Detailed guide: Darwin Plus: environment funding for the UK Overseas Territories

What funding is available

Darwin Plus (also known as The Overseas Territories Environment and Climate Fund) provides funding for:

• environmental projects in UK Overseas Territories
• fellowships for UK Overseas Territories (OT) Nationals to increase their knowledge and ability to meet long-term strategic outcomes for the natural environment in UK Overseas Territories

How to apply

You need to apply online for Round 7 Darwin Plus projects and fellowships through the Flexigrant Application Portal.

Before applying, you should first read:

• 
  Darwin Plus Round 7: project guidance
  (PDF, 646KB, 30 pages)
  

• Finance for Darwin and IWT

• 
  Darwin Plus Flexi-Grant User Guide
  (PDF, 236KB, 7 pages)
  

• Privacy policy

Darwin Plus projects

Once you have read the guidance, complete the Darwin Plus Round 7 application form on the Flexigrant application portal.

For drafting purposes, you may find the
Darwin Plus Round 7: Darwin Plus Projects application form (for drafting only)
(MS Word Document, 337KB)

useful.

You will also need to complete and upload:

• the relevant budget form:
  Darwin Plus Round 7: budget form (grants under £100,000)
  (MS Excel Spreadsheet, 58KB)
  
  or
  Darwin Plus Round 7: budget form (grants over £100,000)
  (MS Excel Spreadsheet, 122KB)
  

• the
  Darwin Plus Round 7: Darwin Plus projects implementation timetable
  (MS Excel Spreadsheet, 37.5KB)
  

Darwin Plus fellowships

Once you have read the guidance, complete the Darwin Plus Round 7 Fellowship application form on the Flexigrant application portal.

For drafting purposes, you may find the
Darwin Plus Round 7: Darwin Plus Fellowship application form
(MS Word Document, 248KB)

useful.

You will also need to complete and upload:

• 
  Darwin Plus Round 7: Darwin Plus Fellowship budget
  (MS Excel Spreadsheet, 72KB)
  

• 
  Darwin Plus Round 7: Darwin Plus Fellowship implementation timetable
  (MS Excel Spreadsheet, 37.5KB)
  

When to apply

Applications closed on 3 September 2018. We expect to notify successful applicants by mid-November. Successful projects will start from April 2019.

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. The funding pot is however limited. Further information on the size of Darwin Plus awards can be found in the
Darwin Plus Round 7: project guidance
(PDF, 646KB, 30 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. The group assesses all applications to the fund and will 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 with OT knowledge or experience:

• Martin Brasher
• Jonathan Hall
• John R Turner
• Professor Brendan Godley

Other external advisers:

• Martin Collins – Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science
• Dr Colin Clubbe – Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
• Tony Weighell – Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC)

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

Case study

Before completing the application form, you might like to take a look at these case studies showing examples of successful Darwin Plus projects:

• Bermuda invasive lionfish initiative
• Penguins in the Southern Ocean