R4CR's Financial Expert Chi Hing Roger explaining the financial requirements during one of the information sessions.
PHILIPSBURG--In a significant milestone, the Resources for Community Resilience (R4CR) programme announced the successful allocation of funding to 73 local projects, totalling an impressive US $3.8 million.
This achievement marks a pivotal moment in the programme’s mission to support community and social rehabilitation initiatives on St. Maarten in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma.
As R4CR enters its 7th and final round of project financing, it has opened calls for grant applications, making $200,000 available to local civil society organizations (CSOs) to further their work.
On Wednesday and Thursday, November 1 and 2, R4CR hosted information sessions for local CSOs on how to secure an R4CR grant during the seventh and final round of project financing. The official call for proposals for Round 7 opened on November 3, 2023, with the submission deadline set for midnight December 10, 2023. The total available grant funding for this round is $200,000, with a maximum budget of $15,000 per project. Round 7 projects are expected to commence on February 1, 2024, and must be completed by August 1, 2024.
Eligible projects cover various subject areas, including neighbourhood initiatives, sports, nature and environment, culture, poverty relief, day care centres, after-school programmes, youth employment, skills development, psycho-social support and efforts to prevent gender-based violence.
Funded by the Government of the Netherlands through the St. Maarten Trust Fund, R4CR has committed to providing $4 million over seven rounds of grants from July 2020 to December 2024. With approximately $200,000 remaining in the funding pot, R4CR Team Leader Steve Duzanson said during recent information sessions, “We have disbursed or committed US $3.8 million to local projects.”
Since its start in 2020, the R4CR programme has provided crucial support to 73 small-scale projects, benefiting approximately 8,500 individuals and committing nearly $3.8 million to local groups. Furthermore, the programme has offered free training in collaboration with 4C Foundation/NPOwer, strengthening the capabilities of local organisations.
The R4CR programme is administered by the World Bank, implemented by the National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB), and managed by the International Cooperation Agency of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNGI) in close collaboration with 4C Foundation and other local partners.
For more information about the R4CR programme, details on securing a grant, or an overview of current projects, visit the official website at
www.r4cr.orgor the programme’s Facebook page R4CRSXM.
