities. Expenses such as office rent, administrative salaries, and equipment, in most cases, would not be acceptable uses of grant funds.

Applicants should first complete an Expression of Interest and submit it to their local BEI office. Upon approval of the grant concept an applicant may complete and submit a Grant Application.

Typically, expressions of interest can be answered in two business days. Grant applications may take up to 20 business days to review and decide.

For more information on the grant program or for assistance in applying for a grant please contact local office of BEI in each country:

Kazakhstan - grant_bei@pragma.kz
Kyrgyzstan - grant_bei@pragma.kg
Tajikistan - grant_bei@pragma-tj.net