Bonn, 16 December 2015 - The Secretariat of the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) is calling for applications for the 2015 cycle of the AEWA Small Grants Fund.

AEWA Small Grants Fund

The AEWA Small Grants Fund aims to promote the implementation of AEWA in developing countries and countries with economies in transition. The Fund supports AEWA-related conservation activities, for example species and habitat conservation, training and awareness-raising for different target groups, survey and monitoring of species and sites, and livelihood-related activities.

Eligibility Criteria

The 2015 call for proposals is limited to eligible AEWA Contracting Parties from Africa. A list of eligible countries is available here.

Proposed projects must contribute to the implementation of AEWA and its Strategic Plan 2009-2018, and/or to the activities highlighted by the AEWA Plan of Action for Africa 2012-2018. The maximum sum granted per project is USD 16,000 and the maximum project duration is 24 months.

Project proposals can be submitted by any national governmental agency or any national or international non-governmental agency/organization involved with the conservation of migratory waterbirds and/or their habitats in the respective eligible country.

Projects are not eligible for funding if a Small Grants Fund project from an earlier cycle is ongoing in the respective country. Projects in member countries are also not eligible for funding if the respective country is more than three years in arrears with its annual financial contributions to AEWA. Where in doubt, please consult with the UNEP/AEWA Secretariat.

How to Apply

Project proposals must be submitted using the application form provided on the AEWA website.

All project proposals must be endorsed by the AEWA National Focal Point in the respective country, using the endorsement form available on the AEWA website. A list of AEWA National Focal Points can be downloaded from the AEWA website.

The completed and signed application and endorsement forms must be submitted by email to the UNEP/AEWA Secretariat (birgit.drerup@unep-aewa.org).

Applicants are advised to consult the Operational Guidelines for the AEWA Small Grants Fund prior to preparing their project proposal.

Deadline

The deadline for submission of project proposals is 27 March 2016.

Advisory Services

Project applicants wishing to receive advice on the preparation of their project proposal are invited to contact the UNEP/AEWA Secretariat as soon as possible and no later than 28 February 2016.