Host of the End Plastic Pollution International Collaborative (EPPIC) Public-Private Partnership

Background
The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES), Office of Environmental Quality (ENV) announces an open competition for organizations interested in submitting applications to be the host for a new international public-private partnership, End Plastic Pollution International Collaborative (EPPIC). The partnership aims to significantly reduce plastic pollution by strengthening enabling environments, raising public awareness, and promoting multistakeholder engagements that advance solutions to enhance circularity across the plastics lifecycle, particularly with innovation in upstream design and production.

Grant Details
The EPPIC program includes activities such as developing and supporting technical capacity building activities in developing countries, convening governments and stakeholders to highlight action, fostering and recognizing actions and/or investments made or pledged to advance circularity and reduce plastic waste, administering innovation 'prizes' through a prize competition for projects that encourage innovation to advance circularity and address plastic pollution, identifying challenges and opportunities at the national and subnational levels to advance plastic circularity, facilitating training and technical capacity building in communities disproportionately impacted by plastic pollution, among others.

Eligibility Requirements
Eligible applicants include U.S.-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations with or without 501(c) (3) status of the U.S. tax code; foreign-based non-profit organizations/nongovernment organizations (NGO); Public International Organizations; Foreign Public Organizations; private, public, or state institutions of higher education; and for-profit organizations or businesses, including from a consortium of entities. Applicants may form a consortium and submit a combined application. However, one organization should be designated as the lead applicant with other members listed as sub-award partners.

Period of Performance
The initial period of performance for the award will be for 36 months. Anticipated Time to Award is five months from April 2023.

Grant Value
$14,500,000 in FY 2022 Economic Support Funds (ESF) will be awarded under a cooperative agreement.

Place of Performance
The program is expected to work globally across regions including in Africa, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.