Regional Cooperation and Poverty Reduction Fund

Eligibility and How to Apply

What activities are eligible for funding?

The PRC Fund

• will finance operational expenses related to technical assistance and other eligible initiatives agreed upon by PRC and ADB in the amount not exceeding $500,000
• will not be used for permanent staffing costs or to hire staff consultants
• will not cover activities to finance civil works or to procure large-scale equipment

The PRC Fund will encourage innovation and learning by supporting

• research and analytical work
• piloting of innovative approaches
• capacity building and institutional development in developing member countries
• dissemination, networking and cross-learning activities (e.g., workshops, conferences, publications, and website development)

Who is eligible to apply?

The regional departments, resident missions as well as operations-support departments/offices of ADB are eligible to access the PRC Fund to finance both regional cooperation and country-specific poverty reduction activities.

For regional cooperation activities, while all DMCs will be eligible, it will prioritize countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion and the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation.

It may also be used to support cooperation based on other ADB's regional cooperation mechanisms such as the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) initiative, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT), and Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).

For country-specific activities, it will be limited to finance poverty reduction activities of countries covered by the Asian Development Fund for the period 2005-2008.

The PRC will not be eligible as a direct beneficiary but it may participate in regional cooperation activities supported by the PRC Fund , such as regional conferences, strategy development, etc.

When and where to apply?

While proposals can be accepted on an exceptional basis at any time during the year, proposals will normally be screened twice during the year.

For 2008, the deadline for receipt of proposals for the first screening is 28 March, and for the second screening 30 October.

Concept papers [ PDF: 120kb | 6 pages ] should be submitted to the PRC Fund Coordinator in Office of Regional Economic Integration (OREI).

What are the requirements in applying?

Proposals will be screened and prioritized based on the following considerations:

• Proposals should be consistent and complementary with ADB's Regional Cooperation Strategy and Programs (RCSPs) or the annual updates (RCSPUs) and/or its Country Strategy and Programs (CSPs) or the annual updates (CSPUs)
• Discussions with the key country stakeholders on proposals should take place as early as possible
• The use of developing member country's (DMC) expertise is encouraged to the extent possible
• Contributions, either in kind or in cash, from DMCs benefiting from activities financed under the PRC Fund are encouraged
• Utilization of the PRC Fund should be complementary with, but distinct from, ADB's core financing sources
• The PRC Fund should be used in the most cost-effective way possible

Acceptance of proposals for funding will be based on the approval procedures set in the Board Paper and Channel Financing Agreement.