CEPF/WWF-Russia: Call for Proposals for Large Grants in Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan & Uzbekistan

Deadline: 17 June 2020

CEPF and WWF Russia, as regional implementation team for the hotspot, are accepting letters of inquiry (LOIs) from non-government organizations, community groups, indigenous people’s organizations, women’s groups, private companies and other civil society organizations in relation to the eligible activities and geographies described below.

The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) is a joint initiative of l’Agence Française de Développement, 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 Mountains of Central Asia Biodiversity Hotspot covers varying proportions of Afghanistan, China, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. CEPF’s niche for investment in the region was formulated through a participatory process that engaged civil society, donor and government stakeholders throughout the region. The resulting investment strategy (2019-2024) is documented within the ecosystem profile, available in English (PDF – 5.5 MB) and Russian (PDF – 7 MB). This investment strategy is comprised of a series of strategic directions, broken down into investment priorities outlining the types of activities that are eligible for CEPF funding.

Eligible Activities

The scope of this call is limited to the types of activities and locations described below. LOIs will only be accepted for the following strategic directions and countries:

• Afghanistan
  • Themes
    • Wakhan Valley conservation and development.
  • Investment Priorities
    • Facilitate effective collaboration among civil society organizations (CSOs), local communities and park management units to enhance protected area networks.
    • Develop and implement management approaches to sustainable use in Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) outside official protected areas.
    • Build support and develop capacity for identification and recognition of KBAs.
    • Enable and enhance communication and collaboration between civil society and communities and government agencies responsible for implementing national biodiversity strategies.
    • Enhance CSOs’ capacity for planning, implementation, outreach, sharing of best practice, fundraising and communication.
    • Catalyze networking and collaboration among CSOs and between CSOs and public-sector partners.
    • Promote greater sources of funding for civil society to become engaged in conservation action.
    • Support action-oriented environmental education.
• Kazakhstan
  • Themes
    • Address issues of transboundary landscapes, species conservation, economic development and protected area network development in the mountains in the southeastern part of the country.
    • Protection of threatened and endemic species, wildlife, and engagement of local nature users and capacity building for more effective functioning of the KBA.
  • Investment Priorities
    • Facilitate effective collaboration among CSOs, local communities and park management units to enhance protected area networks.
• Kyrgyzstan
  • Themes
    • Vulnerable ecosystems with a high population density, active involvement of local residents in alternative wildlife management.
    • Introducing spatial monitoring and reporting tools (SMART) for optimization and protection of protected areas and KBAs of Kyrgyzstan.
  • Investment Priorities
    • Facilitate effective collaboration among CSOs, local communities and park management units to enhance protected area networks.
    • Build support and develop capacity for identification and recognition of KBAs.
    • Promote mainstreaming of conservation into livestock and farm management practices.
    • Engage the media as a tool to increase awareness about globally threatened species and KBAs and inform public debate of conservation issues.
• Tajikistan
  • Themes
    • Create a stable balance of ecosystem and species conservation and development of local communities (with additional assessment of transboundary work) in the Pamir Mountains.
    • Key role of CSOs of Tajikistan in attitude changes of local residents and individuals in charge of decision-making toward sustainable resource use and protection of natural resources.
  • Investment Priorities
    • Support civil society efforts to analyse development plans and programs; evaluate their impact on biodiversity, communities and livelihoods; and propose alternative scenarios and appropriate mitigating measures.
    • Engage hunting associations, tourism operators, and mining companies in conservation management and establishing valuation mechanisms for biodiversity and ecosystem services.
    • Promote mainstreaming of conservation into livestock and farm management practices.
    • Support action-oriented environmental education.
• Uzbekistan
  • Themes
    • Optimization of conservation of the whole complex of ecosystems and species of the Western Tien Shan within and outside protected areas.
  • Investment Priorities
    • Evaluate and integrate biodiversity and ecosystem service values into landuse and development planning.
    • Support action-oriented environmental education.

Funding Information

Grant size is upto US $20,000 to US $150,000

Duration

Projects are expected to start approximately six to nine months from the release of this call for LOIs. CEPF projects are typically 18-24 months in duration, but all work must be complete by June 2024.

Geographic Areas

This call for proposals is open only for projects working in Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

Eligibility Criteria

• Project proposals should be built on biodiversity conservation as a fundamental component and should demonstrate positive impacts on the conservation status of biodiversity. Where relevant, applicants are encouraged to submit LOIs that harmonize with existing national or regional initiatives.
• Synergies with other organizations are also eligible, with one lead organization submitting the application alongside subgrantee project partners.
• Applicants based outside of eligible countries may submit an LOI as long as the project deliverables are focused on the conservation need within an eligible country/countries.
• International organizations are encouraged to involve local organizations or communities as project partners, or explain how local stakeholders will be engaged as part of project implementation.
• Applicants are advised to read the investment strategy chapter of the ecosystem profile to ensure full understanding of the strategic directions and investment priorities.

For more information, visit https://www.cepf.net/grants/open-calls-for-proposals/2020-mountains-central-asia-large-grants