UK Department for International Development: LEGEND Challenge Fund of up to £750,000 to Improve Land Rights

Deadline: 26 February 2016

The Land Portal Foundation is seeking applications for its LEGEND Challenge Fund to support the development and testing of innovative approaches and partnerships for strengthening land governance, with a specific focus on piloting approaches to responsible land-related investments.

The Fund has two concurrent “windows” through which applicants can apply for grants:

• Window 1: Responsible Land-Based Agricultural Investments
• Window 2: Open Innovation

Aims

• To identify and support projects to strengthen land governance which will ultimately contribute to: inclusive growth; increased incomes for the poor, especially women; reduced environmental damage; and reduced conflict potential.
• To identify and support projects interested in testing innovative approaches to ensure that agricultural investors act responsibly and assist in developing partnerships with rural communities, so as to contribute toward the outcome of:
  • Securing and protecting land/property rights for poor women, men, communities and responsible businesses, and improving responsible private sector investment in agricultural land in Africa.

Eligible Countries

Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania, Zambia and Sierra Leone.

Funding available

The total funding requested through the Challenge Fund must be within the following limits:

• Lower limit: £100,000
• Upper limit: £750,000

Eligibility Criteria

• Geographic focus: Applicants are welcome to propose to work in more than one target country (mentioned above).
• Partners: Projects must be implemented through a partnership consisting of:
  • Lead organisation: Must be not-for-profit legal entity.
  • Not-for-profit certification in country or countries of registration to be provided.
  • Partner organization: must include at least one for-profit legal entity:
    • Business registration certificate in country or countries of registration to be provided.
    • Applicants are welcome to include additional partners (including more business partners, central or local government agencies, research institutions or other civil society organisations). If the project involves multiple countries, a business partner is required in each country of implementation (which may or may not be the same entity).
  • Business contribution: the Business Partner must fund their own costs for participating in the project
    • Financial contribution can be quantified and represented on the Challenge Fund Budget Summary Template.
    • Applicants are welcome to provide additional funding for added impact, though this is not mandatory.
  • Partnership arrangements: confirming partners’ interest and role
    • Application must include “Letter of Interest” to explain and support the partnership arrangements. This letter must contain:
      • Signatures from appropriate representatives of each participating organisation;
      • Project summary, including: project title, country (or countries of implementation), geographic location in country (Map or GPS coordinates, with clear description, and/or physical address), expected results, total grant amount requested and grant duration;
      • Summary of roles and responsibilities of each participating organisation, commitment from all partners to transparency, and learning and dissemination of lessons.
      • Identification of the contribution (in cash or in-kind) of each business partner to the project. Contributions from other participating organisations are welcome but not mandatory.

How to Apply

Applicants must register their interest in applying to the LEGEND Challenge Fund using the LEGEND Challenge Fund Registration Form.

For more information, please visit Challenge Fund.