The Darwin Initiative is a UK government grants scheme that helps protect biodiversity, the natural environment and the local communities that live alongside it in developing countries.
Most projects will include one or more of:
- building environmental knowledge
- capacity building
- research
- implementing international biodiversity agreements
Since 1992, the Darwin Initiative has awarded over £164m to more than 1,143 projects across 159 countries.
About the Grant
Round 29 of the Darwin Initiative include the following schemes:
Darwin Initiative Main – Darwin Initiative Main grants, ranging from £100,000 to £600,000, are expected to deliver strong results for biodiversity conservation and poverty reduction based on good evidence, and strongly demonstrate to potential to scale.
Scoring criteria: Technical, Biodiversity, and Poverty Reduction
Innovation: Given the need for proposal to be based on a good evidence base, the level of innovation is not expected to be high, but the proposal should contain important innovative elements.
Evidence: available evidence is expected to be good, stronger than that required for Innovation grants, and can include building on the successes and lessons learnt from elsewhere including previous projects (whether by the applicants or others).
Scaling: In addition to presenting evidence of how the approach will deliver outputs within the project lifespan, the project should articulate any evidence to support its ambition and vision to scale their approach.
Capability and capacity building activities should form a core role within the approach, to underpin the legacy of the grant; this can include Fellowships.
Darwin Initiative Extra – Darwin Initiative Extra grants, ranging from £600,000 to £5m, are intended for approaches that are on a clear scaling pathway: building on good evidence from smaller projects to demonstrating the potential to scale further by completion, delivering strong results for biodiversity conservation and poverty reduction. This can be through landscape or replication scaling, or through delivering systems change which will have sustained impact beyond the project’s original scale. We expect these projects to be supported by strong evidence.
Scoring criteria: Technical, Biodiversity, Poverty Reduction, and Scaling
Innovation: Given the need for confidence in delivering results at the larger scale, supported by strong evidence, the level of innovation is not expected to be high, but the proposal should contain innovative elements.
Evidence: Projects will be expected to provide clear and strong evidence (see 2.4) on expected results and the potential to scale; with a corresponding higher ambition, significance of outputs and quality of proposal to match the scale of finance and opportunity.
Scaling: Scaling of the approach should be embedded within the project approach and should be expected to be initiated within the period of the grant.
Capability and capacity building activities should form a core role within the approach, to underpin the legacy of the grant, this can include Fellowship.
Active Darwin Initiative Main projects are able to apply prior to completion in order to allow, if successful, a scaling of activities under Darwin Initiative Extra. Applicants should provide clarity and distinct timings, activities and outputs between related projects in making the case for new additional support, preventing any duplication (perceived or real) or negatively impacting the value for money assessment of either grant.
How to Apply
Darwin Initiative Main
There is a two-stage application process for Darwin Initiative Main projects.
The timetable for Round 29 is:
- Call for Stage 1 applications: Sunday 22 May 2022
- Deadline for Stage 1 applications: Monday 25 July 2022
- Expected outcome of Stage 1 and notifications of applicants invited to Stage 2: late October 2022
- Deadline for Stage 2 applications (by invitation only): Monday 12 December 2022
- Expected notification of successful projects: at the end of February 2023 at the earliest
- Expected start date for successful projects: April 2023
Darwin Initiative Extra
The timetable for Round 29 is:
- Call for applications: Sunday 22 May 2022
- Deadline for applications: Monday 3 October 2022
- Shortlisted applicants will be invited to provide clarifications from: Friday 9 December – Friday 6 January 2023
- Shortlisted applications will be invited to interview (remote): Monday 16 – Friday 27 January 2023
- Expected notification of successful project: at the end of February 2023 at the earliest
- Expected start date for successful projects: April 2023
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