Closed Grant Opportunity View - GO6878

The purpose of the grant is to establish the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) Support Unit (RSU) to provide technical and administrative support to the RCEP Joint Committee (RJC) and its subsidiary bodies. The establishment of the RSU will support effective implementation of RCEP.

The ASEAN Secretariat has been identified as the sole appropriate recipient. As agreed at the Inaugural Ministers’ Meeting of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) on 17 September 2022 in Siem Reap, Cambodia, the RCEP Support Unit will operate as an interim arrangement within the ASEAN Secretariat to deliver support to RCEP Parties. The ASEAN Secretariat has been the recipient of several DFAT administered ODA grants.

RCEP Ministers have agreed that the RSU will operate as a special unit within the ASEAN Secretariat, funded by the Parties to the RCEP Agreement and supervised by the RCEP Joint Committee for an initial period of two years. All decisions in RCEP require agreement by all Parties.

The ASEAN Secretariat, as depository for the RCEP Agreement, currently provides organisational and logistical support for the implementation of the Agreement. The ASEAN Secretariat has been identified as the only appropriate provider for these services due to its role in coordinating the position of ASEAN Member States and assisting with the delivery of each of RCEP’s committee meetings. As the organising and representative body for ASEAN Member States, the ASEAN Secretariat is the only provider that is appropriately authorised to coordinate on behalf of ASEAN Member States.

The ASEAN Secretariat has an existing role in providing the functions outlined for the RSU, including providing logistical and administrative support the RCEP Joint Committee. The RSU is to be established pursuant to the terms outlined in Article 18.3 of the RCEP Agreement. Per Art 18.3(1)(i), the RCEP Joint Committee is the body that shall establish and thereafter supervise the RCEP Secretariat, on terms agreed by the Parties. Australia is not able to enter into a grant arrangement with an alternate supplier for services, absent the agreement of all RCEP Members.

$166,880.00

From $166,880.00 to $166,880.00

Please also note there is no separate application form. Applicants are requested to submit a letter responding to the relevant eligibility criteria to RCEP@dfat.gov.au by 10:00am AEST on 22 April 2024.