United Company RUSAL has by now stopped accepting applications for its One Hundred Sports Project and Green Watch Projects.

The One Hundred Sports Project contest was held from January 22, 2008 to March 13, 2008, with more than 134 applicants from twenty-two different Russian and Ukrainian locations taking part in the event. Incidentally, fourteen applications came from Krasnoyarsk. The contest was targeted at developing amateur backyard sports and raising a healthy younger generation. Applicants offered projects on sports clubs, sports events and competitions, and competed for grants they could buy equipment with. This year, alongside with the Siberian parts of Russia and Nikolaevsk Region, Ukraine, the contest was held in Sverdlovsk and Murmansk Regions and in Karelia. Among those who applied were non-profit organizations, municipal organizations, schools, and sports clubs. The names of the winners (who will receive 250,000-ruble grants) are to be announced in mid-April.

UC RUSAL’s Social Welfare Project Center accepted the last application for the Green Watch Program on March 15, 2008. There were 65 applicants altogether, 12 of whom came from Krasnoyarsk, 16 of whom came from Bratsk, 13 of whom came from Achinsk, 13 of whom came from Abakan, Sayanogorsk, and Ust-Abakan, and 11 of whom came from Novokuznetsk. The competing projects involve environmental promotion campaigns, forums, exhibitions, biodiversity programs, environmental education, and exploration programs. All the applications are to be considered by an independent board of experts, who will use the specially elaborated criteria like compliance with the program requirements, the expediency of implementing the project in a particular location, and goals’ feasibility.

The total sum of money RUSAL is willing to allocate in the form of grants for the two contests amounts to 10.5 million RUR. The implementation of the projects is to start in April or May 2008.