Deadline: 30-Jun-23
Applicants are encouraged to submit their applications for the Darwin Plus Strategic Grants to support is projects that can demonstrate greater ambition and/or collaboration.
Objectives of Darwin Plus
- Darwin Plus supports environmental projects in the UKOTs, split across four broad themes. Successful applicants must demonstrate substantial measurable outcomes in at least one of the themes of Darwin Plus either by the end of the project’s implementation or via evidenced mechanisms for postproject delivery. The broad themes of Darwin Plus are:
- 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 UKOTs to support the environment in the short- and long-term.
Funding Information
- For this first round, Darwin Plus Strategic will offer grants between £1 million and £3 million for projects lasting between 3 and 5 years.
- Applicants to Darwin Plus Strategic:
- should plan to start on or after 1 April 2024. You cannot start earlier, however, successful applicants should be notified by the end of 2023.
- must ensure their budget commitments end by 31 March 2029.
Criteria
- Applications should build on good evidence from smaller projects to demonstrate the potential to either scale or replicate results further, aiming to deliver improved outcomes for biodiversity conservation in one or multiple UKOTs.
- The primary benefit of Darwin Plus Strategic projects must be to one or multiple UKOTs, though secondary benefits for biodiversity in neighbouring countries (which are not UKOTs) will be considered positively. Darwin Plus will not fund projects targeting countries which are not UKOTs. Therefore, work focused on benefits to neighbouring countries that are not UKOTs must be paid for using matched funding.
- Active Darwin Plus Main projects are able to apply prior to completion in order to allow a seamless transition, if successful, and a scaling of activities under Darwin Plus Strategic. Applicants should provide clarity and distinct timings, activities and outputs between related projects in making the case for new additional support, preventing any duplication (perceived or real) or negatively impacting the value for money assessment of either grant.
Requirements
- Lead Partner and Project Leader
- Applications must be made by the Lead Partner (an organisation), not an individual, agreeing to the Terms and Conditions including managing the grant, its finances, reporting and governance.
- 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 based in any country, though they strongly encourage projects to be led by in-territory Lead Partners.
- Partners
- Projects are strengthened through collaboration and partnership as the resources and/or technical capability and capacity to deliver complex environmental projects rarely exist within a single organisation. Additionally, Partners can bring local experience, knowledge and networks to the project, or best practices and lessons learned from elsewhere.
- All Darwin Plus projects are expected to seek in-territory partners, and the meaningful engagement of stakeholders and OT Governments.
- All Darwin Plus applicants are expected to demonstrate meaningful engagement of in-territory partners, stakeholders and OT governments during the development and implementation of projects.
For more information, visit Darwin Plus.