Deadline: 30-May-25
BESTLIFE2030 provides grant funding for small-scale field actions for biodiversity conservation and sustainable development in the EU’s Outermost Regions (ORs) and associated Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs)
Objectives
- BESTLIFE2030 is designed to provide substantive and effective support at both local and regional levels in ORs and OCTs for the conservation of biodiversity and the sustainable use of ecosystem services, including for climate adaptation.
- BESTLIFE2030 will also catalyse the efforts and will constitute a key contribution to the achievement of global objectives and goals in terms of biodiversity, sustainable development and climate change.
- As regional cooperation is key in the regions where ORs and OCTs are located, BESTLIFE2030 will seek coordination with other organisations to avoid duplication of efforts, and ensure synergy, when possible, with other existing grant mechanisms (e.g. BIOPAMA Action Component, TeMeUm, Kiwa Initiative, Varuna etc.) in order to foster interregional cooperation.
Funding Information
- BESTLIFE2030 grants amount to a maximum of EUR 100,000 per recipient.
Duration
- Project duration must range between 18 to 36 months (including any potential extensions) and must be aligned with the proposed activities and workplan.
- Start date: Projects must have a start date in January 2026 or later. Extensions will only be granted if well justified.
Eligible Activities
- Eligible activities must:
- Be located in one or more ORs/OCTs;
- Contribute to BESTLIFE2030 objectives with tangible activities on the ground;
- Comply with IUCN’s environmental and social safeguard aspects;
- Contribute to tangible and measurable impacts in terms of biodiversity conservation, sustainable development and/or sustainable use of natural resources and ecosystem services, including ecosystem-based approaches to climate change adaptation or mitigation;
- Encourage a partnership-based approach with local stakeholders;
- Guarantee open access to data, results and all information generated by the project;
Eligibility Criteria
- In order to be eligible for BESTLIFE2030 grants, the lead applicant and co-applicants must be:
- A private or public legal entity registered in ORs and/or OCTs International organisations (inclusive of regional organisations with international membership), individual consultants and sole traders are not eligible to receive a grant.
- Directly responsible for the preparation and implementation of the grant project. Applications submitted by a body acting as an intermediary for a third party are not eligible.
- Have a bank account in the name of the organisation and in the place where the Grantee is established or where the project is carried out; grants cannot be paid into an account in the name of an individual.
- Financing of entities from third countries1 is only possible under exceptional and limited circumstances.
- Organisations that are registered in the EU Member States can only apply as coapplicants, provided the project has the support of OR/OCT authorities (e.g. letter of support), and puts a strong focus on local collaboration with relevant local stakeholders and capacity-building activities.
- Individual consultants and sole traders can only be involved in a project as subcontractors in support of local organisations.
- In line with BESTLIFE2030 objectives, target beneficiaries are:
- Local non-profit organisations, local non-governmental organisations (NGOs);
- Local civil society organisations (CSOs);
- Local community-based organisations (CBOs);
- SMEs as defined by the European Commission;
- Local research institutes and organisations (provided eligible activities are implemented);
- Local sub-governmental bodies, e.g. municipalities and groups thereof;
- Collectivités Territoriales in the French ORs i.e, Conseils régionaux et Conseils départementaux, if they co-apply with local NGOs, local CSOs, local CBOs, SMEs, municipalities, or local research institutes;
- The lead applicant may act individually or with co-applicant(s). Co-applicants must sign the Co-applicant Mandate available on the BESTLIFE2030 website. If awarded a grant, the lead applicant will become the beneficiary identified as the project coordinator in the grant contract. The project coordinator (aka lead partner) represents and acts on behalf of any other co-beneficiary (if any) and coordinates the design and implementation of the action. The project coordinator will bear full responsibility for the technical and financial implementation of the project.
For more information, visit IUCN.