Supporting Agribusiness
and Tourism Activities
in Khatlon and GBAO

GRANTS TO COMMUNITIES, MUNICIPALITIES AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS TO IMPROVE TOURISM AND AGRIBUSINESS INFRASTRUCTURE AND DEVELOP LOCAL TOURIST ATTRACTIONS:

Under this sub-component, grants are provided to eligible beneficiaries to improve tourism and agribusiness infrastructure and develop tourist attractions in Khatlon Region and GBAO, in particular to implement projects on:

  • promoting tourism, including but not limited to (i) restoring local recreational facilities (such as theaters, parks, and museums), (ii) improving walking or cultural routes, or (iii) organizing local fairs and other cultural events;
  • improving the infrastructure of public agricultural markets (bazars), including, but not limited to;
  • (i) construction or improvement of retail space, (ii) construction or improvement of sanitation facilities, (iii) construction or improvement of (cold) storage facilities;
  • renovation of premises or purchase of equipment for food safety control laboratories at bazars.

Eligible grant-funded goods, works, and services must be for community-based infrastructure to enhance the tourism sector, including, but not limited to:

For the infrastructure of the agro-industrial sector:

  • public agricultural market improvements, including construction or improvement of retail space (e.g., repair of bazar roofs), construction or improvement of sanitation facilities (e.g., construction of public toilets), construction or improvement of (cold) storage facilities, and repair of facilities or purchase of food safety laboratories at bazars.

For the infrastructure of the tourism sector:

  • rehabilitation of local recreational facilities (such as theaters, parks, and museums);
  • improvement of tourist or cultural routes;
  • organizing local cultural and tourist fairs;
  • upgrading of public areas and cultural heritage buildings.

This list is not closed. Goods, works and services not included in the list can also be financed, if they meet the purpose of the grant project, as determined by the PIU, and provided that they are not included in the list of unacceptable goods, works and services. However, it should be noted that for the agribusiness sector, the grant can only be used for various types of infrastructure improvements for the public agricultural market.

Grant projects can last a maximum of 18 months.

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MATCHING GRANTS TO SUPPORT MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (MSES) AND ENTREPRENEURS ACTIVE IN AGRIBUSINESS, LOCAL TOURISM BY:

Under this subcomponent, matching grants are awarded to eligible beneficiaries, including in the following sectors:

Tourism

  • (i) Hospitality (homestays, hostels, motels, mini-hotels, etc.); (ii) Catering (cafes, restaurants, canteens, adjacent to the hotel cafes, teahouses, etc.); (iii) Handicrafts (wood, metal, folk crafts on chakan embroidery, on wood); (iv) Health resorts (health centers, SPA); (v) Tourist operators. (vi) Other areas of this sphere corresponding to the criteria and parameters of the project (the list is not closed and funding depends on each individual project applicant).

Agribusiness

  • o (i) Purchase of equipment for drying fruits and vegetables (canning); (ii) Purchase of equipment for the production of small packaged products to be sold in local markets or to tourists as souvenirs; (iii) Equipment for storage and cold storage facilities; (iv) Equipment for fruit and vegetable processing; (v) Equipment for honey processing; (vi) Other areas of this sphere corresponding to the criteria and parameters of the project (the list is not closed and funding depends on each individual project applicant).

Goods, works, and services to be financed under this subcomponent include, but are not limited to, the following:

    For hotels and restaurants:
  • goods, works and services that are part of a predetermined module for upgrading and improving restrooms, depending on their size;
  • improvements to the dining area or facade of the restaurant;
  • signage along the main road, rest area, etc.
    For artists and craftsmen:
  • purchase of basic machinery and equipment necessary for the trade (sewing machine, welding machine, cutting material, etc.);
  • goods, works and services that are part of a predetermined module to improve the production/creation process.
    For tour operators:
  • installation of a tourist information booth (kiosk). Subject to the provision of appropriate permits and documents;
  • purchase the necessary equipment and machines;
  • development and updating of websites.
    For agritourism organizers:
  • creation of trails on the farm for walking tourists, development of a route and a tour;
  • purchase of necessary equipment and machinery;
  • packaging and sale of agricultural products to tourists.
    For tourist areas (resorts, health centers, local attractions):
  • creation of a tourist information booth (kiosk), kiosks for selling souvenirs and soft drinks. Subject to the provision of appropriate permits and documents;
  • improvement of sanitary and hygienic conditions;
  • purchase of necessary equipment to improve the quality of service.
    For farmers:
  • purchase of necessary equipment and machinery. purchase of milking equipment and goods, such as milk containers, improved feed, in order to improve the quantity and quality of milk;
  • consulting services to support management, business plans and process improvement;
  • promotion and marketing and other commercial activities to link small producers with large processors;
  • other relevant goods, works and services.
    For dairy processors:
  • collection point equipment (e.g. collection point trucks, milk trucks and quality control equipment) and commodities (office equipment and commodities required);
  • consulting services for implementation of HACCP/ISO 22000/ISO 9000, GHP/GMP;
  • consulting services for management support, business plans and process improvement;
  • other networking activities between small producers and large processors, such as promotions, marketing, and other commercial activities; and
  • purchase of milking equipment and merchandise, such as milk containers and improved feeds, to improve milk quantity and quality.

The list is not closed. Goods, works and services not included in the lists can also be financed if they meet the purpose of the matching grants intervention as determined by the PIU and provided that they are not on the list of unacceptable goods, works and services.

The list of equipment can be found in advance in the catalog available on the website or requested from the project facilitators.

Grant projects can last for a maximum of 12 months.