Deadline: 20-Sep-2024
The Caribbean Biodiversity Fund (CBF), through its Advancing Circular Economy (ACE) Facility, is seeking applications for projects that promote and apply practical circular economy principles to minimize and/or prevent waste from entering the marine environment or projects that promote and apply practical circular economy principles to remove marine litter and consider processes after waste removal for proper disposal of waste, such as recycling, reuse, refurbish, etc.
The ACE Facility fund was initiated with an initial contribution of EUR 25,700,000 (USD 28,270,000) from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (“BMZ”) through KfW Development Bank (“KfW”). The Facility was developed to contribute to the reduction of marine pollution in the Caribbean through the promotion of sustainable circular economy interventions.
The activities and projects to be supported by the ACE Facility will include those that address the:
- Minimization and/or prevention of marine litter, from entering the marine environment.
- Removal of marine litter (where the waste is further utilized, reused, recycled, repurposed, or proposed for proper disposal) successfully implemented by the end of the project.
Funding Information
- Grant funding amounts range from USD 400,000 to USD 2,000,000 per project and need to be complemented by grantee co-financing as outlined below. The project shall consider long-term sustainability and financial feasibility beyond the grant funding period.
Eligible Countries
- The ACE Facility funding is available to Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, all territories in the insular Caribbean and Official Development Assistance (ODA) qualified countries, as determined by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development – Development Assistance Committee (OECD – DAC).
- Applications that include Cuba will only be accepted from institutions that have experience in implementing projects and other activities in compliance with US Government sanctions and regulations concerning Cuba, which will as well be a requirement for this funding. Applicants must include documentation that demonstrates such experience as well as any additional evidence that provides information on internal systems in place to ensure compliance.
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligible recipients from the Caribbean region include non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community-based organizations (CBOs), government agencies/public institutions, regional organizations, small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), univerEligible organizations from the Caribbean region include non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community-based organizations (CBOs), government agencies / public institutions, regional organizations, small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), universities and other academic institutions, and consortia of the above organizations. sities and other academic institutions, and consortia of the above organizations.
- The eligibility criteria for SMEs may include:
- Meets the definition of SME in its country of origin based on the number of employees and amount of assets and having a physical presence or operations in the country of the proposed project implementation;
- Justification regarding why conventional finance cannot be accessed;
- Letter of partnership or endorsement from relevant stakeholders or local communities affected by the project; and
- Demonstrate the organisational capacity and commitment to implement the project successfully.
- Applicant Requirements
- Organizations based outside the region with working experience in the Caribbean are also eligible for funding. Organizations from outside the Caribbean applying for funding need to have technical expertise, as well as one or more local partners. It is required that international organizations applying for grants incorporate local knowledge transfer and capacity-building activities in their projects.
- Eligible recipients for ACE Facility funding must demonstrate sufficient capacity for professional and timely project management and project implementation. As part of the full proposal package, applicants may need to provide information including their legal establishment or recognition in the Caribbean, governance structure details, recent relevant programs or projects, publications, annual budget, revenue sources, audited financial statements, administration procedures, auditing arrangements, procurement practices, and environmental/social safeguard policies.
For more information, visit CBF.