Global EbA Fund opens first call

With this new funding opportunity, IKI is now supporting the scaling up ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) across the world.

The Global EbA Fund has opened its first Call for Proposals. Led by IUCN and UNEP, the Global EbA Fund is a quickly deployable mechanism for supporting innovative approaches to EbA. The Fund aims to encourage catalytic initiatives to help overcome barriers for upscaling EbA. Through International Climate Initiative (IKI), the Federal Environment Ministry of Germany has committed 20 million euros to the Fund.

The Global EbA Fund prioritizes the closing of resource and knowledge gaps with a broad thematic focus on innovation and urgency, thus encouraging creative solutions and partnerships among funding applicants and the wider EbA community. By supporting catalytic interventions, the Fund engages in strategic EbA policy mainstreaming, and incentivises innovative finance mechanisms and private sector investment.

The Global EbA Fund will draw on and support the growing momentum behind nature-based solutions and EbA, creating synergies with other upscaling initiatives, including the Friends of EbA (FEBA), the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, the Global Adaptation Network (GAN), the Global Commission on Adaptation (GCA; specifically, Action Track on Nature-Based Solutions), the Sustainable Development Goals and more. 

Who can apply?

The Global EbA Fund grants should be complementary and add value to existing work by filling a gap in an existing project, enhancing the impact of an EbA investment, contributing to policy upscaling of EbA, and/or serving to develop a larger proposal to another funding mechanism.

The Fund prioritizes applicants that are well-grounded in the proposed region or area of work; have experience of the size and type of project proposed; and are inclusive of local communities, indigenous knowledge and gender perspectives.

This first Call for Proposals will be contributions of USD 50,000 to USD 250,000 and will have no specified/prioritized regional or country focus. The maximum project duration is 36 months. UNEP and IUCN offices are not currently eligible to apply for funding from the Global EbA Fund

In line with current IKI policies, the Fund will not provide grants directly to government partners but to organisations working directly with national, sub-national and local governments to create an enabling environment for EbA and the implementation of strategic partnerships.