The “Mitigating the impact of conflict escalation in Lebanon on social, economic, and institutional stability” is a project generously funded by the Government of France and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The project aims at implementing an integrated livelihoods response approach focused on immediate income generation, capital injection into the local economy, diversifying livelihood opportunities and supporting the productive sector. 

One of the project’s components is to support the reactivation, resilience, and growth of active productive entities such as cooperatives, MSMEs, and farmers. This intervention recognizes the vital role of the private sector in economic recovery. The 2024 war on Lebanon has further strained cooperatives, not only through direct physical damages but also by disrupting supply chains, reducing consumer demand, and increasing operational costs. 

Most cooperatives, especially those operating active in agriculture and agri-food sectors have been facing multi-dimensional challenges as result of their location in affected areas, ranging from securing basic needs, to paying for raw material including pesticides, seeds, and logistics, to paying for land renting and workers, replacing damaged material including machineries essential for production as well as energy efficient equipment.

With cooperatives contributing significantly to Lebanon’s productive sector, supporting them in a post crisis setting is crucial for maintaining and improving economic resilience and sustaining livelihoods opportunities in affected areas.

OBJECTIVE

The primary objective of the call is to provide grants to eligible cooperatives, especially those led / owned by women to enable them to sustain and increase their production in a post-conflict and recovery setting.    
The grants will therefore be directed to achieve the following:  

1. Invest in new machinery/equipment, upgrade existing ones, or replace damaged ones.  
2. Invest in infrastructure development, repair and rehabilitation to restore operational efficiency and ensure long-term sustainability.
3. Purchase or upgrade energy-efficient equipment to reduce production and operation cost.  
4. Purchase of raw materials essential to the production process.
5. Reach new customers, enabling increased sales opportunities through the use of e-commerce solutions, other digital solutions or targeted marketing activities.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA  

To qualify for the grant, applicants must meet the following criteria: 

• Cooperative operating in the agriculture and agri-food sectors.
• Cooperative must be registered in the General Directorate of Cooperatives المديرية العامة للتعاونيات at the Ministry of Agriculture.
• Cooperative must be located in affected areas i.e. governorates of South Lebanon, Nabatiyeh, Bekaa, and Baalbeck-Hermel.
• Cooperative must be in operation for at least one year before the start of the escalation of hostilities (in 2023).
• Cooperative is not operating from home and is currently operational.
• Cooperative must have female members.
• Cooperative must have submitted its budget to the General Directorate of Cooperatives in 2022.

BENEFITS

If you meet the eligibility criteria, you can benefit from a grant of up to 25,000 USD. Eligible activities covered by the grant include:   

• Purchase of equipment or machinery
• Repair and rehabilitation of facilities and assets including investing in an irrigation system.
• Purchase or upgrade of energy-efficient equipment
• Purchase of raw material
• Access to local markets
   

Refer to the “Grant Eligible Activities Annex I” for more details. Selected beneficiaries who receive the grant will also be provided with additional technical assistance for product quality enhancement and access to markets.  

APPLICATION PROCESS 

Step 1: Read the eligibility criteria and determine your eligibility for the grant.

Step 2: Open the online application form, link is provided below.

Step 3: Complete the Grant Application Form and compile the required documents, including additional documents specific to the selected activity (Refer to Annex III). 

Step 4: Complete the Low Value Grant Proposal Form and outline proposed activities, performance targets, and budget using the provided templates (Refer to Annex IV). 

Step 5: Submit your inquiries via email (sme.support@undp.org) and make sure to attend the scheduled information session to learn more about the call, eligibility criteria, and application guidelines. Register for the Information Session Here. 

Step 6: Submit the completed application package online through the Online Form. Ensure all required fields are completed and supporting documents are uploaded. Applications submitted by email will NOT be considered and reviewed.  

Proposals will undergo a thorough evaluation process, and results will be communicated to applicants via email. If any clarification or additional documents are needed, UNDP will be reaching out to you via email or phone.  

TIMELINE

Application Opening Date: May 7, 2025
Application Deadline: June 11, 2025
Announcement of Selected Grantees: End of June 2025  
Implementation Period: up to 8 months starting from grant disbursement. 
Important: Applications must be submitted by June 11, 2025. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.  

EVALUATION PROCESS 

The evaluation process is carried out by a dedicated Grant Selection Committee. Proposals will be assessed based on: 

• Engagement of Women in the cooperative.
• Justification for the selected activities in the grant proposal.
• Cooperative’s ability to sustain the grant usage.
• If the cooperative suffered direct damages from the conflict.
• The social impact of the cooperative
  Detailed scoring and selection criteria are available in the templates and annexes below.

  
TEMPLATES AND ANNEXES (For reference only):

Annex I: Eligible Grant Activities   
Annex II: List of Required documents
Annex III and Annex IV: Application and Proposal Form
Grant selection/scoring criteria 
Terms of Reference  

APPLY HERE