Guidance

Darwin Plus: environment funding for the UK Overseas Territories

Darwin Plus: how to apply for project and fellowship funding

Published 22 May 2014
Last updated 1 August 2017 — see all updates
From:
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and Foreign & Commonwealth Office

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 need to apply online for Round 6 Darwin Plus projects through the Flexigrant Application Portal.

You should first read

You should then complete:

You should also read:

Darwin Plus Fellowships

You should first read the Darwin Plus Round 6: project guidance (PDF, 992KB, 28 pages)

You should then complete:

You should also read:

When to apply

You need to follow the timetable for Darwin Plus Round 6 set out below:

  • application process opens: Thursday 27 July 2017
  • deadline for receipt of applications: Tuesday 10 October 2017
  • expected outcome and notification of applicants: by end of January 2018
  • expected start date for successful projects: from 1 April 2018
  • expected start date for successful fellowships: May vary depending on the work proposed but not before 1 April 2018

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:

Level of funding

There is no specific minimum or maximum level for a Darwin Plus project or Darwin Plus Fellowship. The funding pot is however limited. Further information on the size of Darwin Plus awards can be found in the Darwin Plus Round 6: project guidance (PDF, 992KB, 28 pages) .

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 specific queries on applying through the Flexi-Grant applications, contact the Flexi-Grant support team. Email: Flexigrant@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

Darwin Initiative
LTS International
Pentlands Science Park
Bush Loan
Penicuik
EH26 0PL

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.

Published 22 May 2014
Last updated 1 August 2017 + show all updates
  1. Darwin Plus Fellowship application form updated.
  2. Published the Darwin Plus Flexi-Grant User Guide.
  3. Added information on how to apply for Darwin Plus environment funding for the UK Overseas Territories round 6.
  4. Alerting the public that Round 5 of Darwin Plus is now open and inviting applications for Darwin Plus projects and Darwin Plus Fellowships.
  5. Page updated to confirm that Darwin Plus Round 4 is now closed and Round 5 will be launched in Summer 2016
  6. Confirming the closing date for this year's Darwin Plus applications and adding the list of Darwin Plus Advisory Group members.
  7. The application period is now open for Round 4 of the Overseas Territories Environment and Climate Fund (also known as Darwin Plus).
  8. The 2015 application window for Darwin Plus is not yet open. Previous applicants and interested parties will be alerted by e-mail. Please contact Darwin-applications@LTSI.co.uk to be added to the Darwin mailing list.
  9. Please note that the 2014 application period for Darwin Plus projects is NOW CLOSED (from 4 August 2014).
  10. updated guidance notes
  11. First published.
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