MERI Fund
Mongolia Energy Research & Innovation Fund
Purpose of the small grants:
The Mongolia Energy Research and Innovation (MERI) Fund will provide grants to think tanks, consulting firms, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), private companies, energy research institutions, and other relevant Mongolian organizations to implement a variety of interventions to support energy sector transition.
The MERI Fund will incentivize co-investment, leverage external resources, and facilitate the identification of innovative initiatives from public, private and civil society sectors across a wide range of areas. Grant activities may last from 6 months up to 36 months in duration, and are focused on the following tracks for the year 2023 - 2024:
Track 1: Policy Advocacy
Track 2: Advanced Energy Technologies
Eligibility of the applicants:
The USAID MERI grants program is designed for non-Governmental organizations (NGOs), non-profit, and for-profit entities. NGOs are organizations that act neither in governmental capacity nor as agents of the government. Both U.S. and non-U.S. NGOs are eligible to receive grant funding. An international NGO is eligible if the majority of its constituent members is NGOs. The MEG Activity will accept grant applications from both not-for-profit and for-profit organizations.
Organizations applying for grants must:
● Be a for-profit or non-profit organization, formally constituted, recognized by and in good legal standing with the appropriate Mongolian authorities and compliant with all applicable civil and fiscal regulations (individuals are not eligible).
● Not be part of a government or any government structures.
● Not appear on any list of debarred or suspended entities (as found on www.sam.gov), or on any terrorist watch list or other published list of ineligible recipients.
● Provide evidence of financial accountability to the extent possible and maintain strict and detailed records of all expenses, and have designated individual(s) responsible for financial management;
● Possess sound managerial, technical, and institutional capacities to achieve the results of the grants program;
● Possess a system of internal controls that safeguards assets and protects against fraud, waste, and conflicts of interest;
● Be in good standing with all civil and fiscal authorities in the countries they operate in, and
● Possess financial accountability and maintain detailed records of all expenses.
● Must be able to register in System of Awards Management (SAM) and obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) (applies to funded grants over $25,000 to foreign organizations).
● Not be debarred, suspended, excluded, or otherwise ineligible to receive U.S. Federal funding It is USAID’s policy not to include profits of any nature under assistance agreements (e.g., grant agreements) and sub-agreements at any level. Reasonable, allocable, and allowable expenses, both direct and indirect, that are related to the grant objectives and are in accordance with applicable cost standards may be funded under the grant agreement.
Grants must not fund or support any of the following activities:
● Capital expenditures, including construction activities or buying real estate, asset and property;
● Capital loans;
● Support for or lobbying on behalf of a particular political party;
● Religious activities;
● Support of police or military activities
FAQ
Track 1: Policy Advocacy
Track 2: Advanced Energy Technologies
Grant application procedure:
