GOV.UK
Environmental management – guidance
Darwin Plus: environment funding for the UK Overseas Territories
Darwin Plus: how to apply for project and fellowship funding
What funding is available
The Overseas Territories Environment and Climate Fund (also known as Darwin Plus) provides funding for:
- environmental projects in UK Overseas Territories
- fellowships for UK Overseas Territories (OT) Nationals to train in the UK
How to apply
Darwin Plus projects
You should read the before completing:
- the and
- the relevant budget form: or
Darwin Plus Fellowships
You should read the before completing:
- the and
- the
When to apply
The timetable for Darwin Plus Round 5 is set out below:
• 6 July 2016 - call for applications
• 29 August 2016 - deadline for receipt of applications
• Late November 2016 - expected outcome and notification of applicants
• From 1 April 2017 – expected start date for successful projects/fellowships
Who can apply
Darwin Plus projects
Funding is open to any organisation as long as the proposed project will benefit one or more of the UK OTs (listed below) by to protecting and enhancing their biodiversity or addressing wider environment or climate-related issues.
Applicants can include:
- OT governments
- non-governmental organisations
- research institutions
- the private sector
- other stakeholders
Darwin Plus Fellowships
The applicant organisation will usually be UK-based and the proposed Fellow must be an OT national who has worked or is working on environmental issues in the UK OTs.
The 14 UK Overseas Territories are:
- Anguilla
- Bermuda
- British Antarctic Territory
- British Indian Ocean Territory
- The British Virgin Islands
- The Cayman Islands
- The Falkland Islands
- Gibraltar
- Montserrat
- The Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie & Oeno Islands
- Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (including Gough Island Dependency)
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
- Sovereign Base Areas, Akrotiri and Dhekelia (on Cyprus)
- The Turks & Caicos Islands
Level of funding
There is no specific minimum or maximum level for a Darwin Plus project or Darwin Plus Fellowship.
How projects/fellowships are selected
The Darwin Plus Advisory Group (DPAG) is made up of policy experts from UK Government Departments and external experts who have experience or knowledge of running biodiversity and environmental projects in UK Overseas Territories. There is a pool of potential reviewers that can be drawn on from within UK Government Departments depending on the nature of the proposed project and the policy expertise required to assess it.
Each application is reviewed by at least three members of the Darwin Plus Advisory Group (DPAG). It is scored against the criteria set out in the guidance documents. OT governments are also given the opportunity to rate the potential projects against their environmental priorities, although this does not affect the application score. All applications will be reviewed to produce a prioritised list of Darwin Plus projects and fellowships recommended for funding. Defra ministers approve the final list.
Darwin Plus Advisory Group membership
Professor Stephen Blackmore (Chair)
UK Government policy advisers from:
- Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)
- Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)
- Department for International Development (DFID)
Members of the Darwin Expert Committee with OT knowledge or experience:
- Mr Martin Brasher
- Mr Alistair Gammell
- Professor Brendan Godley
Other external advisers:
- Dr Colin Clubbe - Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
- Mrs Tara Pelembe – Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC)
- Mrs Kedell Worboys, MBE – UK Overseas Territories Association (UKOTA)
Darwin Plus Contact details
For questions about Darwin Plus policy, contact the Darwin Secretariat at the Department for Food and Rural Affairs. Email: darwin@defra.gsi.gov.uk
For queries about Darwin Plus project applications, contact the applications team. Email: darwin-applications@ltsi.co.uk
For queries relating to new and existing projects, contact the project administrators. Email: darwin-projects@ltsi.co.uk
Telephone: Eilidh Young on 0131 440 5181
For queries about project finance, contact the finance section. Email: darwin-finance@ltsi.co.uk
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Case Study
Before completing the application form, you might like to take a look at a case study showing an example of a successful Darwin Plus project.