Deadline: 30-Apr-23
With the support of the MAVA Foundation, The MedFund is launching in 2023 the second call for expressions of interest specifically dedicated to marine protected areas of strong protection.
The MedFund is an environmental trust fund which aims to mobilize public and private actors to promote the development and effectiveness of marine protected areas (MPAs) in the Mediterranean.
Guided by science and encouraged by the commitments of several countries to increase the number of strong protection MPAs in the Mediterranean, the MedFund created in 2021 a new funding window dedicated to strong protection MPAs called Highly Protected Mediterranean Initiative.
The Fund provides financial support to the management and co-management structures of Mediterranean MPAs in order to sustainably contribute to covering the recurrent management costs of these protected areas.
Purpose
The purpose of this call is to support:
- The start of management activities in newly created MPAs
- The strengthening of the management effectiveness of existing strong protection MPAs
- The extension of strong protection zones within MPAs
Funding Information
- The support granted by the MedFund will be on average 50 to 60k€ per year per MPA.
- For the beneficiary MPAs, the financing agreements will be signed for a period of five years.
Eligible Activities
- human resources (excluding administration salaries),
- maintenance of equipment, infrastructure and purchases of small equipment,
- monitoring and application of regulations,
- active governance and participation of stakeholders, including the activities of co-management,
- raising awareness among different audiences and communication,
- scientific monitoring (on the impacts of the management of strong protection zones and on 3 conservation targets),
- management activities to improve the effectiveness of the protection zone strength and state of conservation targets,
- the promotion/support of socio-economic activities,
- taking climate change into account,
- the gender approach: how to promote equality between men and women,
- the sustainability of the MPA and in particular its financial sustainability.
Ineligible Activities
The activities below are not eligible for funding from The MedFund:
- Investments and new infrastructure works;
- The purchase of major equipment, except in exceptional cases, if the latter constitute an essential element for the launch or continuation of the management of the MPA and they cannot be financed otherwise. For any request for equipment (vehicles, boats, computer equipment and software for example) over €10,000, a specific motion from the Board of The MedFund will be required;
- Costs associated with research.
Eligibility Criteria
- Be an MPA officially created or in the advanced creation phase in one of the priority countries: Albania, Algeria, Croatia, Greece, Lebanon, Morocco, Montenegro, Tunisia, Turkey;
- Have a management orientation document or a management plan specifying the strong protection zones (no-take zones, exclusion zones, integral reserve) and the related management activities;
- Have a dedicated management body and team in place.
- It should be noted that an MPA already benefiting from financial support from the MedFund cannot be financed again.
For more information, visit MedFund.
