EbA Calls for Proposals Archives | Caribbean Biodiversity Fund

EbA Call for Proposals

General

Could you share the awardees’ proposals of the first round of CBF funding / financing, to have some reference to CBFs priorities?

We cannot share the successful proposal documents. However, you can view the project flyers for EbA Facility grantees from the 1st Call for Proposals.
When is the next call for proposals for the Insular Caribbean? This may be applicable for organizations that may not be prepared to participate in the fourth call for proposals.

The EbA Facility is a sinking fund. This 4th Call for Proposals is the final call under its current lifespan and availability of funds.
Will the CBF facilitate partnerships with others in the region for the purpose of applications to the call for proposals?

The CBF strongly encourages partnerships for Concept Notes. However beyond this webinar, which is a networking opportunity also with existing grantees, the CBF will not directly assist with partnerships or other aspects of proposal preparation.
If an organization is managing numerous projects using sub-accounts within an existing bank account, can extract project-specific financial information and has all checks and balances in place, would that bank account be acceptable?

We have tried this in a few exceptional cases in previous calls, and it did not work well for us. This is why our donor requested that no exception be made for this 4th call. A separate project account will be required.
Does the EbA Facility recognize the validity of artistic methods and engagement processes that support the EBA criteria?

Each EbA application is reviewed on its individual merit. Outreach and environmental education are an important part of EbA projects. Different methods are legitimate to reach different audiences and should contribute to strengthening the three pillars of EbA.
When is the deadline for submission of concept notes under the fourth call for proposals?

Applications can be submitted until Tuesday, January 24, 2023, at 23:59 UTC-5. Concept Notes received after this time will be rejected. Applicants will receive an email acknowledging receipt of their Concept Note at the time of submission.
Are land purchases eligible if it directly enhances the impact of the EbA process?

The EbA Facility has the flexibility to consider land purchase as part of an EbA project. Like any capital investment, it would have to be well-justified and contribute to the EbA objectives and sustainability.
If anyone wishes to partner with a non-Caribbean initiative and has interest in climate change mitigation, marine plastic prevention, gender studies, water sanitation, would that be considered?

The EbA Facility strictly funds projects with a clear EbA focus, in eligible Caribbean island states. Any partnership in relation to interventions outside of our mandate geography would have to supported by cofinance. Proposal with a focus other than EbA should be directed to the appropriate donor(s).
Is there any weighting given for or against applications received which are proposed to take place on the same island/community as existing CBF grant funded projects? Would synergies and leveraging existing activities for greater impacts be considered positively?

This is an open call. We welcome applications from all eligible geographies and have no bias for a particular coastal or marine ecosystem. The evaluation matrix (English, French, Spanish) rewards scaling-up an already tested approach that was successful or clearly shows synergies with other activities in the area, whether CBF-funded or not.
Where will the recorded version of The Concept Note Preparation Webinar that was held on Wednesday, November 30, 2022 be hosted?

The Concept Note Preparation Webinar that was held on Wednesday, November 30, 2022 can be watched here.
Are audits required during the CBF 4th call projects, and if so, for budgeting purposes, how often are these to be undertaken (e.g. annually, at end of project)?

CBF EbA grantees should budget for annual project audits.
Will you be doing another webinar at a different time for this call?

No, but you can re-watch the webinar here.
As an Annex, would it be adequate to send a document where we can expand and elaborate on the consortium, the project background and approach, and our proposed team of experts?

The submission of an Annex is optional and should be kept as succinct as possible. If the concept note is shortlisted, we will invite a full proposal. At the full proposal stage, applicants have the opportunity to expand and elaborate on their consortia (if applicable), the project background and approach, and proposed team of experts.
Is it possible to get abstracts and contact details for projects funded under the 1st Call for Proposals in Haiti and the Dominican Republic?

Our two grantees with activities in Haiti are J/P Haitian Relief Organization (contract: Marc Kenson Theus, kenson@haititakesroot.org) and the Dominican Institute for Integrated Development (contact: David Luther, david.luther@iddi.org.

The four grantees with activities in the Dominican Republic are the Centro Agronómico Tropica de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE, contact: Miguel Cifuentes, miguel.cifuentes@catie.ac.cr), Fundación REDDOM Rural Economic Development Dominicana (contact: info@fundacionreddom.org), Fundación Grupo Puntacana (contact: Jake Kheel, jkheel@puntacana.com), and IDDI (as above).
Do projects need to address marine or coastal water resources directly through EbA measures or may activities take a broader landscape approach, such as the “ridge to reef” approach?

This Call for Proposals focuses on improving the management and/or restoration of EbA-supporting marine and coastal zone habitats. Where a ridge to reef approach is being proposed we would expect that the share of EbA supporting coastal/marine habitats will be in the majority of measures of the overall proposal.

Budget

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Concept Note

Do you have templates for the required documents you are requesting?

The Concept Note template is available in three languages on the call for proposal page. The required wording for the Declaration by the lead applicant is provided in the Concept Note template: “I, the undersigned being the person responsible in the Applicant’s organization for the proposed Project, do hereby certify that the information given is true and correct at the time of submission.” and would need to be pasted into the lead applicant’s letterhead and uploaded with signature, name, position, place, date. The Certificate of Registration of the applicant organization would be provided by the applicable country’s authorities, and the Audited Financial Statements would be prepared and signed by an independent, external auditor, engaged by the applicant to produce these audits.
We at the University of Havana need you to kindly send us the concept note template in English and Spanish, as we have not been able to download it and we are very interested in applying to the EbA Facility’s Fourth Call for Proposals.

Applications that include Cuba will only be accepted from United Nations agencies and US based institutions that have experience in implementing projects and other activities in compliance with US Government regulations concerning Cuba. If the lead applicant also encounters problems downloading, a representative of the lead applicant should contact us.
We are going to apply as a consortium with a number of local partners. Do we need to list our partners’ past projects as well? If our partners have matching funds available from other projects, should we list them in the budget?

The relevant experience of all consortia members will be assessed. As such, it may be useful to list partners’ relevant project expertise. Partner co-finance should be included in the budget section under “Are there in-kind contributions from your organization or from other supporters or partners? In-kind support may include labor, travel costs, equipment that is provided to the project, training, etc.”
As an Annex, would it be adequate to send a document where we can expand and elaborate on the Consortium, the project background and approach, and our proposed team of experts?

The submission of an Annex is optional and should be kept as succinct as possible. If the concept note is shortlisted, we would invite a full proposal. At the full proposal stage, applicants have the opportunity to expand and elaborate on their consortia (if applicable), the project background and approach, and proposed team of experts.
Can we delete the whole tabular format of the concept note template provided. I have seen a previous submission that made it through the first round, and it was without the tabular format?

The preference is that you use the tabular format represented in the concept note template.

Eligibility

What are the limitations for Cuban applicants?

For projects that include Cuba, project proponents (lead agencies) must be US based organizations. These must have experience in implementing projects and other activities in compliance with US Government regulations concerning Cuba. Applicants must include documentation that demonstrates such experience as well as any additional evidence that provides information on internal systems in place to ensure compliance.
Are island coalitions (5 NGO/CSOs with MoU) considered an acceptable project applicant?

Consortia are welcome to apply. However, there should be a clearly defined lead agency, the “Applicant Organization”, as detailed in the concept note template. This agency, if successful, would be the responsible contract party.
Does the following footnote apply to a conservation organization based in the USA and with work in Cuba?

Yes, it applies to all applicants who wish to propose projects with activities in Cuba.

“Organizations from outside the Caribbean applying for funding should have EbA experience/expertise, as well as one or more local partners. It is expected that international organizations applying for grants will incorporate local knowledge transfer and capacity building activities in their projects.”
Can we apply under this call if we are in the process of requesting a no cost extension for our current EbA grant?

Yes. Past and existing CBF grantees may apply, independent of the number of projects they have or are undertaking with CBF. Grantees’ past performance will be considered in the selection process. The final decision on the concept note selection rests with the recommendations of the EbA Facility Evaluation Committee.
Does the fourth call for proposals accommodate research related to health and ecosystem management?

Research elements as part of an EbA approach can be considered if they contribute to the overall EbA objectives. Ecosystem health is an important aspect of EbA. Please also see the presentations of this webinar and resource links provided for further guidance on EbA focus.
Is there a minimum or maximum number of eligible countries that can be included in a concept note for a regional project?

The minimum would be one (national project). The maximum number of countries that can be supported by EbA funds would be all eligible countries and territories, i.e. 14: the nine primary beneficiary countries plus five that may benefit from regional projects. Primary beneficiary countries are: Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Additionally, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Trinidad and Tobago may participate in regional projects (secondary beneficiaries). .The majority of effort and CBF funding should be dedicated to primary beneficiary countries.
Is a lead applicant allowed to partner with a UK or EU university?

Yes.
Is a private company based in the EU eligible to apply? If we are eligible, should we partner with an entity from the eligible countries (consortium)?

There are no restrictions on the home base of a lead agency but being Caribbean-based is an asset. A private company based in the EU is eligible to apply. Private sector applicants are required to provide a minimum of 50:50 cofinance. Consortium applications, with a clearly defined lead applicant, are welcome. The application would be assessed on a competitive basis, with evaluation criteria including experience in the geographic area, cost-effectiveness (proportion of funds that reaches beneficiaries in EbA countries), stakeholder inclusion and partnerships, capacity-building in target community, among other criteria. The evaluation matrix is available on our website.
Only a few countries are listed as eligible to apply under the CBF EbA Facility Second Call for Proposals. Will any exceptions be made to community based organizations within neighboring Caribbean countries that are not listed on the CBF website?

Eligibility for EbA funding is based on the list of low and middle income countries that are eligible for Overseas Development Assistance (ODA), as identified by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Development Assistance Committee (OECD-DAC). Additional Caribbean countries may receive support through their participation in multi-country projects. Multi-country projects are projects involving activities in more than one country, and the majority of countries (at least three- quarters) must be on the list of eligible countries referenced above. These multi-country projects could benefit the following additional insular countries: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Can the St. Augustine Campus of the UWI based in Trinidad and Tobago be allowed to apply as the Lead, given that The UWI is a regional institution?

Yes, regional institutions are eligible, if they meet the other qualifying criteria. There are no restrictions on the home base of the lead agency, but being Caribbean-based is an asset.
I do not have any business registration documents or financial documents (audits). Is this a barrier to my application?

Yes, this is a barrier. The CBF EbA Facility does not provide grants to individuals. Two years of recent audits and a certificate of registration of the lead applicant are required as part of the concept note submission.
Can a University based in Florida be the submitting organization for proposed work overseas with Caribbean communities?

There are no restrictions on the home base of the lead agency, but being Caribbean-based is an asset. If they meet the other qualifying criteria, they can lead the proposal.
We at the University of Havana need you to kindly send us the concept note template in English and Spanish, as we have not been able to download it and we are very interested in applying to the EbA Facility’s Fourth Call for Proposals.

Applications that include Cuba will only be accepted from United Nations agencies and US based institutions that have experience in implementing projects and other activities in compliance with US Government regulations concerning Cuba. If the lead applicant also encounters problems downloading, a representative of the lead applicant should contact us.
Although our foundation was registered in 2018, our finances have been mostly managed by a parent company that gave birth to the foundation. Just recently we started managing and registering our finances under the foundation’s own account. Is this information enough to fulfill the requirement or is it completely necessary to have an external auditor audit our finances?

The foundation will only be able to act as lead applicant if it can provide two years of audited statements in its own name.
Is it possible for an organization to submit more than one concept note under this call?

Yes. There is no upper limit to the concepts an applicant can submit. Each Concept Note will be assessed individually on a competitive basis like any other concept and thus compete with each other.
Can we submit a concept note without the financial audit or will we be disqualified for not meeting that requirement, even though we have a promise of audit?

You will need to provide audited financial statements at the concept note stage as described in the Call for Proposals to be qualified for consideration. As identified in the concept note template, Government Ministries are exempt from this requirement where separate audited financial statements are not produced.
Our organization does not meet certain criteria mentioned in your call such as: past grant size, relevant project experience or publications. How best can we present our proposal?

Only applications meeting the criteria specified in the Call for Proposal documentation will be considered for funding in a highly competitive selection process. A consideration is to partner with an organization that fulfills the required criteria.

Full Proposal

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Project Implementation

How much research may a project employ in comparison with implementing different EbA measures?

The testing and development of new EbA approaches and models are identified as possible options in the call documentation together with the scaling-up and replication of proven concepts.
We have an on-going EbA project with a consortium of partners. We would like to extend the project as new opportunities have emerged to expand and strengthen certain components. What are the criteria for extending projects?

We do not give cost-extension to existing projects. However, follow-up projects (a “phase 2”) and upscaling will be considered. The application process is identical to a new project. For existing projects that already have some results and are aiming for a phase 2, the added value and/or how the new submission builds on existing efforts should be clearly stated.
Can the proposal include multiple intervention categories such as hybrid restoration solutions (green-gray) and community engagement categories? These often need to be integrated to be most effective.

Yes, in fact an integrated approach is typical for EbA projects.

Project Location

If we cover a number of geographies within the country and address several EbAs at the seascape scale, would it be possible to apply for a larger grant?

Grants would generally range from US $250,000 to US $2 million, with some exceptions for larger grants involving multi-country/regional projects. National projects have a USD 2 million ceiling.
Can we submit potential project sites and then select the specific site during project implementation?

It is expected that your site(s) is very specific in the concept note stage and does not change later in the process.
Would the EbA Facility accept a proposal for a regional project that would serve the coasts of the Central American Caribbean?

The EBA Facility currently only finances projects in the insular Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Thus, the Central American Caribbean is not eligible for an EbA Facility Grant.
Could the project be located or partly located in Caribbean islands from non-Caribbean countries (Honduras, Colombia, etc.)?

The CBF EbA Facility can only fund eligible Caribbean island states and territories. Any other country participating in a regional project would have to be supported entirely by co-finance. Concept Notes would be assessed based on the proposed outcomes for eligible Caribbean SIDS.
Are small island developing states or nations eligible for large grants?

Caribbean SIDS are eligible for large grants. The lead applicant should have a proven track record of managing grants of that size.
Can a non-Caribbean entity be the main applicant and project lead?

Yes. The call is open to a wide range of Caribbean national, regional and international entities, as well as consortia of organizations. Organizations from outside the Caribbean applying for funding should have EbA experience/expertise, as well as one or more local partners. Preference will be given to organizations with experience working in the Caribbean. Further, it is obligatory that international organizations applying for grants will incorporate knowledge transfer and capacity building activities for the local partners in their projects.

Project Size

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Reporting

We are very interested in applying and wanted some more information regarding the reporting requirements.
Reporting requirements will be specified in the grant agreement with successful applicants. Current grantees under the 1st CfP are required to submit the below-listed. Additionally, the CBF may request other information or reports, as may be required in order to assess the project and/or to comply with any internal policies, procedures, and obligations pursuant to its funders:

An Annual Work Plan within 25 business days of signing and subsequently annually, on the same date;

Project Financial Reports for the 6-month period up to the 31st of December and 30th of June of every year to be delivered by the final business day of the following January and July, respectively;

Audited annual financial statements promptly following such audit, by June every year following the respective financial year.

Project Progress Reports for the 6-month period up to the 31st of December and 30th of June of every year to be delivered by the final business day of the following January and July respectively,

A Final Narrative Report and a Final Financial Report to be delivered 40 business days after expiry of the grant agreement; and

A Close-out Report to be delivered within 25 Business Days from the expiry of the grant agreement.

It is likely that the agreements under the 2nd CfP will follow the same, or a very similar, reporting schedule.
What is the difference between a medium and large grant in terms of requirements to apply and manage/report?

There are no additional requirements for the larger grants. We do expect the applicants to have experience in managing grants in the size bracket they apply for.
Will the project implementation and reporting reminders be in line with KfW procedures?

EbA Facility projects follow CBF procedures. These currently include some KfW procedures and where these are included, they will be identified in the grant agreements. The reporting schedule will be defined in the grant agreement (see Q&A 15) and does not contemplate reminders.

Frequently Asked Questions

EbA Call for Proposals

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