Deadline: 25 May 2014
Non-governmental organizations, community groups, private, enterprises, universities and other civil society organizations are invited to submit Letters of Inquiry (LOIs) for large grants to implement projects in the following five countries – Algeria, Cape Verde, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia. The call is made by the Regional Implementation Team of the Birdlife International for the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) in the Mediterranean Basin Biodiversity Hotspot. CEPF is designed to safeguard Earth’s biologically richest and most threatened regions – the biodiversity hotspots.
Grant applications can be made in between US$20,000 and US$200,000.
Strategic Direction: Promote civil society involvement in Integrated Coastal Zone Management to minimize the negative effects of coastal development in three priority corridors (Southwest Balkans; Cyrenaica Peninsula; and Mountains, Plateaus and Wetlands of Algerian Tell and Tunisia), and in 20 coastal and marine priority key biodiversity areas in other corridors.
Investment Priorities:
- Support civil society involvement in the development and implementation of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) and the advancement of best practices in integrating nature conservation with the tourism sector.
- Raise awareness and influence the choices of the European tourist market and tourism businesses in favor of tourism practices appropriate for nature.
- Support local stakeholders to advance and benefit from nature-based tourism through the diversification of tourism-related activities and generation of alternative livelihoods.
Thematic Areas:
- Projects contributing to the development of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) initiatives.
- Capacity building activities for local and community based organizations contributing to ICZM.
- Raising the awareness of decision makers and important stakeholders in order to promote the integration of biodiversity conservation in ICZM, and mitigation of the impacts of mass tourism development.
- Enabling CSO engagement- Mapping existing ICZM initiatives in North Africa in order to highlight opportunities for CSO engagement; and/or Gathering and sharing lessons learned on what has worked and what did not work from a biodiversity conservation perspective, in terms of civil society engagement in ICZM planning and implementation.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Applicants can be from one of the following countries – Algeria, Cape Verde, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia.
- The strategic direction must be followed by the applicant organization.
- The proposed project must confine within the thematic areas with the project idea built on biodiversity conservation as a fundamental component.
- Non-governmental organizations, community groups, universities, private enterprises and individuals may apply for funding.
- Individuals can apply for grants but are encouraged to work with civil society organizations and communities to develop joint applications, rather than apply directly.
- Exchange visits between civil societies to share lessons learned are also encouraged.
- Government-owned enterprises or institutions with a legal personality independent of any government agency or actor can apply if it has an authority to apply for and receive private funds and may not assert a claim of sovereign immunity.
- Applications can be made in English and French language.
- An applicant can make more than one Letter of Inquiry.
For more information, please visit Call for Proposals, download English or French Version of the guidelines and read thoroughly.
