The Sasakawa Central Europe Fund
The Sasakawa Peace Foundation

I. Program Background

In planning and implementing SCEF's assistance activities, we work from our unique position as a private, nonprofit Fund to develop mutual understanding in order to continue to build new and enduring relationships between Japan and the states of Central Europe. We seek to explore and develop new, innovative forms of cooperation. At the same time, we support and collaborate in region-directed activities initiated by other international foundations in the U.S. and Europe. In all of these pursuits, we are committed to conducting our activities in a manner that recognizes and respects the praticular characteristics and needs of each of the region's countries.

SCEF's two program objectives

1. To promote mutual understanding between Japan and the countries of Central Europe;
2. To contribute to the progressive development of Central European societies by supporting activities aimed at enhancing intra-regional and international cooperation across a wide range of fields.

1. Promotion of economic transition:

   Projects aimed at advancing the region's process of transition from planned to market economies by disseminating information and knowledge derived from the market-building experiences of other nations that might be emulated or serve as models from economic/political development by the four countries.

2. Development of the third sector:

   Projects focused on promoting and developing the newly emerging private, nonprofit sector in Central Europe, so as to enhance its already-growing role in the developmnet of democratic societies in the region.

3. Fostering of human resources:

   Projects designed help cultivate a nucleus of leaders, from the grassroots to top business and government levels, who will be capable of contributing innovative concepts and sound management expertise to the developmnet of the region and its component states within the larger global society.

1. Project requirements
   • correspond to the SCEF objectives and priorities,
   • coincide with the characteristics and specific development needs of the subject country.

2. Eligible organizations
   • educational or research institutions and NGOs in Central Europe
   • educational or research institutions and NGOs in other countries.

3. Ineligible project activities
4. procurement of real estate or fixed property, construction of buildings
5. subsidizing of operating expenses
6. profit-making activities
7. purely academic research
8. emergency relief activities.

   • Funding period

     Grant agreements are made and renewed on an annual basis. Grants may cover a period of up to three years.

   • Application method

     Though no special format is required, applications should be written in English and include the following:

     • an outline of the project objectives
     • an implementation plan
     • an itemized budget plan
     • a description of the applying organization.

   • Application Period

     There is no application filing deadline. However, applications for projects to be conducted over a set period should be submitted several months in advance.

All application should be submitted to {SCEF} at the following address:

• Sasakawa Central Europe Fund {SCEF}
  The Sasakawa Peace Foundation
  The Sasakawa Hall
  3-12-12 Mita, Minato-ku
  Tokyo 108, Japan
  Tel: 81-3-3769-2091
  Fax: 81-3-3769-2090
  http://www.spf.org

SASAKAWA Slovak Office:

• SPF
  Laurinska 2, 811 01 Bratislava
  tel/fax: 432-7/544 303 58
  E-mail: spf@changenet.sk ,
  Jana Kadlecova, Jana Calfova