Background
The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF), is a global organization whose aim is to support and empower local Civil Society Organizations involved in conservation and climate change mitigation initiatives. The CEPF decided to include Seychelles into its Madagascar and Indian Ocean hotspot (MADIO) Programme last year and calls for proposals were issued with the aim of supporting research institutes and local Civil Society Organizations (CSO) in the fields of climate change mitigation and conservation in order to build strong resilience against the adverse effects of climate change. The Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust (SeyCCAT) is CEPF’s focal point for Seychelles.
The adverse impacts of Climate Change is affecting all aspects of our lives and the livelihoods of many. Consequently, several critical ecosystems throughout the world have been severely impacted, and if remedial and preventative action is not taken, the damage to these ecosystems could be irreparable. CEPF has mandated itself to identify these critical ecosystems and work with local partners, to provide funding and support to address these climate change challenges. The Madagascar and Indian Ocean Region, has been identified as one rich in diverse ecosystems with a high density of endemic and endangered species, with a high propensity to be negatively impacted by the impacts of Climate Change, such as global warming, sea level rise and extreme weather conditions. The MADIO Region is therefore one of the hotspots, being supported through the Fund.
What is the CEPF?
CEPF is a joint initiative of l’Agence Française de Développement, Conservation International, the European Union, Fondation Hans Wilsdorf, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan and the World Bank. A fundamental goal is to ensure civil society is engaged in biodiversity conservation.
With funding from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) through AFD as the GCF accredited entity, and from the European Union through AFD acting as the fiduciary agent, CEPF established and is managing a 10-year program of support to civil society organizations to promote ecosystem-based adaptation in the Madagascar and the Indian Ocean Islands Biodiversity Hotspot. Program activities are taking place in Madagascar, Comoros, Mauritius and the Seychelles.
CEPF has enlisted a consortium of nongovernmental organizations to be its Regional Implementation Team (RIT) in the hotspot. Coordinated by IUCN NL, the RIT includes SAF/FJKM for Madagascar, ID-ONG for Comoros, FORENA for Mauritius and SeyCCAT for Seychelles. These organizations are working with CEPF to implement a five-year conservation strategy for the hotspot and build local civil society capacity. The RIT can be reached via the following email address: cepfproposals@iucn.nl.
What kind of Grants are available through CEPF and Open Calls for Proposals
There are two types of grants available through CEPF.
- Small Grants will support financing of not more than US 50,000 and
- Large grants support any project whose funding will be more than US 50,000.
Calls for proposals for these grants, are done on yearly cycles and these calls are advertised on RIT website and also social media platforms. Instructions on how to apply are also given. Also, Training and de-briefing sessions are also organized in order to support interested parties to properly prepare their projects for submissions.
Calls for Proposals
Click this link here to access the current calls for proposals.
Before you apply
Understand what CEPF is looking for in a successful proposal. Each year, CEPF looks for proposals that focuses on one or more Investment Priorities as part of Strategic Directions as detailed in the ecosystem profile. Please visit this link before submitting any application.
Grievance Mechanism
The RIT will notify all grantees whether or not their application has been successful. Applicants can contact the relevant National RIT Focal Point in case of additional questions about the final decision. If the applicant is not satisfied with the response, a grievance may be submitted to IUCN NL. Read more about the grievance mechanism in the Operational Manual.
CEPF’s Newsletter
If you would like to know more about CEPF’s conservation initiatives in the Madagascar and Indian Ocean (MADIO) Region please register for it by sending an email to cepf.ritmadio2@saf-fjkm.org.
