The Small Project Fund under PRIORITY 1. ENVIRONMENT. Specific objective 1.4. Promoting the transition to a circular and resource efficient economy.

Under this specific objective, the following activities will be supported in order to increase the involvement and participation of the inhabitants of the assisted area in cross-border cooperation:

  • Joint initiatives for the improvement of household waste management and residual waste treatment and promoting innovative solutions related to the transition to a circular economy;
  • Promoting rational waste management (minimizing generation, promoting segregation, increasing recycling and repurposing) and raising awareness of challenges concerning environmental issues.

 

Examples of Entities that can obtain funding for the implementation of a small project:

  • Units of state, regional and local administration, associations of these units and institutions subordinate to them;
  • Other public law entities (e.g., chambers, government administration bodies);
  • Utility companies;
  • Local environmental institutions;
  • Housing associations, condominiums and associations of co-owners of multi-apartment buildings;
  • Schools, vocational education and training (VET) institutions, units of higher education and research institutions;
  • Non-governmental organisations.

Example list of eligible cross-border activities:

  • Organization of cross-border information-promotion activities (workshops, roundtables, printed materials, videos, etc.) to involve target group/groups in the common solving of the environmental issues;
  • Provision of new municipal waste selective collection points from both sides of the boarder;
  • Strengthening of the capacity of municipal utilities responsible for waste sorting, collection, and storage through training and cross-border experience exchanges;
  • Purchase of equipment for utility companies, such as containers, domestic trash bins, etc.;
  • Creation of cross-border inter-municipal networks and working groups for peer exchange, e.g. through study visits, experience-sharing events, etc.;
  • Installation of composting zones and educational information about waste selection (composters, educational stands, and organic waste containers, etc.) on the school’s territory and in permitted public spaces;
  • Holding competitions for school students to determine the best way to reuse sorted household waste;
  • Development of joint modules/course dedicated to the circular economy, their integration into school or/and university curricula; development of teaching materials or/and manuals;
  • Conducting of joint scientific research to examine the morphology of waste in order to reduce the volume of waste transported to dump sites on both sides of the border;
  • Establishment of experience exchange mechanisms, development of new concepts, conduction of joint trainings, etc. under school–university partnerships to raise awareness among young people about waste management;
  • Launch of initiatives aimed at the private sector to raise awareness about waste selection;
  • Mapping and revitalization of small illegal dump sites.