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A demand-driven Central Asia AIDS Fund has been set up so that non-governmental organizations and other public and international agencies can apply for both small and large grants that will allow them to finance targeted programs that will cover mobile populations, young people at risk, people living with HIV/AIDS, and other vulnerable groups. The Fund also aims to will provide incentives for greater regional cooperation, as well as cooperation between public and private sector, and between different public services, such as the AIDS centers and prisons. Following are details on progress to date:
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The first round of grant proposals under the project were launched in May of this year, using the CAAP website as well as advertising via word of mouth, radio, print and TV stations. Applicants’ proposals will be considered this autumn by the RPSC (for big grants) and technical evaluation committees (for small grants), after which winners will be announced in the late September-November period. Contracts will then be signed with the grantees soon thereafter.
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Staff from the RPMU and CAPACITY trained an initial group of non-governmental organizations and community groups from the four Central Asian countries on how to apply for grants, how to scale up AIDS prevention and harm reduction projects, and how to apply sustainable budgeting and management practices to ensure funds are well spent. Additional NGOs will have a chance to receive the training, and partners have agreed to simplify and harmonize the grant application forms among CAAP, CAPACITY, the Global Fund and CARHAP.
An IDF grant of $289,000 is also being used by the Kazakh AIDS Center to help build up capacity for grant preparation and program management among NGOs.
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