Mesoamerican Reef Fund announces Belize Marine Fund

Deadline: 06-Oct-20

The Mesoamerican Reef Fund (MAR Fund) is pleased to announce its fifth request for proposals on Belize Marine Fund to Sustainable Marine Resources Management.

General Objective

To support traditional marine conservation and civil society organizations to develop and implement initiatives that address and provides solutions to sustainable resources use and management issues;
while working to achieve resilience in the face of ever-changing economic, social, and resources management-based realities.

Specific Objectives

To support resources managers in responding to the most pressing of resources management needs in strengthening resilience in communities and coastal and marine protected areas.
To support improved management effectiveness of MPAs across the national seascape through enhanced water quality monitoring at site and systems level, and support for effective monitoring and conservation of mangrove ecosystems, seagrass beds, fish replenishment sites, and fish spawning aggregations sites (FSAs).
To address the need for sustainable financing in marine resources management by working with key stakeholders to integrate financial planning into areas of conservation planning.

Funding Information

The maximum grant amount is US$30,000, based on project needs and absorptive capacity of the implementing institution.
For this RfP, at least 25% of the total project budget must come from other sources, as a match to the requested funds. The maximum amount allowed for administrative costs cannot exceed 15% of the total amount requested. Administration expenses refer exclusively to the fixed operating costs of the organization.
The maximum project period is 24 months.

Funding priorities

Strengthen the resilience of NGOs, protected areas and coastal communities;
Improved management effectiveness of marine protected areas across the national seascape;
Reduced pressures on marine resources;
Effective marketing of Belize’s reef at national and international levels to build awareness and support for its protection and sustainable use; and
Strengthen the work and knowledge of mangroves and seagrasses.

The Belize Marine Fund is delighted to extend a special invitation to marine conservation NGOs in Belize to submit proposals, within the scope of the established objectives and funding priorities.

A list of examples of potential projects follows:

Improved management effectiveness of MPAs across the national seascape (for example, efforts that contribute towards ensuring MPAs meet critical operational, equipment and infrastructure costs; effective management practices of the network of coastal and marine protected areas; investments in initiatives that result in strengthened, engaged and functional MPA stakeholder groups; projects that promote enabling environment for improved transparency and strengthened surveillance and enforcement; and investments in capacity building for MPA personnel).
Improved financial sustainability of MPA co-management organizations (for example, investments in NGO financial sustainability mechanisms based on sound business plans; and investments in the provision of an enabling environment and portfolio of projects for piloting impact investment in Belize). It includes the promotion and strengthening of strategic alliances and community networks.
Increased climate change resilience (for example, investments in climate-smart approach to reef and mangrove restoration and resilience; efforts towards coastal communities’ risk reduction and resilience (e.g. strengthening food security, creating financial inclusion, a project to promote subsistence, education); and investment in efforts for increased environmental sustainability and climate smarting of coastal/caye development).
Sustainable income diversification opportunities for fishers/fishing communities (for example, strategic investments in income diversification initiatives based on sound investment strategies and successful models; and investment in adding value/follow-on funding for the expansion of successful income diversification investments). Incentivize the role of women in the community through productive activities.
Improved stewardship and support for enhanced and effective marketing of Belize’s reef at local and national levels (for example, revised valuation of the ecosystem services provided by Belize’s reef, mangroves and seagrass; support for initiatives/actions that result in improved prioritization of marine resource management on the national agenda; investments in an effort to improve local and national awareness and stewardship of Belize’s reef and coastal ecosystems and support for improved engagement of tourism sector / private sector as active stewards of Belize’s reef and coastal ecosystems).
Effective implementation of managed access (for example, support for the established package of fish replenishment zones, expansion and operationalization of replenishment zones; continued engagement of fishers towards the support of managed access and functionally managed access committees; projects that contribute towards multi-year monitoring programs/research to inform management and adaptive management; and support for fishers in moving towards value-added fishing and product traceability). It includes projects that focus on protection, monitoring, and surveillance of SPAGs.
Reduced watershed impact (for example, support for the river to reef strategies that address watershed impact, solid waste and sewage management; and support for improved water quality monitoring at the site level and across the MPA system).

Eligibility Criteria

The following are considered eligible applicants for the request for proposals:

Not-for-profit organizations,
Community-based organizations, including fisher’s groups,
Education/academia, or scientific organizations.

Potential grantee organizations must be:

Legally recognized or registered in Belize;
In compliance and good standing with any or all requirements for operation as a legal local entity;
Guided by an operational Board of Directors;
Have a sound financial management system and structure in place (annual audits etc.);
Have a good history as a grantee (i.e. effective grant/project implementation); and
Credible in the field of marine resources management.

Criteria

The Belize Marine Fund (BMF) also seeks eligible organizations with project interests that meet the following criteria:

Can demonstrate measurable results on the progress of at least one of the stated RfP objectives;
Coordinate their implementation across multiple stakeholders;
Strengthen local management capacity of professionals and institutions;
Have transferable or replicable outcomes for other communities/protected areas;
Work to address (root causes of) some of Belize’s and the region’s most pressing environmental and marine resources management challenges;
Can be replicated locally, nationally and across broad geographical locations;
Incorporate plans (considerations) for the long-term sustainability of the work;
Are of a collaborative nature;
Build on broader national/regional projects and initiatives for Mesoamerican Reef management and conservation;
Have secured other sources of matching funds from entities not affiliated with the Belize Marine Fund;
Respond to national, regional or global conservation plans/goals;
Have activities that are closely aligned with the applicant organization’s mission and/or are otherwise sustainable beyond the project period;
Build on current work in the area or successful model projects in the region; and
Promote collective and/or community resilience.