Welcome to the Biodiversity Challenge Funds Home Page

This online application portal is for UK Government funded Biodiversity Challenge Funds the Darwin Initiative, Darwin Plus and the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund. From this page, access your account to begin an application or continue working on an existing application – see the panels at the bottom of this page. You can only work on an application when the fund is open.

The Darwin Initiative

The Darwin Initiative supports developing countries to conserve biodiversity and reduce poverty. The Darwin Initiative provides grants for projects working to help developing countries meet their objectives under:

the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS)
the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA)
the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES)
the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands
the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS)
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

Darwin Plus

The aim of Darwin Plus is to help deliver long-term strategic outcomes for the natural environment in the UK Overseas Territories (OTs).

Biodiversity in the OTs is globally significant, with the OTs boasting some of the world’s most delicate and complex ecosystems, and habitats containing many endemic species. It is estimated that the OTs contain an estimated 90% of the biodiversity found within the UK and the Territories combined.

The fund achieves its objectives by supporting:

Darwin Plus Main: projects focused on environment issues in the UKOTs
Darwin Plus Local: a light-touch grant scheme for smaller-scale projects
Darwin Plus Strategic: for large-scaled projects, driving transformative change
Darwin Plus Fellowships: to support knowledge building for OT nationals that will contribute to achieving Darwin Plus objectives

The IWT Challenge Fund

The UK Government is committed to helping to end the global scourge of the illegal wildlife trade.

As well as the devastating consequences for biodiversity and the environment, the illegal wildlife trade is a serious criminal industry worth billions of pounds, which damages local communities and undermines sustainable development in some of the world’s poorest countries.

The objective of the IWT Challenge Fund is to tackle the illegal wildlife trade of both fauna and flora and in doing so, to contribute to sustainable development in developing countries, through projects which address one, or more, of the following themes:

Reducing demand for IWT products
Ensuring effective legal frameworks
Strengthening law enforcement
Developing sustainable livelihoods to benefit people directly affected by IWT

Status of application rounds

Darwin Initiative

Main Projects Stage 1: Currently CLOSED. Closing date: Monday 8 July 2024

Main Projects Stage 2: Currently OPEN. Access by invitation only. Closing date: Monday 2 December 2024

Extra Projects: Currently CLOSED. Closing date: Monday 16 September 2024

Innovation Projects: Currently CLOSED. Closing date: Monday 21 October 2024

Capability & Capacity Projects: Currently CLOSED. Closing date: Monday 21 October 2024

IWT Challenge Fund

Evidence Projects: Currently OPEN. Closing date: Monday 28 October 2024

Main Projects Stage 1: Currently OPEN. Closing date: Monday 28 October 2024

Main Projects Stage 2: Currently CLOSED. Access by invitation only. Closing date: Monday 31 March 2025

Extra Projects Stage 1: Currently OPEN. Closing date: Monday 28 October 2024

Extra Projects Stage 2: Currently CLOSED. Access by invitation only. Closing date: Monday 31 March 2025

Darwin Plus (restricted to work in the UK Overseas Territories)

Main Projects Stage 1: Currently CLOSED. Closing date: Monday 3 June 2024

Main Projects Stage 2: Currently CLOSED. Access by invitation only. Closing date: Monday 7 October 2024

People & Skills (previously Fellowships): CLOSED. Closing date: Monday 23 September 2024

Local Projects: Currently OPEN. Closing date: Monday 25 November 2024

Strategic Projects: Currently CLOSED. Closing date: Monday 29 July 2024

There is specific Flexi-Grant guidance available. For all queries specifically related to the use of the Flexi-Grant system, please email: BCF-Flexigrant@niras.com