The Blue Action Fund is pleased to announce a
new open call for grant proposals focusing on Africa’s Atlantic coast from
Morocco to South Africa.
The present call for proposals is part of a continuing series of
such calls by Blue Action Fund, providing individual grants to selected
conservation projects in the global South with the following dual focus:
- Newly established, expanded or
better managed marine protected areas (MPAs) or networks of MPAs that
result in conservation of biodiversity, and
- Enhanced livelihood conditions
and food security.
Africa’s Atlantic marine region is characterised
by a number of globally significant biodiversity features. Among others, it
comprises some of the most productive and biologically diverse large marine
ecosystems in the world, the largest breeding monk seals colony left on Earth
and high concentrations of migratory birds, as well as mangrove forests,
seagrass beds, seamounts and canyons.
The thematic focus of projects should be:
- Supporting ecologically
representative and well-connected systems of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)
through enhancing management of existing MPAs, enlarging existing ones or
establishing new MPAs; and
- Supporting sustainable
livelihoods in coastal communities dependent on MPAs and their buffer
zones.
Funding Information
- The current expectation is that
Blue Action Fund will award grants from this call with a total volume of
EUR 15 million or more.
- Ask for a contribution by Blue
Action Fund of EUR 1-3 million, in well justified cases up to EUR 4
million.
- Can be completed within up to 5
years.
Eligibility Criteria
Blue Action Fund is looking forward to receiving
proposals for projects that:
- Are situated in one of the
following countries (or in case of transboundary MPAs several of the
countries): Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Cape Verde, Guinea
Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin,
Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Sao Tome and Principe, The
Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, Namibia,
South Africa (Atlantic Coast).
- Eligible applicants are NGOs
with proven experience in coastal and marine conservation and sustainable
livelihood development in the area. NGOs must provide match funding of at
least 25% of the total project costs (in exceptional cases more than 10%).
- NGOs must have experience in
implementing projects of similar size, Environmental and Social Management
System capacity, and their reporting and financial management systems must
be compliant with internationally recognised standards.
- The Fund encourages
applications by consortia of NGOs that include local implementing
partners. Blue Action Fund’s procedures require that all projects must
receive the endorsement of the appropriate authority/authorised body of
the country in which the project is located.
Post Date - 16-Apr-2021