Ecosystem Grants Programme

The Ecosystem Grants Programme (EGP) of IUCN NL funds projects of local organizations in the South that link ecosystem conservation and poverty issues.

Summary of main points

• The Ecosystem Grants Programme (EGP) of IUCN NL funds projects of local organisations in the South that link ecosystem conservation and poverty issues;
• Only NGOs can submit proposals;
• Proposals have to contribute to the overall goal of EGP: the sustainable use and conservation of ecosystems
• (Pre-)proposals must comply with administrative and general criteria. For every focal region, specific priority themes for funding have been formulated (see ‘regions and themes’ below);
• Applicants should first submit pre-proposals. EGP staff will then select those that will be invited to prepare full proposals. ALL pre-proposals and proposals MUST use EGP-formats to be considered for funding;
• Maximum grant award is Euro 85,000. However, since the available budget for grants is limited applicants are encouraged to submit a realistic but moderate budget;
• (Pre-)proposals must comply with administrative and general criteria

What is EGP

The Ecosystem Grants Programme (EGP) is part of the ‘Ecosystems and Human Well-being programme’ developed in cooperation with the Dutch IUCN members and Government and in alignment with the IUCN Global Program. EGP financed projects are developed and implemented by local non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Until 2006, the IUCN NL managed three ecosystem-based programmes: one for tropical rainforests (TRP), one for wetlands (SWP), and one for dry ecosystems (DAS). The EGP replaces these three programmes and also includes the sector-related Tourism & Biodiversity  Fund (TBF).

The EGP is directly related to Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 1 (‘eliminate extreme poverty and hunger’), and to MDG 7 (‘ensure environmental sustainability’). The programme is based on the Ecosystem Approach as adopted by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

The EGP contributes to the following overall goal:
‘To reverse trends of ecosystem degradation and loss in the South, and the subsequent impoverishment of vulnerable groups in society, through the sustainable use and conservation of ecosystems for the benefit of present and future generations.’

Application deadlines will be announced on the IUCN NL web site. Both general and specific criteria for funding apply.

Maximum grant size is Euro 85,000 (there is no minimum).

Regions and Themes

Focal Regions
Based on IUCN NL’s previous experience with small grants programmes, focal regions have been established for the EGP. Regional focusing should increase synergy between organizations, which:

• facilitates the transfer of knowledge and skills from experienced to less experienced organizations;
• strengthens the capacity of NGOs to influence policies;
• increases the impacts of individual projects.

Establishing regional support structures is part of the EGP focal region approach, and will be developed by IUCN NL and selected regional partners including IUCN Regional Offices.

For every focal region, specific priority themes for funding have been formulated (see below). Focal regions of the EGP are:

West Africa (Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, Togo, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone)

Central Africa (DRC, Congo/B, C.A.R., Rwanda, Burundi, Eq.Guinea, Cameroon).

Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea)

Mekong Region (Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Lao PDR, Myanmar (Burma) and Yunnan Province in China, priority will be given to projects that are located within the Mekong River Basin)

Parana-Paraguay River Basin (Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina as far as located in the basin)

Guiana Shield Region (Surinam, Guyana, Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil as far as located in the Guiana Shield)

Rest of the world
The EGP will remain open to low-risk, high-potential proposals from outside the focal regions. 

Download :

All info including format and criteria can be found at:
http://www.iucn.nl/funds/ecosystem_grants_programme_1/

Southeast Asia page with focus themes:
http://www.iucn.nl/funds/southeast_asia/