Biodiversity Strand

Background: why the Biodiversity strand?

The Biodiversity Strand builds on the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation’s long-standing interest in the natural environment and complements other UK funding opportunities for biodiversity.

The Strand has a specific focus. The Foundation also has a broader interest in nature conservation, natural history and wider environmental issues. These applications should be made to our Main Fund.

The Strand has been running since January 2008, with its first phase concentrating on partnerships to achieve practical conservation outcomes, particularly in relation to urban projects. This phase has now been replaced by a habitat-based approach towards conservation as detailed below.

Purpose: What is the Biodiversity strand aiming to achieve?

The Biodiversity Strand aims to help develop a greater knowledge and understanding of certain habitats and their associated species leading to practical conservation outcomes. Where the case is exceptional, we can consider funding projects outside these habitats, but we do expect the majority of our support to focus on these habitats.

Available funding

• Running until December 2010, the budget is £3 million over three years, subject to annual review.
• We are open to a range of grant amount requests, with the emphasis being on explaining the need for the size of grant and its planned use. Under the first phase, grants ranged from £17,000 to £195,000.

What are we looking to fund under the Biodiversity strand?

We will focus on increasing the knowledge base and testing out ideas for the future conservation of the habitats listed below. We will consider applications from research organisations, practical conservation charities and voluntary nature societies. Whilst we expect, and would like to see, a partnership approach for projects, we will accept applications from a single organisation.

Priority will be given to proposals that include the following criteria as their focus:

• Habitats that exist on the margins between land and sea water – tidal areas, lagoons, channels, estuaries, dunes, coastal cliffs.
• Freshwater wetland habitats – fens, flushes, floodplains, swamps, and bogs with their associated pools and ditches.
• Groups of species within these habitats that may be considered uncharismatic by the general public but are of particular conservation interest.
• Projects that incorporate field research, primary data collection, and improve identification skills.
• Work on multiple sites, or across major landscape features.
• Work that has a legacy through wider policy impacts or building towards future funding opportunities from other sources.
  

• A clear rationale underpinning the project
• Priority actions identified and set out
• The feasibility of the project is clear and well explained
• Clear budgets that represent good value
• Good knowledge of this habitat / species and how the proposal builds on that.
  

What is generally excluded from support?

• Work in areas outside these habitats
• Research where there is no practical conservation outcome
• Work on sites where there is a statutory obligation for protection, such as SSSIs (these will only be funded in exceptional circumstances)
• Work listed under the Main Fund exclusions will not be funded under this strand.

Application process

1. Applicants should complete a First Stage Application, clearly marked "Application to the Biodiversity Strand" at the top of each page, comprising:

a) a form. Download an electronic version of the form (Word 48k).

b) a short statement summarising what you would like to do and why on no more than two sides of A4, using a font no smaller than 12-point. Please use the following headings:

• A brief description of your organisation and its track record
• What you would like us to fund
• Why you want to do this work
• How the project meets the criteria of the Biodiversity Strand
• How much the project would cost and how much you are asking Esmée Fairbairn Foundation for
• Additional information that could advance your application.

c) a copy of your organisation's most recent accounts (or a budget for the current year if your organisation is new, or the appropriate departmental budget if you are a local authority).

d) your organisation's constitution (if you are not a registered charity, with the exception of local authorities).

2. We will usually make a decision on first stage applications within 4-6 weeks of receipt. We may ask for a peer review, or other expert advice at any time during the assessment. If you are uncomfortable with this, contact us by phone: 0207 812 3700.

3. Following on from first stage assessment we will then contact you to let you know whether you are invited to proceed to the second stage of the application process. If you are successful we will let you know what additional information we need for the second stage application and by when.

September 2009

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