CEPF inviting Letters of Inquiry for Large Grants – Libya, Tunisia & Morocco

Deadline: 30-Oct-20

The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) and BirdLife International, as regional implementation team (RIT) for the hotspot, are inviting proposals in the form of letters of inquiry (LOIs) for large grants from non-governmental organizations, community groups, private enterprises, universities and other civil society organizations (CSOs).

CEPF is a joint initiative of the French Development Agency, Conservation International, the European Union, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan, and the World Bank. A fundamental goal is to ensure civil society is engaged in biodiversity conservation.

The Mediterranean Basin Biodiversity Hotspot is the second largest hotspot in the world and the largest of the world’s five Mediterranean-climate regions. CEPF’s niche for investment in the Mediterranean was formulated through a participatory process that engaged civil society, donors, and governmental stakeholders throughout the region.

Funding Information

• Budget: US$20,000 to US$250,000

Eligible Activities

LOIs will only be accepted for the following strategic directions and countries:

• Strategic Direction 1: Support civil society to engage stakeholders in demonstrating integrated approaches for the preservation of biodiversity in coastal areas.
  • Countries: Libya and Tunisia
    • Investment Priority: “Engage private sector stakeholders to adopt sustainable practices that deliver positive impacts for conservation in priority KBAs in the coastal zone. In particular, CEPF expects to support projects that aim at:
      • supporting best practices for artisanal fisheries (in particular, enhancing sustainable fishing practices, reducing by-catch and building synergies with marine protected areas).
      • mobilizing local private sector in support of biodiversity-friendly practices, supporting small-scale business in ecotourism, local fisheries, valorization of local products (fish, shells, food products), supporting local farmers or cooperatives, etc.
      • mobilizing larger private sector industries (national or international) to support local initiatives in favor of marine/coastal biodiversity conservation at local level, through partnership initiatives, setting-up of trust-funds, etc. (Note that CEPF funds cannot be used for the capitalization of a trust fund, but it can be used to design such mechanisms.)
    • Additionally, CEPF could consider activities that aim at:
      • improving knowledge and monitoring (in particular in areas where this is considered a barrier for conservation action, such as in Libya).
      • improving site management, including through initiating site co-management arrangements and/or through preparing/updating strategic documents such as management plans.
    • Investment Priority: “Support civil society to engage with local or national governments to mainstream biodiversity conservation into integrated coastal zone management, land-use and development planning processes only”:
      • if the applicant can demonstrate that there is an existing initiative, from government or local authorities, to engage in territorial, land-use, coastal zone management, or fisheries planning exercises; and
      • if the proposal relates to advocacy work in favor of better integration of biodiversity conservation in such planning exercises.
• Strategic Direction 2: Support the sustainable management of water catchments through integrated approaches for the conservation of threatened freshwater biodiversity.
  • Country: Morocco
    • Investment Priority: “Enhance the knowledge base on freshwater biodiversity and the importance of freshwater ecosystem services.”
    • Investment Priority: “Take action to reduce threats and improve management of selected sites in priority freshwater catchments with the participation of local stakeholders.”
    • Investment Priority: “Engage with government, private sector, and other stakeholders to support integrated river basin management practices that reduce threats to biodiversity in priority CMZs.”

Eligibility Criteria

• Non-governmental organizations, community groups, universities, and private enterprises may apply for funding. Individuals must work with civil society organizations to develop applications rather than apply directly.
• Organizations must have their own bank account and be authorized under relevant national laws to receive charitable contributions.
• Government-owned enterprises or institutions are eligible only if they can demonstrate that the enterprise or institution has:
  • a legal personality independent of any government agency or actor;
  • the authority to apply for and receive private funds;
  • may not assert a claim of sovereign immunity.
• Grants cannot be used for:
  • the purchase of land, involuntary resettlement of people, or activities that negatively affect physical cultural resources, including those important to local communities.
  • activities adversely affecting Indigenous Peoples or where these communities have not provided their broad support to the project activities.
  • removal or alteration of any physical cultural property (includes sites having archaeological, paleontological, historical, religious, or unique natural values).

Application Process

• Applications (LOIs) can be submitted in English or French.
• All applications must be submitted through the Conservation Grants website.
• CEPF will not accept LOIs via email or any other mechanism. You will receive an acknowledgment from CEPF confirming that your submission through Conservation Grants has been received.
• This is a new online system, so for CEPF applicants or grantees who applied in Phase I (2012-2017), please note that the Grant Writer/GEM system is no longer in use, and you will need to set up a new account at Conservation Grants to apply. Register a new account by clicking on the blue “New User?” link underneath the “Sign in” box. Existing Conservation Grants users can use the same login information and create a new LOI.
• Questions regarding account creation or issues using Conservation Grants should be emailed to .
• The LOI review process will take approximately eight weeks from the deadline date. The review committee will select the strongest LOIs that meet the eligibility criteria. All applicants will receive a response from CEPF following the review of their project.

Note: Applications that are invited to the second stage will be developed into a full proposal through Conservation Grants. Full proposals that receive a positive review will lead to the award of a grant between Conservation International, as the host of the CEPF Secretariat, and the applicant’s institution (the “grantee”). Grants will be denominated in United States dollars and grant agreements will be in English.

For more information, visit https://www.cepf.net/grants/open-calls-for-proposals/2020-mediterannean-basin-large-grant-SD-1-2