Call for Letters of Inquiry: Small Grants for Biodiversity Hotspot in Mauritius

Deadline: 30-Sep-23

The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) and its regional implementation team (RIT) for the hotspot, are accepting letters of inquiry (LOIs) to promote the conservation, improve management and restoration of ecosystems to provide the essential services people need to adapt to climate change and variability.

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.

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), through AFD as the Accredited Entity. The new program provides targeted funding to mobilize CSOs in implementing EbA.

Priority Projects

Priority will be given to projects that:
- Demonstrate that the proposed EbA activity addresses vulnerability based on a clear climate change risk.
- Adopt EbA approaches that increase the resilience of ecosystems and ecosystem services in the priority KBAs.
- Reflect on the climate change mitigation potential of the project.
- Address priorities identified in national climate change policy or strategy documents of the relevant country of implementation.
- Demonstrate positive gender impacts.
- Demonstrate effective and efficient use of funds.
- Demonstrate a clear strategy for achieving financial sustainability.
- Are the closest fit to the investment strategy set out in the ecosystem profile.
Other considerations that will strengthen an application include:
- Clear plans for continuing the project after the proposed project end date.
- Support for Indigenous and local communities in community-based or comanagement activities for EbA and actions that enhance local communities’ tenure and resource use rights.
- Complementarity to existing projects and coordination or partnership with other organizations to prevent duplication of efforts.
- Strong impact on local communities, thereby enhancing their resilience and capacity to protect biodiversity.
- Endorsement from relevant government authorities through the corresponding National Designated Authorities.

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 in 1 April 2024 and can have a time span not exceeding 31 December 2026.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible Applicants
- 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.
Eligible Technical Scopes
- Applicants should ensure that the core content of their LOI refers to:
  - Strategic Direction: Empower communities and civil society to implement actions to improve the resilience of species, ecosystems, and human populations to climate change in priority KBAs
    - This strategic direction will focus on providing the necessary funding, technical support, and capacity building for CSOs to implement EbA actions to improve the resilience of the most vulnerable species, ecosystems, and people to climate change. Expected outcomes include increased resilience and improved livelihoods for vulnerable populations, but also improved resilience of ecosystems and ecosystem services.
  - Investment Priority: Implement EbA actions, including agroforestry, “climate smart agriculture”, eradication of 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
    - Eligible projects will be those proposing to design and implement EbA, Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) and conservation actions that respond to climate impacts at priority KBAs.
Priority Approaches:
- Promoting resilient agroforestry and developing “Climate Smart Agriculture”.
- Promoting the sustainable management of freshwater, wetlands, and marine and coastal ecosystems (mangroves, coral reefs, seagrass beds).
- Strengthening management of intact watershed forest ecosystems through the implementation of protected area management plans in collaboration with local communities.
- Enhancing resilience and adaptation of ecosystems.
- Restoring degraded coastal ecosystems (wetlands, mangroves, coral reefs, sea grass beds).
- Restoring degraded watershed forest ecosystems.
- Promoting control and eradication of invasive alien species.
- Strengthening the capacity of local communities in participatory ecological monitoring of KBA target species and their habitats.