Support to implementation of Covenant of Mayor East (COM-East) and Mayors for Economic Growth regional projects (M4EG) in Azerbaijan

The general objective of the project is “To contribute to the implementation of Covenant of Mayors East and Mayors for Economic Growth regional programs in Azerbaijan, in particular by supporting signatory municipalities to develop and implement sustainable economic, energy and climate actions.

The intervention is structured around 2 main tasks:

Task 1. Provide technical support to the CoM signatories to develop and implement SECAPs;

Task 2: Provide technical support to the M4EG signatories to develop LEDPs.

Indeed, the project provides complementary and focused support alongside the existing support provided to selected signatories. In Azerbaijan, most of the municipalities are not able to develop SECAPs and LEDPs and attract finance for their implementation by their own efforts without direct mentoring assistance. With this in mind, the project addresses the different needs of signatories in a more structured and targeted way.

In practical terms, the project supports the municipalities at all stages of development and implementation of SECAPs and LEDPs. In addition, the project supports Mingachevir municipality in applying to multiple investment instruments, green and climate finance mechanisms for the implementation of the projects under its approved SECAP

Main deliverables:

The deliverables provided in the frame of this consultancy can be divided into two main tasks:

Task 1: Provide technical support to the CoM signatories to develop and implement SECAPs

Sub-task 1.1 : Support to development of SECAPs

Five 1-day workshops/roundtable meetings to get familiar with current state of play and provide instructions on SECAP development process;

Five milestone-based and phased action plans, including implementation responsibilities, and implementation timeline for development of SECAPs agreed with selected municipalities;

Five SECAP documents with measures/projects fiches through mentoring support to selected municipalities at all stages of SECAP development, including investment project fiches.

Sub-task 1.2 : Support to the Mingachevir municipality to access green and climate finance mechanisms leading to the implementation of projects that are a part of its SECAP

One 1-day workshop for the SECAP Working Group members in Mingachevir municipality to raise awareness on various funding opportunities for municipality projects as well as mechanisms/algorithms for applying to these funds;

Mentoring support delivered and one Guidance document for identification of relevant Climate finance mechanisms developed and applications developed and submitted for available funding sources for two pilot projects from the SECAP;

One 1-day public awareness event for up to fifty participants to disseminate good practices and lessons from the receiving funding and successful implementation of pilot projects that will help other municipalities to identify possible solutions for rolling out their own SECAPs.

Task 2. Provide support to the M4EG signatories to develop their LEDPs

Sub-task 2.1 Provide support to the M4EG signatories to develop their LEDPs

Ten 1-day workshops/roundtable meetings with current state of play and provide instructions on LEDP development process;

Ten milestone-based and phased action plans including implementation responsibilities and implementation timeline, for development LEDPs;

Ten LEDP documents with measures/projects fiches through mentoring support to selected municipalities (individual and in groups) at all stages of LEDP development, including investment project fiches;

One 1-day multi-stakeholder workshop to present the LEDPs, once finalized and accepted by the relevant municipalities