Call for projects
Program Overview Program
Economic Competitiveness of Morocco (Morocco Economic Competitiveness - ECM) is a four-year program, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). CME Programme adopts a multisectoral approach to reducing barriers to productivity, trade and investment in Morocco.
Through this program, USAID Morocco aims to reduce barriers to trade and investment in targeted areas of Oriental and Doukkala-Abda, through:
- 1 - Improving the climate Business
- 2 - Sustainable use of water in agriculture
- 3 - Strengthening professional capacities, particularly among youth and women
levers Three techniques will help achieve these goals:
- L support regulatory reforms
- Capacity building of government institutions;
- Increasing private sector participation.
The program will operate under national strategies defined by the Plan Emergence Plan Green Morocco, the National Programme of Water Saving Irrigation (PNEEI) and the Emergency Plan for Vocational Training.
In addition to technical assistance and funding for the implementation of its activities, the CME program has a subsidy mechanism for NGOs and the private sector. The total amount of these grants is approximately 5 million U.S. Dollars for the period ending September 30, 2013 (base period) plus an additional 1.375 million U.S. Dollars for the period from October 1 2013 September 30, 2014 (option period). The mechanism
program grants
The CME program can provide assistance by subsidies in kind or direct financial support on a reimbursable basis or cash advances. The program can not award a grant in excess of 200,000 U.S. Dollars or for a period extending beyond the completion date for the base period of the program, scheduled September 30, 2013.
Grants will be awarded to innovative pilot projects, promoting trade and investment, more efficient use of water resources and creating jobs for youth and women.
CME Program activities focus on improving water management for agriculture and agro-industry in the regions of Eastern and Doukkala-Abda. All activities covered by the subsidy scheme should target those areas
Eligible Organizations: NGOs, associations and private sector entities, including cooperatives.
excluded Organizations: Government agencies or private institutions or international organizations. Eligible Activities: The following categories are examples of activities to be funded by grant. These categories and examples of activities are given as an indication of changes may occur in practice, needs and opportunities that arise during the implementation of the program:
- Capacity building of local partner organizations, such as government agencies, NGOs, members of civil society associations farmers and cooperatives.
- activities through training of professional skills development to people looking for employment - particularly youth and women - or creating employment opportunities in targeted areas (eg sustainable water management and agriculture).
- The purchase of equipment and services for improved water management, processing and marketing of agricultural priority (as defined by the program) that serve other objectives of sustainable growth by promoting trade and investment
- awareness campaigns targeting users of water, bodies of water management and priority value chains selected by the program.
- Activities creating or expanding investments in the target areas and complement the objectives of sustainable growth program by promoting trade and investment.
expected generally that beneficiaries make a certain contribution to the activity for which they are applying for funding. This can be done either in kind (labor and materials) in money, through direct funding of some of the costs of subsidies, donated to initiatives for implementation. In most cases, the program will require a contribution of up to 25% of project costs. In the case of grants to private sector entities that fall under the category of public-private partnerships, the program expects that the recipient committed financially to repay at least twice the amount granted by the program - or at least 66% of the total project cost. The purpose of this requirement of consideration is to mobilize additional resources to achieve program objectives and to give the recipient of a grant from the results of the activity.
The program will accept grant applications until September 30, 2011 (new deadline will be set). The program will not reimburse costs incurred before the award of a grant, or the costs associated with building a case for grant application - whether successful or not.
Grant applications will be evaluated by a committee composed of representatives of the program, USAID and key partners representing the Government of Morocco. Grant applications that meet the eligibility criteria will be evaluated and awarded based on the following selection criteria:
- 1. The proposed activity represents a potentially reproducible model for the promotion of sustainable development initiatives;
- 2. The innovative nature of the activity is clearly defined and differs from current practice;
- 3. The plaintiff said the results or specific changes that will result from the proposed innovation and are consistent with environmental practices, economic and resource management respectively clean, sustainable and culturally correct;
- 4. The project offers services equitably among the targeted groups and communities and includes issues of gender equity project provides activities that meet a demonstrated need;
- 5. The applicant must be an organization that promotes the sustainable management of water resources and agricultural development, or community organization directly engaged in such activities ;
- 6. Applicants must have the technical capacity to implement the proposed activities (or will identify other areas of technical assistance required);
- 7. The applicant proposes a concrete plan to retain and disseminate lessons learned from the project;
- 8. The applicant has a plan for monitoring and evaluation;
- 9. The proposed activity is profitable
- 10. The proposed work includes strategies for cost recovery or cost sharing, if any, and if possible, because the details of how user fees would managed.
- 11. The proposed activity complies with environmental regulations and directives of USAID and the Moroccan government.
Evaluation of applications will be conducted according to established criteria and may include interviews, visits, fundraising, and / or requests for additional information. Following the evaluation of grant applications, all applicants will be notified in writing if their application was successful or not.
To learn more and to know the details of application procedures, please contact:
- Economic Competitiveness Program
of Morocco - 8, rue du Rif, Souissi - Rabat
- Tel. : 05 37 63 05 59, Fax: 05 37 63 05 61
- E-mail: andrew_watson@dai.com
1. A methodological note 
