USAID Zrda and bp Partnership
Since 2018, the USAID Zrda and bp Georgia have been implementing the joint program in 41 villages where BP and USAID Zrda activities overlap. The joint program is being conducted as part of the broader Community Development Program, initiated and funded by BP and its oil and gas partners. Focus areas of the partnership include agriculture and business and community development. Within the joint program, USAID Zrda and BP support sustainable social and economic development projects that respond to the needs of the local population and have the potential to positively impact the target communities by creating jobs and income-generation opportunities.
The program covers 41 target villages with more than 14,000 local residents, with activities carried out by two implementing partners. As such, Biological Farming Association Elkana is implementing small business development projects in 22 villages located in the Kaspi, Gori, Kareli and Khashuri municipalities of Shida Kartli region. The target area is located along the Western Route Export Pipeline, also known as the Baku-Supsa pipeline. Another implementing partner, the Regional Development Association, is implementing community development initiatives in the remaining 19 villages located in the Akhaltsikhe, Adigeni and Tsalka municipalities of Samtskhe-Javakheti and Kvemo Kartli regions along the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and South Caucasus Pipelines.
USAID Zrda co-finances joint projects in these 41 villages through technical assistance, training and small grants activities, contributing up to USD 300,000 to the joint program. BP, on behalf of its oil and gas partners, is investing USD 2 million in the broader Community Development program, the current phase of which is being implemented during 2018-2021 in 218 communities, including in 41 villages under the joint program with USAID Zrda.
“Invest in ABL” Partnership between USAID Zrda and JSC Partnership Fund
USAID Zrda leverages partnerships with stakeholders across government, civil society, and other donors to achieve transformative and sustainable impact in its target communities. Under the MOU signed in September 2019, USAID Zrda and JSC Partnership Fund cooperate and facilitate investments in the target communities located along the Administrative Boundary Lines (ABLs) with the occupied territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, using existing tools such as sub-award facility of Zrda and Start-up Georgia program implemented by Start-up Georgia LLC, a company funded and owned by the Partnership Fund. Within this MOU, USD 500,000.00 is allocated from the Zrda sub-award facility to co-fund investment projects in the target ABL communities with assumption to implement a minimum of five projects with an estimated maximum co-financing ceiling amount of USD 100,000.00 per project. Projects approved to date: The construction of the Kombucha Production facility in Karapila village of the Kaspi municipality; Complex Fertilizer Production in Mejvriskhevi village of the Gori Municipality; used motor oil processing and recycling production in Kodistskaro village of the Kaspi municipality; Milk processing enterprise in Rukhi village of the Zugdidi municipality; Clay Ceramic Tile Production in Perevi village of the Sachkhere municipality; High-quality Coal Production from Hazelnut and Walnut Shells in Rukhi village of the Zugdidi municipality.