Funding available for projects intending to test a novel approach that if proven could scale to deliver results for biodiversity conservation and poverty reduction.
The Darwin Initiative is one of Defra’s Biodiversity Challenge Funds, along with Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund and Darwin Plus. It competitively awards grants for biodiversity conservation and poverty reduction activities in eligible countries, helping these countries meet their commitments under the Multilateral Environment Agreements, Sustainable Development Goals, and national policy.
Elements of successful Darwin Initiative projects are likely to include:
- Enhancing the Capability and Capacity of national and local stakeholders, to help ensure a project’s long-term legacy
- Delivering outputs that will achieve both biodiversity conservation and poverty reduction
- Strengthen the adoption or use of evidence and best practices in biodiversity conservation and poverty reduction.
Darwin Initiative Innovation grants are intended to test a novel approach that if proven could scale to deliver results for biodiversity conservation and poverty reduction. Darwin expect these grants to carry a higher risk given that they may have more limited evidence and are innovative.
Applications must come from an organisation rather than an individual.
Darwin Initiative is entirely Official Development Assistance (ODA) funded, and therefore projects must promote the economic development and welfare of developing countries as a primary objective. However, projects will in practice be expected to be mostly focused on Low Income and Lower Middle-Income countries.
Upper Middle-Income countries (UMICs) are eligible, however, projects applying to work in a UMIC must clearly demonstrate a stronger case for support.
Darwin projects should be a minimum of £10,000 and no more than £200,000 for one to two years.
Applications for Round 29 should be submitted via Flexi-Grant by 7 November 2022.
How To Apply
Applications are made in a single-stage process.
Applications for Round 29 should be submitted via Flexi-Grant by 7 November 2022.
- Expected notification of successful project: at end of February 2023 at the earliest
- Expected start date for successful projects: April 2023.
For more information, visit the Darwin Initiative website.