Darwin Plus Local Scheme to Support Small Scale Environmental Projects

Deadline: 14-Feb-23

Darwin Plus is pleased to announce the applications for Darwin Plus Local, a new scheme within the existing UK government’s Darwin Plus fund, which funds projects to protect the unique biodiversity and improve resilience to climate change within the UK Overseas Territories (UKOTs).

Together with the Darwin Initiative and Illegal Wildlife Challenge Fund, the Darwin Plus programme is one of UK government’s Biodiversity Challenge Funds.

Darwin Plus Local is being introduced to support small scale environmental projects exclusively in the UKOTs, with the aim of building capacity in- territory and contributing to local economies.

Objectives

• Applicants to Darwin Plus Local must demonstrate how their project will contribute to measurable outcomes in at least one of the following Darwin Plus themes:
  • Biodiversity: improving and conserving biodiversity, and slowing or reversing biodiversity loss and degradation;
  • Climate change: responding to, mitigating and adapting to climate change and its effects on the natural environment and local communities;
  • Environmental quality: improving the condition and protection of the natural environment;
  • Capability and capacity building: enhancing the capacity within OTs, including through community engagement and awareness, to support the environment in the short- and long-term.

Funding Information

• Darwin Plus Local will initially open to applications from organisations for projects up to £50,000, and from individuals for projects up to £20,000. These ceiling rates will be evaluated following completion of Round 1 and amended as appropriate for subsequent funding rounds.
• Projects in this Round (Round 1) may plan to begin activities from the end of April 2023 onwards, and all projects must be completed by 31 March 2024. Applicants should design their projects to be completed within this timeframe. Awards are paid in two instalments as outlined in Section 4.2 of the Finance Guidance: a pre-payment of 85% of the grant and a final payment of 15% or £3,000 (whichever is greater) after the project has ended successfully. Darwin Plus Local is not intended to be a multi-year grants scheme.

Eligible Activities

• A wide range of projects may be eligible for funding through Darwin Plus Local. Potential activities that may be eligible include, but are not limited to:
  • Capacity building such as training courses, upskilling, peer-to-peer learning initiatives and sharing of best practice among OTs and their partners.
  • Pilot projects to test a proven evidence-based or innovative new solution in a specific area or with a specific group, to measure results and learn lessons.
  • Enhanced protection and restoration of priority species, habitats, and landscapes and sustainable management of natural resources and activities (such as tourism).
  • Actions to combat and build capacity to tackle invasive alien species and improve biosecurity.
  • Grassroots, community-based and locally led efforts to advance conservation action, build capacity and increase resilience or improve environmental quality.
  • Policy work, which might include legal gap analysis or drafting and implementation of new legislation.
  • Outreach and education, including to involve, build capacity and buy-in for conservation, and raise awareness among local people and diverse community groups.
  • Actions to increase resilience to climate change and enhance sustainability.
  • Enhanced data management and analysis with specific goals for embedding this to inform policy, management, and practice.
  • Sustainable financing for conservation.

Eligibility Criteria

• Darwin Plus Local is open to applications for projects in all UKOTs. The fourteen UKOTs are:
  • Anguilla
  • Bermuda
  • British Antarctic Territory (BAT)
  • British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT)
  • British Virgin Islands (BVI)
  • Cayman Islands
  • Falkland Islands (FI)1
  • Gibraltar
  • Montserrat
  • Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie & Oeno Islands
  • St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
  • South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands (SGSSI)
  • Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia (on Cyprus)
  • Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI).
• Lead Partner and Project Leader
  • Applications must be made by the Lead Partner. This can be an organisation or an individual who agrees to the Terms and Conditions including managing the grant, its finances, reporting and governance. The Lead Partner must be based in one of the UKOTs. Where a UKOT has no permanent population, the applicant must demonstrate their long-term meaningful connection to that territory.
  • The Project Leader is the individual with the necessary authority, capability and capacity, and a full understanding of their role and associated obligations to take responsibility for delivering value for money, managing risk and financial controls whilst fulfilling the terms and conditions of the grant. The Project Leader and Lead Partner can be one and the same person: if this is the case they must be based in one of the UKOTs.
  • There is no limit on the number of applications a Lead Partner may submit, but they would encourage internal co-ordination to ensure all submissions are competitive. Defra may consider the number of applications from a single organisation as part of their decision-making process.
• Partners and Stakeholders
  • Applicants may benefit from partnering with other individuals or organisations to increase the skills, knowledge, experience and resources available to them. There is however no requirement for applicants to partner with others. Applications will not be assessed more favourably for having project partners.
  • Applicants may receive support from partners, consultants or contractors based outside a UKOT when expertise or capacity is not readily available within the territory. In such cases they would expect at least 80% of the grant to be spent within the territory. If more than 20% of the grant is expected to be spent outside of the territory, applicants must clearly explain their rationale in Question 9 (Costs) of their application form.
  • Applicants should list project partners. Project Partners can be based elsewhere and differ from stakeholders as they have a formal governance role in the project (for example, representation on a Project Board or Management Committee), and a formal relationship with the project that may involve staff costs and/or budget management responsibilities. In contrast, Stakeholders do not have a budget management, or a formal governance role, within the project but are engaged and participate in project activities.

For more information, visit Darwin Plus Local.