The EC has sought proposals from non-profit Bangladeshi organisations to receive this financial assistance by July 10. Those who will miss this first deadline can submit their proposals by September 30, 2005, the final deadline for proposal submission.

SPF is an EC-funded initiative under EU-Bangladesh economic co-operation. Under the SPF programme, grants will be provided for small innovative, strategic and viable projects in the area of economic development and trade related capacity building.

Besides Bangladesh, EC has been running such programmes in some other Asian third-world countries under its Asia investment programme for enhancing Asia-EU trade relation.

EC delegation in Bangladesh yesterday organised a SPF information seminar at Dhaka Sheraton Hotel where high the EC officials described the SPF features. They also spoke with the representatives from several local organisations about rules and regulation in getting the EU fund.

Under this programme, a total of 1,500,000 euros is available and the amount of EC grant for each project may vary from 30,000 euros to maximum 100,000 euros. The duration of a proposed project must have to be within 12 months.

The delegation said non-profit organisations such as the government departments, local authorities, NGOs, think tanks, universities, research institutes and business organisations can apply for this fund.

SPF will provide grants up to a maximum of 90 percent of the total costs of the approved projects and the grant recipients have to fund the remaining 10 percent, they said.

Esko Kentrschynskyj, ambassador and head of delegation of the European Commission (EC) to Bangladesh, said the SPF will enhance the trade relation between the EC and Bangladesh, which foresees about 49 million euros overall support for economic development and trade-related capacity building in Bangladesh.

The projects will help the country's export sector as well as create job opportunities, he said.

He said the programme will give special attention to include women in the projects as much as possible along with the disables.

The EC will give priority over labour standards, fair trade and trade related environmental issues in disbursing the funds, the ambassador said.

Jean-Claude Malongo, EC delegation programme officer for SPF programme, Gomez Puron, second secretary of EC delegation, M Zakir Hossain, team leader of SPF information services, were also present at the function.