NETFUND PARTNERS WITH NATIONAL COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATION COUNCIL TO SUPPORT GREEN INNOVATIONS AWARD PHASE IV

The National Environment Trust Fund (NETFUND) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Community Based Organization Council to support promotion of an environmentally responsible and motivated society that embrace best practices for a clean, healthy and productive environment through NETFUND Green Innovations Award.

Speaking during the MoU signing meeting at NETFUND offices, NETFUND Ag. CEO Samson Toniok acknowledged that in order to  ensure equity in the GIA  programme, all levels of the society with particular focus on bottom of the pyramid (BOP) are targeted in the GIA awareness campaign. Therefore the National CBO council will play a critical role in reaching out to CSOs that with innovative projects aligned to NETFUND GIA IV themes. NETFUND is mandated to ‘facilitate research intended to further the requirements of environment management, environmental awards, capacity building, environmental publications, scholarships and grants’. NETFUND runs the Green Innovations Award (NETFUND GIA) programme that seeks to instil a culture of self-regulation in environmental management in Kenya.

About NETFUND GIA Phase IV

The fourth phase of the programme (GIA IV) begun on February 10, 2020. Receiving of applications will continue until March 9, 2020.  GIA IV is open to Individuals, Community Forest Associations, Water Resource Users Associations, Community Based Organizations, Women Groups, Youth Groups, Primary and Secondary Schools, Tertiary Institutions, Counties, Journalists and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

The award will be guided by five key thematic areas;

1. Attainment of 10% tree cover: Technologies and innovations that contribute to attaining the 10% tree cover through rehabilitation and restoration of community, private and public forests. Priority areas:
   1. Seedlings production
   1. Silviculture: cultivation and growing of trees
   1. Technologies for planting, monitoring, surveillance and management of forests
   1. Alternatives to biomass as energy for cooking
   1. Alternative subsistence livelihood sources for communities living in and around forests.
2. Air pollution control: Technologies and innovations that reduce air pollution.

Priority areas:

• Policy and regulations to manage air pollution;
  • Technologies and innovations that prevent or reduce indoor air pollution and emissions from industries and transport sector.
• Waste management: Technologies and innovations that promotes sustainable waste management. Priority areas:
  • Development and implementation of enabling policy and regulation that promotes energy and resource efficiency in the manufacturing sector and efficient waste management;
  • Technologies and innovations on 4Rs of waste management: Reduction, reuse, recycling and recovery.
• Climate resilience: Technologies and innovations that enhance resilience of smallholder farmers and vulnerable groups to climate shocks, including:
  • Climate information and early warning systems: information and communication systems to help small holder farmers, women and other vulnerable groups cope with droughts, floods and other climate change-induced disasters;
  • Climate Smart Agriculture technologies and practices that enhance crop diversification and adoption of improved drought tolerant crops, improve water harvesting, improve irrigation, reduce post-harvest losses and improve uptake of insurance.
• Environmental education and awareness: Technologies, innovations and best practices that enhance public education and awareness on:
  • Efficient waste management;
  • Protection of forest resources and restoration of degraded forest landscapes (including tree planting and growing);
  • Climate change adaptation and mitigation – early warning and climate smart agriculture;
  • Air quality management.

Award Evaluation Criteria

Project initiatives or ideas entering the award must;

• Location: Be located and registered in Kenya.
• Thematic focus: Be aligned to NETFUND GIA IV thematic areas.
• Relevance: The initiative must demonstrate clearly how it addresses challenges in either of the award themes.
• Innovation: Uniqueness in solving the problem as compared to existing solutions.
• Commercial viability: Ability to generate income, make profit and scale up.
• Impact: Tangible/measurable environmental, social and economic benefits/achievements. 
• Sustainability: Demonstrate how the initiative will be sustained beyond the awards period. Additionally, the initiative must demonstrate how “green” or environmentally friendly the product, service or process is during its whole life cycle.

The application will be subjected to evaluation by a team of experts in each and every thematic area based on the Award Criteria in order to determine the winners.

Benefits for the Winners

• Cash Prizes
• Trophies and certificates
• Business support
• Showcasing and networking opportunities

Cash Prizes

• All winners EXCEPT the counties will receive cash prices, certificates and trophies.
• Winners – Ksh. 250,000, 2nd runners-up – Ksh. 200,000, 3rd runners-up – Ksh. 150,000; this applies to all categories except Counties.
• The best 3 counties will receive a certificate of recognition and trophy.

How to Apply

You may also submit your application in ONLY ONE of the following ways:

1. Fill in and submit your application through the NETFUND GIA application website: http://gia.netfund.go.ke

OR

• Submit your application by hand delivery OR courier to National Environment Trust Fund (NETFUND); National Water Plaza, 1st Floor, Dunga Road, Industrial Area, Nairobi, Kenya

OR

• Submit your application through Post Office to: National Environment Trust Fund (NETFUND) National Water Plaza, P.O. Box 19324, 00202, Nairobi Kenya

OR

• Submit your application through the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) offices in your County.

You may fill the forms and return them to the same offices or send through Post Office to NETFUND.

Achievements in GIA II and III

Prior to GIA IV Award, NETFUND in support with the Government of Kenya and other key partners successfully conducted GIA II and III awards that generated interest from Kenyans towards sustainably management of the environment. As a result, NETFUND recognized and awarded Nineteen (19) best practices and innovations in these categories: women groups, individuals, SMEs, Civil Society Organizations.

The project has also supported 26 green innovations with technical and business support services in the area of renewable energy, waste management, agribusiness and water. Key services provided include: business and financial modelling, marketing, business plan development, financing, product and technology refinement, business set up, linkages networking and showcasing opportunities.  Out of the 26, 17 commercially viable green enterprises have been exposed to financiers comprising of impact investors, micro financing institutions as well as development partners. About 70% of the 26 green innovations have been linked to funding and market opportunities.