The global objective of this call for proposals is: to address job creation and growth in support of Lebanon’s stagnated economy (in line with the first priority sector of the Single Support Framework for EU Support to Lebanon 2017-2020), while supporting Climate Change Mitigation in Lebanon.

The specific objective of this call for proposals is: to promote innovation, entrepreneurship and job creation in support of Lebanon’s clean energy transition and Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) for the energy sector.

This new programme will simultaneously address job creation and growth in support of Lebanon’s stagnated economy – in line with the “Vision for Stabilisation, Growth and Employment” (the “Vision”) presented by the Government of Lebanon to the donors’ community in April 2018 during the “Conférence Economique pour le Développement par les Réformes et avec les Entreprises” (CEDRE) – as well as Climate Change Mitigation in Lebanon. It proposes to do so by supporting Lebanon’s gradual shift towards a clean energy transition (gradual phasing out from fossil fuels by switching to renewable energy sources) and circular economy principle. It will address the following issues:

• The untapped potential for green jobs and growth (in particular in the energy sector);
• The inability of the electricity sector to supply reliable electricity, leaving homes, businesses, public offices and industries relying on more expensive, unregulated, highly polluting diesel-run private generators;
• The difficulties for the private sector to get access to credits, despite the relatively recent introduction of financial incentives to encourage green enterprise development;
• The insufficient linkages amongst green entrepreneurship, SMEs, industries and research/technology centres.