Deadline: 12 September 2017
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and Department for International Development are seeking stage 1 applications for 24th round of Darwin Initiative’s Main Project Funding. The Darwin Initiative is a UK government grants scheme that helps to protect biodiversity and the natural environment in developing countries and UK Overseas Territories (OTs).
The Darwin is a competitive grant scheme, to support projects in developing countries. The Darwin Initiative aims to build local capacity to manage local biodiversity and the natural environment for the future, securing the benefits of these natural resources for people.
Objectives of the Fund
The objective of the Darwin Initiative is to protect and enhance biodiversity and in doing so, to contribute to sustainable development in developing countries, through projects which address one, or more, of the following themes:
- protection or enhancement of ecosystems, species or genetic resources through in-situ or ex-situ conservation or remedying environmental damage;
- integration of biodiversity and ecosystem services within host country development objectives and economic decision making, through institution building, capacity development, strengthening regulatory and policy frameworks or research; or
- assisting host countries’ efforts to meet their obligations under at least one of the international conventions/agreements.
Priorities for Funding
- Projects are expected to address key threats to biodiversity, such as:
- habitat loss or degradation
- climate change
- invasive species
- over-exploitation
- In addition, applications are particularly invited that focus on:
- agro-biodiversity that generates alternative livelihoods
- food security and water security
- biodiversity and health
- integrating natural capital related data, information, and knowledge into policy development and decision making
- enhancing the extent and management of protected areas in the marine environment
Funding Information
- There is no minimum or maximum award size.
- In previous rounds, awards have ranged from £50,000 to around £430,000, with an average project award of around £300,000 for around 36 months.
- The minimum length of a project is 1 year and the maximum length is 2 years and 9 months. Any budget commitment must end by 31 March 2021.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applications must come from an organisation(s), and not an individual. Applicant organisations can be based in any country.
- Organisations making the application must:
- have experience of managing similar projects in developing countries
- be able to demonstrate financial stability and provide audited accounts
- nominate a Project Leader who will be responsible for the technical direction of the project and be the main point of contact
- The proposed project leader must have suitable qualifications or a minimum of around 10 years’ experience working on similar projects in developing countries.
How to Apply
Applicants can download the application forms via given website.
Eligible Countries: Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Rep., Chad, Comoros, Congo, Dem. Rep., Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kiribati, Laos, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Burma, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, São Tomé & Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Yemen, Zambia, Kenya, Korea, Democratic People’s Republic, Tajikistan, Zimbabwe, Armenia, Bolivia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Congo, Rep., Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, El Salvador, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Micronesia, Federated States, Mongolia, Morocco, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Philippines, Samoa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Syria, Tokelau, Uzbekistan, Viet Nam, Occupied Palestinian Territories, Algeria, Belize, Botswana, Brazil, China, Colombia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Fiji, Gabon, Grenada, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Namibia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Panama, Peru, South Africa, St Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Thailand, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Wallis and Futuna.
For more information, please visit Main Project Funding.