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, Virunga Mountain Gorilla Initiative on Tourism and Energy Poverty: Strengthening the Greater Virunga Transboundary Core Secretariat (TCS). 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 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' 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
[email protected]: (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.