November 2009
JAPAN INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION SYSTEMSCHEME Cultural Grant Aid
Cultural grant aid provides funds for purchasing, transporting and installing varioustypes of equipment used for cultural and educational activities, with the aim ofpromoting mutual understanding and friendship between Japan and developing
countries through support for the development of culture and education.

JICS’ Role
Delegated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ofJapan, JICS began carrying out preliminary
studies both in Japan and on site concerning
equipment requested for this grant aid inFY1993. Since FY1995, in accordance withcontracts with recipient countries’ governments,
JICS has assisted with tendering (public notice,implementation and evaluation of the tenderingprocess) for equipment procurement. Since FY
2004, JICS has been carring out internal analysisof application for General Cultural Grant Aid, andsince FY 2005 internal analysis of application for
Grass Root Cultural Grant Aid which targets
NGOs and local public agencies. Also, since FY
2006, JICS has been conducting follow up
studies to effectively and sustainably utilize theequipment procured in the past, and since
FY2008 studies concerning project finding.
Since FY 2008, Cultural Grant Aid budget has
been transferred to JICA; however JICS continues to be assigned as an agent to carry out
various studies as well as procurement supervision (i.e. tender, contract and delivery management) based on the contracts with recipient
countries’ governments.
Through preliminary studies, procurement
supervision, follow-up activities and Grass Root
Cultural Grant Aid preliminary study, JICS
promotes mutual understanding, cultural
exchanges and friendly relations between Japanand developing countries, and ensures thatdevelopment assistance is implemented
efficiently and effectively.
The main types of equipment procured include
sound and lighting equipment for theaters,
sports equipment, equipment for excavating andpreserving archaeological sites, musical instruments, equipment for producing cultural andeducational programs, materials related toJapanese language education, and others.

Bulgaria Video cameras, microphones provided by Japan are used at a studoin The National Academy for Theatre ＆ Film Arts (NATFA)

Turkey Language Laboratory and audiovisual equipment provided by
Japan used in Erciyes University

SCHEME Cultural Grant Aid

Flow of Operations■ General Cultural Grant Aid
Requests for aid
from developing
countries

Preliminaryscreening

Decision to
implement study Study on cultural
grant aid
equipment

Final screening
by JICA

Cabinetdecision

Agreement
betweengovernments/Grant Agreement

Procurement
Supervision

Completion

Follow-up

Project Analysis
by JICS

Final screening
by Ministry ofForeign Affairs

Approval ofthe Project

Implementationof the Project

Completion

Follow-up■ Grass Root Cultural Grant Aid
Submission ofApplication foraid from developing
countries

Preliminary
screening bythe Embassyof Japan

Submission ofApplication tothe Ministry ofForeign AffairsOperations handled by JICS

No. of Projects (FY1993-2008 total)■ No. of projects, by region

Europe/CIS
25 countries,

196

Middle East
11 countries,

Africa32 countries,

109

Total:

98Asia
17 countries,

208

Oceania

Central/South America

8 countries,

28

26 countries,231

870 (119 countries)
Sound and Lighting Equipment for State Academic Bolshoi Theatre
named after A.Naboi (Republic of Uzbekistan) FY2009● Project outline:

Procurement of sound equipment, lighting equipment, video recording and editing equipment, inter com system, etc.
State Academic Bolshoi Theatre named after A.Naboi was built between 1939 and 1947 in
Tashkent, capital of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic ruled under the Soviet Union.
Japanese captives, after the World War II, were engaged in the construction of this theatre,
which created a special tie between the theatre and Japan. Even after the big earthquake that
hit Uzbekistan in 1966, the theatre was left intact, making this construction famous among
Uzbekistan people for the high technique of Japan.
The theatre is popular not only among the Uzbeks but among tourists from abroad forvarious traditional programs performed in the theatre by Uzbek orchestra, opera company
and ballet company.
This project is to procure sound and lighting equipment, video recording and editing
equipment which are essential to theatrical activities. The project will enable the theater toprepare more efficiently and provide improved stage effects for various performances.

State Academic Bolshoi Theatre named afterA.Naboi

Japan International Cooperation System (JICS)
Shinjuku EAST Building, 10-5, Tomihisa-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-0067 JAPAN
Tel: +81-3-5369-6960 Fax: +81-3-5369-6961 E-mail: jics@jics.or.jp
URL: http://www.jics.or.jp/