Priorities

FIRST's focus is short-term and medium-term projects. Technical assistance projects range in size from a few thousand dollars up to US$500,000 and, exceptionally, more. The majority of projects supported to date have been between US$100,000 and US$200,000.

Project Characteristics

FIRST gives preference to projects with the following characteristics:

· Likelihood of achieving the stated project objectives; of practical, tangible results; of successful implementation; of measurable impact and of replicability elsewhere.

· Well-defined proposals of high quality, with realistic expectations.

· Showing strong elements of additionality, rather than substitution.

· Catalytic, likely to lead to follow-up TA work; leveraging other resources, now or later.

· Short - to medium-term nature (6-18 months).

· Cash or initial contributions of 10 percent from recipients.

· No "core funding" (sole or primary source of funding of a start-up or an up- and running organization).

· Projects that are "demand-driven" by entities from countries, regions, multilateral development banks and industry associations; rather than "supply-driven" by industrialized country consultants, Bank staff and the like.