Reversing Environmental Degradation in Africa and Asia (REDAA)

Closed: the FCDO invited concept notes by 31 July 2023 for projects in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia that are interdisciplinary, locally-led, and focused on solutions for ecosystem restoration.

This call for concept notes closed on 31 July 2023.

Overview

REDAA catalyses research, innovation and action in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia, through a series of competitive grant calls, provision of technical support and development of a community of practice.

REDAA grants could be focused on improving evidence, using new tools or strengthening governance systems to support actions that are nature positive, strengthen local livelihoods and tackle the impacts of climate change.

During the first funding round (opened 14 June 2023), project grants of between £200,000 and £500,000 will be available for initiatives lasting 2 to 4 years. Refer to the REDAA website for more details.

What the fund will achieve

Types of initiative

REDAA will fund projects in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia that are interdisciplinary, locally led, and focused on solutions for ecosystem restoration, enabling people and nature to thrive together in times of climate, resource and fiscal insecurity.
Refer to the REDAA website for more details and how to apply.

REDAA will support locally-led initiatives (organisations with effective systems supporting Indigenous Peoples and local communities’ work) to improve their evidence, tools, civic space and governance powers.

All REDAA-supported initiatives should demonstrate how they positively address integrated action for nature and climate, and gender equality and social inclusion. Each of them should focus on one or more of the thematic priorities.

Such locally-led initiatives will be designed to achieve objectives specific to the context in which the non-profit organisations leading them operate. They will address one or more of the following thematic priorities:

  1. Local research and capability for research
  2. Resource and land use assessments
  3. Business models
  4. Financing mechanisms
  5. Inclusive governance systems

Countries, landscapes and ecosystems

The REDAA programme will support initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia. See REDAA Strategy for a full list of eligible countries. Initiatives might operate in more than one country, including initiatives that seek to tackle transboundary drivers of environmental degradation.

REDAA encourages action in certain ecologies and landscape types (see REDAA Strategy) to protect, conserve, restore and/or manage sustainably terrestrial, freshwater and coastal ecosystems.

But REDAA does not prescribe a list of specific landscapes in which it aims to support initiatives. Rather it encourages potential grantees to demonstrate in their proposals the rationale for their choice of location and scale of their operation.

Organisations

Lead organisations of REDAA-supported initiatives will be non-profit organisations which may subcontract other eligible partners. The majority of lead organisations will be based in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia.

A minority of lead organisations, based outside of these regions, may be selected for REDAA support where they demonstrate strong partnerships with locally-led organisations.

Refer to the REDAA website for more details on eligibility.

How to apply

Call 1 (Project Grants) involves a 2-stage application process:

  • for stage 1 applications, the lead applicant must complete and submit a concept note application form using the online IIED Grants portal by 31 July 2023, 23:59 British Summer Time (UTC+1).

  • successful applicants will be invited to submit a Stage 2 full proposal form from September 2023

Background

The REDAA programme is implementing its strategy prepared during a scoping and set-up period begun in late 2021.

The strategy draws on thematic scoping studies, analyses of potential priorities led by in-region organisations, results of online surveys of in-region views on those potential priorities and co-design work done in in-person workshops held with experts from institutions in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia.

Refer to the REDAA website for more details.

Contacts

Fund manager: International Institute for Environment & Development (IIED).

Email: enquiries@redaa.org Website: www.redaa.org

FCDO contacts: jonathan.hassall@fcdo.gov.uk and zoi.andrew@fcdo.gov.uk

Published 14 June 2023
Last updated 16 June 2023 + show all updates
  1. List of eligible countries corrected.

  2. First published.