The BIO-EARN Newsletter  A Publication from the BIO-EARN Regional Coordination Office No 1, June 2006 Upcoming BIO-EARN Events Project Management Workshop The regional coordination office is organizing a Project Management Training Workshop to be held from 4th to 7th September 2006. The training workshop is meant to provide core East African partners 'hands on' project management/administration competence and equip them with enabling skills to effectively execute the five projects to be implemented during 2006-2009 Programme phase and to produce a manual to be distributed to all relevant project partners to serve as a supporting document mainly concerning financial and reporting routines. PAC Meeting to Consider Innovation Fund Proposal BIO-EARN will soon launch an 'Innovation Fund' (IF), which will be accessed on competitive basis. This fund will support projects that will move towards technology/product development and dissemination by integrating the three BIO-EARN thematic areas with the aim of contributing to the establishment/support of sustainable agro processing industries. The innovation projects will be expected to collaborate with actors experienced in product development/technology diffusion such as industries and NGOs in order to succeed in bringing products to the market place and contribute to improved livelihoods. The BIO-EARN Regional coordination office has developed a concept proposal on the scope, criteria and management of the IF. This proposal will be discussed and finalized at the 1st meeting of the BIO-EARN Programme Advisory Committee (PAC) expected to take place late September 2006. After this the first call for submission of proposals will be made. (Page 5 of 6) Go to next page: Announcements