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 projects that address the eligible activities and geographies of this call.
The Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius and the Seychelles are extremely vulnerable to climate change. People, agricultural land and infrastructure are concentrated in coastal areas, which are exposed to rising sea levels and increased frequency and severity of cyclones. Ecosystembased adaptation (EbA) promotes the conservation, improved management and restoration of ecosystems to provide the essential services people need to adapt to climate change and variability. While there are a few pilot projects, EbA funding is currently insufficient and CSOs are not sufficiently engaged.
In response to the challenges of climate change in the Indian Ocean island countries, CEPF has prepared a new program titled Ecosystem-Based Adaptation in the Indian Ocean, financed by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the European Union, through AFD. The program provides targeted funding to mobilize CSOs in implementing EbA.
CEPF has enlisted a consortium of nongovernmental organizations to be its RIT in the hotspot. Coordinated and led by IUCN NL, the RIT includes SAF/FJKM for Madagascar, ID-ONG for Comoros, for ENA for Mauritius and SeyCCAT for Seychelles. These organizations are working 2 with CEPF to implement a five-year conservation strategy for the hotspot and build local civil society capacity.
Technical Scope of the Call
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.
Investment Priority 1.2: Support the establishment and development of economic models that improve the resilience of local communities to climate change and support value chains for natural products while strengthening ecosystem services that contribute to EbA.
Funding Information
The maximum amount for small grants is US$50,000. Applications with a budget that is superior to this amount will not be eligible for review.
Small grant projects are expected to start on 1st August 2024 and can have a time span not exceeding 31st December 2026.
Eligibility Criteria
Non-governmental organizations, community groups and associations, universities and research institutes, private enterprises and other civil society organizations may apply for funding.
Individuals are not eligible. Individuals should work with civil society organizations to develop applications rather than apply directly.
A government-owned enterprise or institution is eligible only if it can establish that it:
Has a legal personality independent of any government agency or actor.
Has the authority to apply for and receive private funds.
May not assert a claim of sovereign immunity.
Applicants based outside the eligible geographic areas may submit an application as long as the project deliverables are focused on the conservation needs of this call within the eligible geographies.
Applicants are encouraged to coordinate with other organizations to prevent duplication of efforts and to create partnerships or alliances.
Joint projects with multiple organizations are eligible, as long as one lead organization submits the application and project partners have clear roles stated in the application. Applying organizations must have their own bank accounts and be legally entitled to receive grants.
Ineligible Funding Activities
CEPF does not fund the following activities:
Use of child labor or forced labor.
Construction or rehabilitation of large or complex dams.
Payment of salaries or salary supplements to government security personnel.
Purchase of firearms or other weapons.
Activities that promote the trade in or use of any substances listed under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, or other chemicals or hazardous materials subject to international bans, restrictions or phaseouts due to high toxicity to living organisms, environmental persistence, potential for bioaccumulation, or potential depletion of the ozone layer.
Purchase and use of pesticides that fall in the World Health Organization classes IA and IB, or in class II if they are likely to be used by, or be accessible to, lay personnel, farmers or others without training, equipment and facilities to handle, store and apply these products properly.
Physical resettlement of people (voluntary or involuntary).
Purchase of land.
Activities that have the potential to cause adverse impacts to critical habitat.
Activities that introduce or use potentially invasive, non-indigenous species.
Removal or alteration of any tangible cultural heritage.
Language
Small grants applications should be in English. Other languages will not be considered for review.
