Deadline: 30-Jun-22
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has announced an open call for the Blue Accelerator Grant Scheme (BAGS) to address the challenge of developing and bringing to market new products, services, and business models that could ultimately catalyze commercially viable blue economy activities in Fiji.
The grant scheme is in line with UNDP’s Low Value Grants modality, whereby grants provided will help strengthen institutional capacities, entice private sector engagement, support community-based initiatives as well as support Statutory organisations, PBs, CSOs, NGOs, and CBOs involved in the blue economy space and supporting gender sensitized national development.
The grant scheme will enable transformative blue economy projects to move beyond the conceptualization stage towards robust business development, preliminary market testing and feasibility, establishment of impact indicators, identification of co-investors, testing, piloting and finally scaling. The grant scheme will play a crucial de-risking role for the Blue Investment Facility helping to reduce lending risks.
Areas of Intervention
- Sustainable Fisheries, Aquaculture/Mariculture
- Marine Conservation and Protection
- Blue Shipping and E-mobility
- Ocean Based Renewable Energy
- Sustainable Waste Management
- Sustainable and eco-tourism
Phases
The BAGS will follow a four-phase application process:
- Phase one: Applicants must submit funding proposals by the due date. The Drua Incubator, with assistance from UNDP, will screen all submitted funding proposals to check that eligibility criteria are met and that the proposed project fits with priorities of the Blue Accelerator Grant Scheme.
- Phase two: Proponents of the successful funding proposals from phase one will be invited to meet and discuss their funding proposal in more detail with the Drua Incubator team and address any issues/clarifications highlighted by the GSC.
- Phase three: Once the funding proposal are shortlisted in Phase one and funding proposals ranked according to the scoring matrix the shortlisted project proponents will present their project to the GSC for conditional approval.
- Phase four: Successful funding proposals will proceed to the due diligence and grant contracting stages of the application process.
Funding Information
- The Blue Investment Grant Scheme will determine the most appropriate type of grant agreement prior to award, as applicable. The two types of possible grants that may be awarded by the Grant Scheme are:
- Micro Grants: ranging from US $50,000 to US $100,000. This grant type is for projects that can be implemented within 8 to 12 months.
- Small Grants: ranging from US $101,000 to US $150,000. This grant type is for larger projects that can be implemented within 12 to 20 months
Ineligible Activities
- Support to individuals or families – such as scholarships or individual or family assistance payments.
- Religious or political activities, i.e., grantees must adopt non-religious and non-political neutral approach.
- Fundraising, donations or prizes.
- Repayments of loans or bank overdrafts.
- Expenses which have already been paid for (retroactive funding).
- Purchase of assets, unless specified in the call for project concepts or demonstrated to be an essential for the success of the activity.
- Activities which are contrary to priorities of the Fijian Government and the UNDP.
- Activities that have significant component of professional salaries
Duration: Implementation period for approved projects will be between eight (8) to twelve (20) months, depending on the size and scope of the project, this shall be, counted from the date of the contract signature to the date when all relevant activities have been successfully completed.
Eligibility Criteria
- Statutory organization, registered PBs, CSOs, NGOs, and CBOs in Fiji involved in the blue economy space and supporting gender sensitized national development or are either involved in community development in one or more of the priority areas for this grant scheme or are interested in integrating sustainable blue economy approaches into their existing programmes/projects/initiatives.
- Community Based Organisations (for example: youth groups, women’s groups, religious groups, as well as social enterprises) that are involved in community development, are encouraged to apply with a letter of support from local/subnational government partner or registered CSOs and NGOs.
- Applicants are encouraged to submit their letters of partnership with local/subnational government stakeholders, CSO/NGO partners, government gender machinery and government agencies responsible for climate change and disaster risk management.
- Selected applicants might be required to submit support letters from partner public agencies. Land access/ title rights may also need to be submitted where applicable.
For more information, visit https://www.undp.org/pacific/blue-accelerator-grant-scheme