The Hifadhi Blu Programme—a collaborative initiative by WIOMSA, Advanced Conservation Strategies (ACS), WIOMPAN, and the Minderoo Foundation—announces a new funding opportunity through a call for concept notes. This initiative aims to enhance marine conservation management and improve the effectiveness of Marine Conservation Area (MCA) management in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region.
The Western Indian Ocean Marine Protected Area Outlook has identified several challenges affecting the effectiveness of marine conservation management:
- Insufficient organizational capacity, technical expertise, and financial resources.
- Fragmented site management approaches lacking clear goals, leading to unmet conservation objectives.
- Limited access to critical resources such as monitoring tools, vessels, and essential supplies.
- Shortages of skilled personnel and inadequate training opportunities.
- Challenges in aligning enforcement, monitoring, and community needs.
- Conflicting priorities between partners and local communities.
- Limited collaboration platforms and a lack of shared stakeholder vision.
- Outdated management plans, weak implementation of plans, and lack of legal recognition for some conservation areas.
The Hifadhi Blu Programme invites marine conservation organizations to submit concept notes that address these challenges and improve MCA management in the WIO region.
Who Can Apply?
Eligible applicants for this funding opportunity include marine conservation organizations or entities operating in WIO countries. These can be local and national non-profits, community conservation groups, government agencies, private entities managing marine conservation, or research organizations involved in MCA management. Eligible Marine Conservation Areas include Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), Co-Managed Areas (CMAs), and Community Managed Areas (CMAs).
Applications are not open to large international non-governmental organizations (BINGOs), but they may participate as co-funding partners if their role is defined and clear.
How to Submit Your Application
Concept notes should be prepared in English, French, or Portuguese and submitted through the WIOMSA Proposal Central platform. Applicants must first register their organizations, which can take up to one week for validation, so early registration is recommended. To register, please visit the Proposal Central Registration page. Once registered, applicants can submit their concept notes via the Submit Concept Note link provided on the platform.
Submission Deadline
The deadline for submitting concept notes is 11:59 PM EAT on January 31, 2025. We encourage all interested organizations to work on their submissions ahead of the deadline to avoid any last-minute issues.
Introductory Webinar
To assist potential applicants, an introductory webinar will be held on January 17, 2025, at 1100 HRS EAT. This session will provide insights into the funding opportunity and address any questions regarding the application process. Interested participants can sign up for the webinar through the provided registration link.
For further inquiries regarding the submission process, please contact the program team at secretary@wiomsa.org or deidre@wiomsa.org, and use the subject line “Hifadhi Blu” in all correspondence.
Access the full call for concept notes.
