The Ekopolis Foundation announced the first call for applications for the Bloc Grant for the environmental NGOs, the Sme daily wrote on January 16. The programme lasts for three years, during which the foundation distributes over €2 million. The Bloc Grant is being financed by the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area, the Norwegian Financial mechanism, and the Slovak state budget. The foundation will support activities concerning the environment, such as decreasing the loss of bio-diversity, and protecting nature's biotopes, raising the quality of air, and cutting the production of greenhouse gases in Slovakia, improving the state of waste economy on a local level, improving and developing infrastructure in water protection and water economy, permanently sustainable energetics projects, food safety, and environmental education.
The entitled applicant must have been active for a minimum of two years in at least one of these spheres, and must have an annual income during the last two years amounting to at least Sk700,000. The amount of allotted contribution to one project is Sk673,600 - Sk3,368,000, while the sum of the contribution can be no more than 90 percent of the total justified cost of the project. The deadline for the applications is February 29.
