The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) and its regional implementation team (RIT) for the hotspot, are accepting letters of inquiry (LOIs) from non-governmental organizations, community groups, Indigenous peoples’ organizations, women’s groups, private companies and other civil society organizations for Madagascar and the Indian Ocean Islands Biodiversity Hotspot Small Grants Program.
CEPF is a joint initiative of the French Development Agency (AFD), Conservation International, the European Union, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan and the World Bank. A fundamental objective is to ensure that civil society is engaged in the conservation of biodiversity.
Scope
CEPF is looking for proposals focusing on the following Investment Priority as part of Strategic Directions:
Strategic Direction 1: Empower communities and civil society to implement actions to improve the resilience of species, ecosystems, and human populations to climate change in priority Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs).
Investment Priority 1.1: Implement Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) actions, including agroforestry, “climate smart agriculture”, eradication of Invasive alien species (IAS), restoration of degraded watersheds and coastal ecosystems (including wetlands, mangroves, reefs and seagrass beds), and promotion of sustainable management of coastal and terrestrial ecosystems.
Funding Information
The average size of small grants is US$15,000 approximately.
The maximum amount for small grants is $50,000. Applications with a budget greater than this amount will not be eligible.
Future projects funded as part of this call are planned to start on April 1, 2024 and end before December 31, 2026, i.e. a maximum duration of 33 months.
Approaches
Candidates should focus on the following approaches:
Promotion of sustainable management of freshwater, wetlands and ecosystems marine and coastal (mangroves, coral reefs, seagrass beds).
Strengthening the management of intact forest ecosystems in watersheds through implementation of protected area management plans in collaboration with the local communities.
Improved resilience and adaptation of marine and coastal ecosystems
Restoration of degraded coastal ecosystems (wetlands, mangroves, reefs corals, seagrasses).
Promotion of the control and eradication of invasive alien species.
Strengthening the capacities of local communities in participatory ecological monitoring of target species, having triggered the identification of priority KBAs, and their habitats.
Eligibility Criteria
Non-governmental organizations, community groups and associations, universities and research institutes, private companies and other civil society organizations can apply for funding. Individuals are not eligible.
Individuals should work with CSOs to develop project proposals rather than applying directly.
A company or public institution is only eligible if it can establish that it:
Has a legal personality independent of any government body or actor.
Has the authority to request and receive private funds
Cannot assert a claim for sovereign immunity.
Applicants based outside of eligible geographic areas may submit an application as long as the project deliverables are focused on the conservation needs listed in this call for projects and within the eligible geographic areas.
Preference will be given to projects that demonstrate (i) a leading role for local organizations and/or an explicit focus on building the capacity of local civil society, and (ii) that they coordinate with other organizations to avoid duplication of efforts, such as projects that work with partnerships and alliances. Thus, joint projects with several organizations (or consortium) are eligible provided that a lead organization submits the application and the project partners have clearly defined roles in the application.
Applicant organizations must have their own bank accounts and be legally authorized to receive grants.
