EC invites Applications to support Reduction of Biodiversity Loss, Sustainable Livelihoods

Deadline: 28-May-24
The European commission is inviting applications to support reduction of biodiversity loss, sustainable livelihoods and improved resilience in southern Kenya, northern Tanzania and northern Kenya.

Objectives

• This Call for Proposals corresponds to the implementation of:
  • Specific Objective 1 of the Action ‘NaturAfrica Phase 1’ (ACT-60586): At landscape level, improve conservation, management and use of biodiversity and ecosystems’ goods and services in KLCDs for the benefit of nature and local communities and in particular women, youth and vulnerable populations (indigenous peoples and local communities – IPLCs) and specific outputs:
    • Strengthened capacity for inclusive conservation management, planning and implementation in KLCDs;
    • Enhanced access to sustainable green economy livelihoods opportunities for all community members in KLCDs;
    • Strengthened capacity for land-use governance and natural resource management in KLCDs.
  • Specific Objective 2 the Action ‘EU Alliance for the Horn of Africa Initiative 2023-2024’ (ACT-62202): Strengthen resilience of vulnerable, displacement-affected communities to crisis, including climate-induced shocks and conflict, in particular women, youth, displaced people and trapped populations and specific output:
    • Build resilient community conservancies for biodiversity conservation, livelihood improvement and peace/security.

Aim and Priorities

• The overarching aim of NaturAfrica is to adopt an integrated landscape management approach to secure connected, climate resilient and economically viable conservation landscapes for people and nature by: (i) protecting key biodiversity assets through securing ecologically connected landscapes with diverse, healthy, ecologically sustainable and climate resilient ecosystems, (ii) improving the governance and management of natural resources through empowered and resilient rural communities, women, indigenous peoples, and youth, and (iii) unlocking the economic value of the landscapes through a viable, sustainable economy supported by sound land-use planning.
• The priorities for the two lots under this call for proposal are:
  • Conservation
  • Governance
  • Green Economy

Types of Lots

• This call for proposals is targeting the Eastern Rift Savannahs and Watersheds (ERiSaWa) component of NaturAfrica, and more particularly two KLCDs of high biodiversity importance, which offer sustainable socio-economic opportunities to local communities and require good governance to continue providing critical ecosystem services. The two KLCDs are: 1) the SOKNOT (Southern Kenya Northern Tanzania) ecosystem (Lot 1) and Northern Kenya ecosystems (Lot 2).
  • Lot 1: Enhancing protection and management in the SOKNOT Ecosystem in Kenya and Tanzania 
    • The specific objective of lot 1 is, in two distinct landscapes within SOKNOT KLCD, to improve conservation, management and use of biodiversity and ecosystems’ goods and services for the benefit of nature and local communities and in particular women, youth and vulnerable populations (indigenous peoples and local communities – IPLCs).
  • Lot 2: Building Resilient Community Conservancies for biodiversity conservation, Resilience, livelihood Improvement and Peace/Security in Northern Kenya 
    • The specific objective of lot 2 is to: “Strengthen resilience of vulnerable, displacement-affected communities to crisis, including climate-induced shocks and conflict, in particular women, youth, displaced people and trapped populations” and specifically “Build resilient community conservancies for biodiversity conservation, livelihood improvement and peace/security”. The applicants may propose either one or two micro- or meso-landscapes covering some of the Northern Kenya landscape, which they define as including the following counties: Turkana, Baringo, Laikipia, Isiolo, Samburu, Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, Marsabit, and Meru.

Funding Information

• The overall indicative amount made available under this call for proposals is EUR 18,400,000. The contracting authority reserves the right not to award all available funds.
  • Indicative allocation of funds by lot: 
    • Lot 1: EUR 9,400,000
    • Lot 2: EUR 9,000,000
• If the allocation indicated for a specific lot cannot be used due to insufficient quality or number of proposals received, or if some funds remain available under a specific lot following the provisional selection of proposals, there will be no possibility to re-allocate to the other lot. This is due to different funding of two lots.
• Size of grants
  • Any grant requested under this call for proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum amount:
    • Lot 1
      • minimum amount: EUR 9,200,000
      • maximum amount: EUR 9,400,000
    • Lot 2
      • minimum amount: EUR 8,800,000
      • maximum amount: EUR 9,000,000
  • Any grant requested under this call for proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum percentages of the total eligible costs of the action:
    • Minimum percentage: 55% of the total eligible costs of the action
    • Maximum percentage: 95% of the total eligible costs of the action
• Duration
  • Lot 1: The initial planned duration of an action may not exceed 60 months.
  • Lot 2: The initial planned duration of an action may not exceed 48 months.

Ineligible Actions

• The following types of action are ineligible:
  • actions concerned only or mainly with individual sponsorships for participation in workshops, seminars, conferences and congresses;
  • actions concerned only or mainly with individual scholarships for studies or training courses;

Eligibility Criteria

• Lead applicant
  • In order to be eligible for a grant, the lead applicant must:
    • be a legal person and
    • be non-profit-making and
    • Lot 1: be a non-governmental organisations (NGOs), (private) economic operators including private sector intermediary organisations, public sector operators, local authorities and international (inter-governmental) organisations as defined by Article 156 of the EU Financial Regulation with proven experience of implementing initiatives in the fields of biodiversity conservation, natural resource management and governance and green economy for or
    • Lot 2: be local authorities, public bodies, international organisations, private sector intermediary organisations (chamber of commerce) and non-governmental organisation, local authority, public body, (private) economic operators or intermediary organisations, international (inter-governmental) organisation as defined by Article 156 of the EU Financial Regulation and
    • be established in a Member State of the European Union or in countries as stipulated in the basic act NDICI-Global Europe
    • This obligation does not apply to international organisations.
    • be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action with the co-applicant(s) and affiliated entity(ies), not acting as an intermediary.
    • have demonstrable previous experience in the sectors and geographical areas to be addressed under this call for proposals.
• Co-applicant(s)
  • Co-applicants participate in designing and implementing the action, and the costs they incur are eligible in the same way as those incurred by the lead applicant.
  • Co-applicants must satisfy the eligibility criteria as applicable to the lead applicant himself.
• Affiliated entities
  • The lead applicant and its co-applicant(s) may act with affiliated entity(ies).

For more information, visit European Commission.