What We Fund

 

What We Fund

The Global EbA Fund is a catalytic funding mechanism that supports projects that aim to create enabling environments for the uptake and mainstreaming of Ecosystem-based Adaptation to climate change. 

All proposed projects requesting funding must clearly contribute to one of the Global EbA Fund Strategic Objectives as well as fall under a maximum of two of the three action pillars.

Projects must not focus primarily on field implementation in the scope of the proposal. Field interventions are allowed if clearly justified. 

Overall, while the Fund’s strategic objectives define the overarching aim and direction for the projects – the “What” – the action pillars focus on “How” these can be reached within the scope of the Fund. 

Eligibility Checklist

Only project concepts that meet the following criteria will be considered for review:

1. Does my project qualify as “Ecosystem-based Adaptation“?

(Please ensure your project ultimately aligns with Friends of EBA EbA Qualification Criteria & Quality Standards).

2. Does my project have catalytic and innovative potential to create enabling environments for EbA?

3. Does my project clearly identify the climate impacts it is aiming to address and clearly describe how they will be addressed?

4. Does my project fall under a maximum of 1 Strategic Objective and a maximum of 2 Action Pillars of the Global EbA Fund?

5. Is my project Global, Thematic, or otherwise target only ODA-eligible countries?

6. Is my project between USD $50,000 and USD $250,000? If it is up to USD $500,000, can I provide adequate justification?

7. Is my project 24 months or less? If my project is between 24 and 36 months, can I provide adequate justification?

8. Does my project add value to or upscale existing work?

9. Does my project clearly demonstrate how results will be maintained and developed after the funding period?

10. Does my project partner with local institutions or organisations?​

11. Are the lead applicant and partner organisations well-grounded in the proposed area(s) of work, have previous similar experience, and are inclusive of local communities, Indigenous Knowledge, and gender perspectives?​

12. Are the lead applicant and partner organisations legally recognised entities?​

13. Does the lead applicant comply with the Due Diligence requirements of the Global EbA Fund?

Before developing your proposal, we strongly advise applicants to go through the Grant Procedures Manual.

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated according to the following criteria and weighting:

Project Approach
Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) The degree to which the project takes an EbA approach & explicitly details how this will reduce the vulnerability or enhance the resilience of human communities to climate change impacts. This includes clearly identifying & defining the main climate impacts to be reduced with an enabling framework that will target these risks.                30% 
Design and MethodologyThe project’s Theory of Change clearly shows a results chain that is logical and coherent to create an enabling framework for the reduction of identified climate risks.   The activities and timeline are appropriate and feasible for the proposed intervention.  The project follows a coherent logical framework with SMART indicators that are relevant to the specific outputs of the project and linked to appropriate data sources and reporting intervals.  The estimated budget for the project has a coherent relation with the project activities and timeline.
Gender & Social InclusionThe degree to which the project meaningfully involves diverse stakeholders (including women, youth, Indigenous Peoples & other marginalised groups), taking a participatory & inclusive approach to stakeholder involvement. This includes incorporating gender-disaggregated data where available & draws on the best available science & use of local, indigenous and/or traditional knowledge, as relevant. If the project will impact Indigenous Peoples, FPIC will be upheld. The project’s target groups and beneficiaries are detailed and clearly identified in the context of the identified risks
Innovative & Catalytic Contribution
The degree to which the project has innovative potential, in that the methods are yet to be tested in a different context or are yet to be proven. They can take the shape of an approach, a process, a practical tool, or an application. This includes the degree to which the project has catalytic potential by focusing on a targeted intervention/s that lead/s to a transformative shift at a systemic level at either global, regional, national, or sub-national scale (e.g. by working on policy/policy instruments; addressing a knowledge or capacity gap; developing financing mechanisms; shifting business models across value chains; addressing governance challenges, etc.).   30%
Sustainability
The degree to which the project has a clear approach for ensuring the sustainability of project activities beyond the project lifecycle – the project has an exit plan.  This includes promoting replication and/or upscaling of activities & outcomes. The project should clearly describe and evidence linkages to national, sub-national, regional and/or global policies & strategies, like NDCs & NAPS. The project should also clearly show synergies with other activities or projects within the geographic scope/target countries.    20%
Institutional Arrangements
The degree to which the applicant organisation has an established & appropriate structure, with sufficient financial capacity & internal controls already used in previous projects. This includes dedicated staff that have the technical capacity to implement project activities in addition to the applicant organisation and/or project consortia organisations demonstrating previous experience in implementing projects of similar scope & topic.    20%

Header Image: © UNEP, Image 2: Emily Goodwin, Image 3: Alex Diaz, Footer Image: © UNEP

Applicants should consider whether the project fulfils these requirements and whether they have the capacity to offer and implement projects of this nature.

For full details, please refer to the Global EbA Fund Grant Procedures Manual.

See more about How to Apply.

Join our newsletter!