Please note that companies that work on Energy Efficiency are eligible as part of the main Eligibility Criteria (which you can find on Page 15 of the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) document). Additionally, Annex 1 of the NOFO contains the list of energy sector and energy-adjacent sector activities, which also includes “Distribution and Installation of Energy Efficiency Products.”
These grants aim to increase women’s representation in the energy and adjacent sectors.
Please also refer to Page 12 (‘Section II – Program Description and Sub-section 2.4 – Illustrative Interventions’) to examine the kinds of interested measures for funding.
Please also refer to Page 14 (‘Section III- Eligible Institutions’) of the NOFO for detailed eligibility criteria.
For this call, collaboration between two organizations is not foreseen. Each organization can apply as an individual applicant.
Combining measures is encouraged, and especially if they also complement each other and address the needs of your entity (or in the case of CSOs address the needs in the market).
The Energy for Equality Program is designed to support girls and women at various stages of their professional journey, including entry-level professionals, women re-entering the workforce, and those aiming for leadership roles within the energy sector. Therefore, grant applicants in their concept note can propose participants, in this case trainees, of all ages.
More details on eligible cost share contributions will be shared with applicants successfully passing the Concept Note phase in cycle to the Full Application phase.
Please note that at the Concept Note phase, applicants are only required to propose a ‘high-level budget amount’. A detailed budget will be required later in the Full Application phase. More details on the budget and cost eligibility will be provided to entities successfully passing to the Full Application phase.
Costs included in the budget at the full application phase are expected to be reasonable, allowable, and allocable. While there is no set cap for labor, applicants should cost their budget accurately to achieve the goals of the proposed grant activity.
The term “participant companies” on Page 10 of the NOFO is intended to represent all companies that by the end of the Compact will benefit from the IESW Activity under the JETA project. “Participant” is added for internal MCA-K Monitoring & Evaluation purposes. It DOES NOT represent a list or a group of companies that are in any database or pool or roster of MCA-Kosovo.
The presentation will be provided to all registered participants of the two information sessions held on November 13 and 14, 2024. It will also be posted on the website: https://www.energyforequality.com
Annex 1 of the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) contains the list of energy sector and energy-adjacent sector activities, which includes “Other information technology and computer service activities.”
However, if your entity is not involved in Energy or adjacent sectors, you are likely not eligible for Energy for Equality grants funding.
If your entity is involved in, for example, developing Power/Energy related software used for utilities billing, planning and distribution, or other information technology and computer service activities contributing to the E4E grant program objective, your entity may be eligible.
Please refer to Page 14 (‘Section III- Eligible Institutions’) of the NOFO for detailed eligibility criteria. Additional information is available at: https://www.energyforequality.com/grants-application/
If your NGO is active in advocating for women and minority groups’ participation in the workforce or in the energy sector, or if this advocacy is clearly part of the mission of your organization, then yes, it would be eligible to apply.
As part of the Concept Note template, you are asked to summarize your entity’s past experience that can qualify you as meeting the above-mentioned requirements.
Lessons learned from this round of grants will inform the Energy for Equality Grant Program for future rounds of grants, which may also include changes to the criteria or other aspects of the program. However, at this stage, it is still early to know if anything may be changed in future rounds of grants.
Tiers 1 and 2 are designed for companies in the energy sector or adjacent sector. Tier 4 is designed for civil society organizations which should be active in advocating for women and minority groups’ participation in the workforce or in the energy sector.
You should assess if the University you represent fits within any of the Tiers (and meets its requirements). For more, please refer to Page 14 (‘Section III- Eligible Institutions’) of the NOFO for detailed eligibility criteria.
The requirement is for total number of employees as of 2023, evidenced by the application’s submission of supporting documentation (Appendix 3: “Proof of employee numbers (one year extract from the Tax Administration of Kosovo)”)
Employee count from other years will not be considered.
Each box represents one specific activity/category.
At the Concept Note stage, applicants do not need to submit a detailed budget, only a high-level total estimated budget figure, separated into two figures representing the MCA-Kosovo funded amount and the cost-share amount.
Proposers can calculate these figures by creating an internal budget listing estimated costs to implement their proposed activity, and then calculating the cost-share amount and percentage.
The Energy for Equality grants have a specific goal to support the implementation of gender equitable workplace policies, projects, and initiatives within grantee companies in the energy and adjacent sectors, and to support CSOs who are actively advocating for women’s representation in the energy sector and/or workplace.
The amounts presented in the NOFO are the maximum amounts that can be granted by the MCA-Kosovo for different Tiers. For example: A small company can apply with a Concept Note in the amount of €28,889 (of which at maximum €26,000 (90%) are requested by MCA-Kosovo and at minimum €2,889 (10%) are cost-shared by the company)
There are no limitations to the number of measures which you can select, but the expectation is that you are realistic and select the measures across different categories that are relevant for the Concept Idea you may have and that are aligned with the budget that you will be requesting.
If you are a company, you can find examples of measures in Section 2.4 of the NOFO, across three types of measures.
For proposers representing CSOs, the types of measures that can be applied for are limited to initiatives. CSOs will not be eligible for measures in policies or projects.
Individuals are not eligible for Energy for Equality grants funding.
Please refer to Page 14 (‘Section III- Eligible Institutions’) of the NOFO for detailed eligibility criteria.
Please also refer to the table on Page 15 of the NOFO containing the minimum number of employees for eligibility.
These grants aim to increase women’s representation in the energy and adjacent sectors.
If proposers represent a company in the energy or adjacent sectors, Energy for Equality grants are intended to support internal workforce development.
If proposers represent CSOs, Energy for Equality grants are intended to support the organization’s current or future programming that contributes to increased representation of women in the energy sector.
Please also refer to Page 12 (‘Section II – Program Description and Sub-section 2.4 – Illustrative Interventions’) to examine the kinds of interested measures for funding.
Please also refer to Page 14 (‘Section III- Eligible Institutions’) of the NOFO for detailed eligibility criteria.
These grants aim to increase women’s representation in the energy and adjacent sectors.
Please also refer to Page 12 (‘Section II – Program Description and Sub-section 2.4 – Illustrative Interventions’) to examine the kinds of interested measures for funding.
Please also refer to Page 14 (‘Section III- Eligible Institutions’) of the NOFO for detailed eligibility criteria.
Please refer to the response to Question 2.
The deadline for submission of Concept Note is November 29, 2024 at noon CET via email to e4e.grants@mcakosovo.org.
Depending on which Tier your entity belongs to, you must complete the correct application form for your Tier. All forms are available at https://www.energyforequality.com/grants-application/. Please take note of the additional appendices to be attached to complete your application.
Full application details can be found at: https://www.energyforequality.com/grants/
*The new deadline for submitting Concept Notes is December 16, 13:00 PM CET.
Learn more here
If the entity is a micro, small or medium company in the media sector, it is not eligible.
If the entity is a CSO/NGO active in advocating for women and minority groups’ participation in the workforce of energy and adjacent sectors, it is eligible. The entity should review the NOFO section on Illustrative Interventions prior to applying.
Please refer to Page 14 (‘Section III- Eligible Institutions’) of the NOFO for detailed eligibility criteria.
The deadline for submission of Concept Note is November 29, 2024 at noon CET via email to e4e.grants@mcakosovo.org. Based on this, you can submit your Concept Note when ready on/before this deadline.
Please refer to Page 18 (‘4.2- Proposed Timeline’) of the NOFO for more information.
*The new deadline for submitting Concept Notes is December 16, 13:00 PM CET.
Learn more here
All entities that ARE eligible to apply must be:
This funding opportunity is being offered to three tiers. The Eligibility Criteria for each tier are as follows:
Tier 1, Micro and Small Companies:
Tier 2, Medium Companies:
Tier 4, CSOs:
Please refer to Page 14 (‘Section III- Eligible Institutions’) of the NOFO for detailed eligibility criteria.
Annex 1 of the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) contains the list of energy sector and energy-adjacent sector activities, which includes “Other information technology and computer service activities.”
However, if your entity is not involved in Energy or adjacent sectors, you are likely not eligible for Energy for Equality grants funding.
If your entity is involved in, for example, developing Power/Energy related software used for utilities billing, planning and distribution, or other information technology and computer service activities contributing to the E4E grant program objective, your entity may be eligible.
Please refer to Page 14 (‘Section III- Eligible Institutions’) of the NOFO for detailed eligibility criteria. Additional information is available at: https://www.energyforequality.com/grants-application/
If your company is a company active in the energy sector, including energy generation and/or energy distribution, and/or in a complementary sector as defined in the list of eligible sectors (the bold text will be bold and hyperlink to the list of eligible sectors), you are eligible to apply for an award. The company can be privately or publicly owned or a Social Enterprise. A minimum size of the company is required when you apply for an award.
If you are a Non-governmental organization (NGO) or a civil society organizations (CSO) that is advocating for women’s and/or minority communities’ rights in the energy sector, you are also eligible to apply for the “Initiatives” award category.
Check the eligibility criteria based on your company size (link to eligible organizations)
To understand more about the process and get inspiration on what you can apply for, register to participate in a workshop based on your company size. After attending the workshop, you will complete the application form and send it to awards@energyforequality.com.
There are four categories of awards:
Policies: This category recognizes companies’ efforts to design, implement and monitor the compliance of gender equality–related policies. Policies are formal documents, approved by the organization’s leadership. Their implementation of the policy is verified to make sure policies are actively practiced, and their relevance is evaluated to ensure the policy is current and serving its desired purpose.
Projects: This category recognizes companies’ tangible successful projects that involve the provision of hardware, equipment, construction, or provision of physical facilities that advance gender equality in the workplace.
Initiatives: This category recognizes companies’ successful programs that can advance gender equality through training, internships, mentorship, networking, scholarships, and other initiatives but do not involve physical facilities, hardware, or equipment.
Innovation: This category aims to recognize activities that are not included in the three above categories and that bring to the sector an advancement or achievement that has not been previously observed.
After you send a complete application form through our email address awards@energyforequality.com, our team will review your application. If all necessary information is in place, your application will be reviewed by Awards jury for a potential award. No matter if your application is successful or not, you will receive an email confirming the jury’s decision. If you are a winner or short listened, you will be invited to attend the Awards Event and share the success with other stakeholders in the energy and complementary sectors. Moreover, you will benefit free promotion throughout the year and “The Best Companies for Women” Awards seal to display as per your preference.
Participating in the Energy for Equality Awards is not just an opportunity; it’s a vital step towards enhancing gender equality within the energy sector. By applying for an award, you become active agent of change, championing workforce diversity and inclusivity in Kosovo.
There are numerous tangible benefits to be gained from your participation. Firstly, applying for an Award elevates your company’s reputation. You will benefit from our promotional campaigns to position you as an ’employer of choice for women’. This translates into increased attractiveness to top talent, facilitating both recruitment and retention efforts. Moreover, a more balanced gender representation within your organization translates into higher Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) scores. Additionally, awardees often experience improved organizational performance, gaining from the diverse perspectives and skills that women bring to the table.
When your company has implemented activities across multiple categories, it presents an excellent opportunity to showcase your commitment to gender equality from various angles. In this the case, you’re encouraged to apply for more categories. If, for instance, your initiatives involve both establishing policies and providing training on gender equality, you could submit applications for the „National Trophy of Gender Equality in Policy“ and the „National Trophy of Gender Equality in Initiatives.“ Additionally, if your training programs incorporate innovative elements, you’re eligible to apply for the „National Trophy of Gender Equality in Innovation“, as well. This approach increases your chances of recognition across a spectrum of achievements.