Belize Marine Fund: Supporting High-Priority Natural Resources Management and Conservation Initiatives

Deadline: 27 March 2017

The Mesoamerican Reef Fund (MAR Fund) and Oak Foundation are accepting proposals for its Belize Marine Fund to support high-priority natural resources management and conservation initiatives in Belize.

Objectives

To promote the sustainable use and management of Belize’s priority marine resources.
To support civil society conservation organizations in targeted efforts geared at policy and legislative reforms for enhanced marine resources management.

Grant Information

The maximum grant amount will be US$30,000, based on project needs and absorptive capacity of the implementing institution.
The maximum project period is 24 months.

Themes and Eligible Projects

Protected Areas Management and Conservation
- Efforts related to the expansion, management, monitoring, control and surveillance operations of replenishment zones/no-takes
- Marine Conservation Policy Efforts (e.g. approval, communication on Fisheries Act and actions towards the removal of the Belize Barrier Reef from the list of World Heritage Sites in danger)
- Improving management effectiveness in marine protected areas
- Strengthening the institutional capacity of marine conservation civil society organizations for enhanced management
Sustainable Use of Natural Resources
- Blue Carbon and the Blue Economy (blue carbon sinks and market opportunities)

Eligibility Criteria

The following are considered eligible applicants for the request for proposals:
- Not-for-Profit organizations
- Community-based organizations, including fishers groups
- Education/academic or scientific organizations
Potential grantee organizations must:
- Be legally recognized or registered in Belize;
- In complicance and good standing with any or all requirements for operation as a legal local entity;
- Be guided by an operational Board of Directors;
- Have a sound financial management system and structure in place (annual audits etc.);
- Have a good history as a grantee i.e. effective grant/project implmentation, and
- Be credible in the field of marine resources management.
The Belize Marine Fund (BMF) also seeks eligible organizations with project interests that meet the following criteria:
- Work to address (root causes of) some of Belize’s and the region’s most pressing environmental and marine resources management challenges;
- Can be replicated locally, nationally and across broad geographical locations;
- Incorporate plans (considerations) for long-term sustainability of the work;
- Are of a collaborative nature;
- Build on broader national/regional projects and initiatives for Mesoamerican Reef management and conservation;
- Have secured other sources of matching funds from entities not affliated with the Belize Marine Fund.
- Respond to national, regional or global conservation plans/goals.