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Resource Mobilization Newsletter

June – July 2022

IN THIS EDITION
  • RMU holds second quarterly review
  • RMU meets IKI and FSC
  • Norway government to curtail donor spending
The current global trends and trajectories of increasing water use, deforestation, land degradation, soil erosion, atmospheric pollution, and climate change need to be promptly halted and reversed to increase the chances of remaining in Earth’s safe operating space.
- Dieter Gerten, Earth modeling coordinator at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
Feature photo
Young seed collector in Hawassa Ethiopia cleans seeds of Delonix Regia. Photo by Cathy Watson CIFOR/ICRAF.
This striking photograph is the cover of a report authored by Innovative Partnerships on the results of the BMZ grant that supported the merger of CIFOR and ICRAF. The report shows how the two organizations achieved what they set out to do - and more. Today, not only is CIFOR-ICRAF a single institution both functionally and organizationally, it has also spawned global initiatives, like Resilient Landscapes, which give us hope that we can avert the interconnected global crises fueled by deforestation and biodiversity loss, climate change, dysfunctional food systems, unsustainable supply and value chains, and inequality. Our way forward is to use robust scientific evidence and partnerships.

Download, read and share the report here!

RM announcements and activities
On 4th July, a team comprising CIFOR-ICRAF, International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), and Centre for Tropical Marine Ecology (ZMT) representatives led by Daniel Murdiyarso presented its final report for the establishment of the World Mangrove Center’s Project Executing Agency in Indonesia. RMU provided support on resource mobilization in the financial sustainability docket of the report.

On 19th July, RMU met with representatives from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) fundraising team to strengthen CIFOR-ICRAF and FSC collaboration. The meeting was part of a series of discussions between CIFOR-ICRAF and FSC in June and July, which involved Robert Nasi, Andrew Wardell, Michael Brady and Sonya Dewi, and included a visit from FSC’s Director General Kim Carstensen to the CIFOR-ICRAF headquarters in Bogor.

In both June and July, RMU engaged in a series of meetings with IKI –SAGU implementing partners (UNEP, GEC, SNV, KEMITRAAN, ITCP, Wetlands International) led by Michael Brady. CIFOR-ICRAF and implementing partners have received a go-ahead for implementation of field visits in Indonesia and will proceed with implementation of the EUR 900,000 preparation phase. The new deadline for the implementation of the project will be 31st October.

RM also held its second quarterly review in July to assess our progress on 2022 workplan goals and KPIs. We have made good progress throughout the year in our core areas of work and also look forward to publishing several important institutional documents in the near future.

Donor highlights and news
Norway government may curtail donor spending – Norwegian researchers are facing dramatic budget cuts after the government took control of its research funding agency board and announced it is reducing its spending. The government, having fired the entire board of the Norwegian Research Council and replaced it with a temporary one, announced it as being due to “a serious financial situation”. Further information here.
World Bank approves program to address escalating food insecurity in Eastern and Southern Africa – The World Bank Group has approved a $2.3 billion program to help countries in Eastern and Southern Africa increase the resilience of the region’s food systems and ability to tackle growing food insecurity. The program will enhance inter-agency food crisis response strategies—including strengthening early warning systems and rapid response planning, emergency support to producers, emergency trade measures and emergency food reserves. Further information here.
Rwanda to host 2022 World Circular Economy Forum – the forum, scheduled for 6-8 December, will present some of the world’s best circular economy solutions as well as examine how businesses from Africa and elsewhere can seize new opportunities and gain a competitive advantage in the transition to low-carbon and climate-resilient economies. Further information here.
USAID provides $105 million for urgent humanitarian assistance in Horn of Africa – In response to the historic drought threatening millions of lives in the Horn of Africa, USAID is providing nearly $105 million in critical humanitarian aid to bring immediate relief to the most vulnerable people. The funding will enable USAID to provide lifesaving food assistance, support for health and nutrition services, and access to clean water. More here.
EU step up support to African, Caribbean and Pacific countries in response to Ukraine crisis – The European Commission has adopted a proposal to mobilise €600 million from the reserves of the European Development Fund to address food security challenges aggravated by the Ukraine crisis. The funds will support African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries to cope with food insecurity through humanitarian assistance (€150 million), sustainable production and resilience of food systems (€350 million) and macro-economic support (€100 million). Further information here.
Funder in focus - The World Bank

Each issue of the RM newsletter will include a focus section on one funder, highlighting recent news, key policies, strategies and other must-know information. If you have suggestions on particular funders or information you would like to see highlighted in this section, please contact RMU.

The World Bank Group (WBG) is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects.

The Bank is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries and comprises 189 member states. It is composed of five institutions: The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), The International Development Association (IDA), The International Finance Corporation (IFC), The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) and The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID).

The World Bank is an important institutional donor. Below are some of WB’s key strategies and resources to be aware of.

Environmental and Social Framework
The World Bank’s Environmental and Social Framework (ESF) became effective on October 1, 2018 and applies to all Investment Policy Financing (IPF) projects initiated after this date. It makes important advances in areas such as labor, non-discrimination, climate change mitigation and adaptation, biodiversity, community health and safety, and stakeholder engagement – including expanding the role of public participation and grievance mechanisms. The ESF uses a risk-based approach that applies increased oversight and resources to complex projects and promotes increased responsiveness to changes in project circumstances through adaptive risk management and stakeholder engagement.

The ESF enables Borrowers to better manage project risks as well as improve environmental and social performance, consistent with good international practices. It has provided scope for Borrowers to be innovative and has helped prompt dialogue on specific E&S risks relevant to their own national development agendas.

Safeguarding Policies
The current environmental and social policies of the Bank are known as the "Safeguard Policies," the mechanism for addressing environmental and social issues in project design, implementation and operation, and they provide a framework for consultation with communities and for public disclosure. Examples of these requirements include conducting environmental and social impact assessments, consulting with affected communities about potential project impacts, and restoring the livelihoods of displaced people.

Operations Manual
The Operations Manual contains the operational policies, directives, procedures and other instructions to staff that apply to Bank operations. The Manual is organized according to instrument – country engagement, development policy financing, investment project financing, program-for-results financing, and advisory services and analytics (including reimbursable advisory services).

  • Program-for-results financing: Program-for-Results Financing aims to promote sustainable development and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of expenditures by:
  1. financing the expenditures of specific development Programs;
  2. disbursing on the basis of the achievement of key results (including prior results) under such Programs;
  3. using and, as appropriate, strengthening the Program Systems to provide assurance that Program funds are used appropriately and that environmental and social impacts are adequately addressed by such Programs; and
  4. strengthening, where appropriate, the institutional capacity necessary for such Programs to achieve their intended results.
  • Country engagement: The Country Partnership Framework (CPF) process involves a dialogue with country authorities, as well as citizens and other stakeholders, about the country’s development program. The CPF articulates a results-based engagement, centered on a results framework, that lays out the objectives that the WBG activities are expected to help the country achieve, and links those objectives to the country’s development goals. The CPF objectives are derived from those country development goals that reflect the WBG’s comparative advantage and are aligned with the goals of ending extreme poverty and increasing shared prosperity in a sustainable manner. The CPF indicates the expected lending volume, as well as possible instruments of engagement.

RMU identifies competitive funding opportunities with the World Bank Group through their procurement portal. Majority are smaller in size. The Bank typically works through two-stage competitive bids, starting with an Expression of Interest followed by a full proposal submission from shortlisted firms. Turnaround times for submissions are short, typically ranging from 2 weeks to 1 month.

New Update: IFC to restructure, cut posts, localize decision-making
According to an internal mail obtained by Devex, The International Finance Corporation plans to make structural and process changes to “bring decision-making closer to clients and markets”. The changes include:

  • IFC will simplify its approval procedures so that most projects are approved at the local level, with only the riskiest going to corporate.
  • There will be no more senior directors, and the role of senior vice president of operations will disappear as Stephanie von Friedeburg leaves the World Bank Group after nearly three decades. There will be a newly created Vice Presidency Unit for Industries, and IFC’s debt and equity mobilization work will be combined into a Treasury and Mobilization Vice Presidency. All 11 vice presidents will report to Diop.
  • IFC will put more resources into its upstream work. It will also accelerate the incorporation of its upstream and advisory work, merging these teams at the regional level and making changes at headquarters as well.
Ask RM
Q: I am interested in applying for a call under the EU HORIZON programme. Are CIFOR and ICRAF eligible?

A: The short answer is that ICRAF and CIFOR, as international organizations, are not automatically eligible for funding under EU HORIZON. While RM does not publish Horizon calls for this reason, if you are invited to participate in a proposal and have explained the eligibility risks to the consortium, RM is happy to support the submission. There have been three cases so far of successful partnerships under this programme, so it is possible to receive funding. The cases range from EUR 150,000-300,000 and are still under negotiation, so yet to be signed. We have been successful as partners in these calls.

A longer explanation of our eligibility under EU HORIZON calls follows:

As international organizations neither CIFOR nor ICRAF are automatically eligible for funding under Horizon calls. We are able to participate but in order to receive funds we need to be considered ‘essential’ by the evaluation committee, meaning “outstanding competence/expertise, access to particular research infrastructures, access to particular geographical environments, access to particular data”.

ICRAF has had issues over the EU’s misinterpretation of our legal status resulting in rejected proposals, and as a result requested guidance from the EU Ombudsman in 2019. Their response confirmed that we are to be interpreted as an international organization going forward. They used our PADOR registration which includes our charter to determine that we are not considered an organization established in/from Kenya. The same logic applies for CIFOR. With this in mind we have checked the programme guide for Horizon in detail:

  1. Horizon calls first refer to the conditions set forth in general annex B and state “International organisations with headquarters in a Member State or associated country are exceptionally eligible for funding.” We do not fit with this condition, and they do not mention ‘other international organizations’ here. (individual calls checked on a case by case basis for any exceptions)
  2. General annex B states “International organisations — International European research organisations are eligible to receive funding. Unless their participation is considered essential for implementing the action by the granting authority, other international organisations are not eligible to receive funding. International organisations with headquarters in a Member State or Associated Country are eligible to receive funding for ‘Training and mobility’ actions and when provided for in the specific call conditions.”
  3. As ICRAF and CIFOR are international organizations not established in a member state or associated country, the following guidance from the Horizon Programme guide (page 15) applies: “In all other cases, international organisations are not automatically eligible for funding from Horizon Europe, and they may exceptionally receive funding only if: 1. they are identified in the relevant Horizon Europe work programme as being eligible for funding or 2. the granting authority considers that their participation is deemed essential for implementing the action, for example in view of their: outstanding competence/expertise, access to particular research infrastructures, access to particular geographical environments, access to particular data.
RM Funds
As the ‘RM Fund’ has been revived for 2022, all CIFOR-ICRAF scientists are able to apply for RM funds support in line with the new merged guidelines and process. Please familiarize yourself with the RM Fund guidelines (insert Application template link) and associated forms (insert Report template link) before requesting funds.

During the June-July 2022 period, we have not made any more RM allocations yet. So far in 2022, 4 allocations have been made worth USD 17,850, and USD 57,150 remains for the year. We welcome Scientists to apply for this fund as need arises through 2022.

RM will report on the use of RM funds via the newsletter throughout the year.

In the pipeline
The CIFOR-ICRAF combined active pipeline has 144 submissions at a USD value of 355 M. Split by probability, the combined active pipeline has 49 submissions at low probability with a USD value of 97.6M, 49 submissions at medium-low probability with a USD value of 161.7M, 13 submissions at medium-high probability with a USD value of 15.5M, and 33 submissions listed at high probability with a USD value of 80.7M. By stage, the combined pipeline has 22 submissions at Stage 1 with a USD value of 22.5M, 16 submissions at Stage 2 with a USD value of 42M, 12 submissions at Stage 3 with a USD value of 123.8M, 13 submissions at Stage 4 with a USD value of 17M, 45 submissions at Stage 5 with a USD value of 42M, and 36 submissions at Stage 6 with a USD value of 107.4M.
As of July 15, the current 2022 combined active submissions pipeline contains 54 submissions at a USD value of 45.6 M. The breakdown is 14 submissions at low probability with a USD value of 4.2M, 20 submissions at medium-low probability with a USD value of 10.3M, 5 submissions at medium-high probability with a USD value of 6.6M, and 15 submissions at high probability with a USD value of 24M. Additionally, in 2022 so far, 62 submissions have been declined by the donor for a USD value of 53M and 33 new grant agreements have been signed at a USD value of 17.9M.
Open Funding Opportunities
Darwin Initiative Extra

Darwin Initiative Extra is a continuation under Round 29 it is 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. projects are expected to be supported by strong evidence. We are eligible to lead or partner.

Budget: GBP 600,000- 5,000,000, Duration: 5 years
Deadline: 3-October-2022

More info
Wider Caribbean Sea

This Call for Proposals is part of a continuing series of such Calls by Blue Action providing individual grants to NGOs for conservation projects in developing countries that have the following dual focus: a) Newly established, expanded or better managed marine protected areas (MPAs) that result in conservation of biodiversity, and b) Enhanced livelihood conditions and food security. Eligible applicants are NGOs with experience in marine conservation and sustainable livelihood development. NGOs must have experience in implementing projects of similar size, environmental and social management system capacity, and their reporting and financial management systems must be compliant with internationally recognized standards.

Budget: EUR 2,000,000-5,000,000, Duration: 5 years
Deadline: 20-November- 2022

More info
Biodiverse Landscapes Fund: Lower Mekong Delta

The UK’s £100 million Biodiverse Landscapes Fund (BLF) will help biodiverse landscapes around the world to: protect and restore biodiversity, reduce poverty and reduce the impact of climate change. Multilateral and non-governmental organizations are eligible. The BLF will run from 2022 to 2029, funding programmes in six biodiverse landscapes covering 18 countries. Applications for the Lower Mekong will be accepted from 11 July to 19 September 2022.

Budget: GBP 12.3M, Duration: 7 years
Deadline: 19-September- 2022

More info
Smaller Opportunities & Heads-Up!
IUFRO Short Scientific Visit Grant 2022 – Opportunity for female scientists
The International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) offers grants of up to EUR 5 000 for female early career scientists in Africa, Asia and Latin America affiliated with IUFRO organisations to visit a forest research organisation overseas. Applicants must be scientists who have completed their MSc or higher degree in forestry or related fields, are 35 years old or younger, and who are locally affiliated with an institution of research and higher learning in their respective home country. The application deadline is 31 August 2022.
More info
African Plant Nutrition Institute Plant Nutrition Outreach Fellowship – Call for Applications
The African Plant Nutrition Institute (APNI) awards US$5,000 to African scientists to support education, training, and communication programs relevant to improving the efficiency of plant nutrients in African agro-ecosystems. Projects must focus on implementation of appropriate soil fertility management in agricultural systems. Eligibility extends to scientists, extension specialists or educators working at an African university, nonprofit organization, or in the private sector. Application must be completed by 31 August 2022.
More info
Agropolis Fondation International Mobility – Call for Applications
The Agropolis Foundation exchange program is designed to generate proposals addressing agriculture and climate change, the sustainable use of biodiversity within an agricultural context, and responsible production and consumption. The lead proponent should be from one of the research units belonging to the Fondation’s scientific network. A maximum of €30 thousand can be requested per applicant. The application deadline is 15 September 2022.
More info
Allianz Climate Risk Award – Opportunity for young scientists
The Allianz Climate Risk Award acknowledges and rewards young scientists whose works shed light on the nexus between climate change and extreme weather events. PhD students from around the world in the final stage of their research and postdoctoral researchers whose research focuses on reducing the risk of extreme weather events that are intensified by climate change are invited to apply. Four finalists will receive an award of up to €7 thousand. The application deadline is 15 September 2022.
More info
PEMSEA Small Grants Competition – Opportunity for young scientists
The Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) has announced an open call for the Small Grants Competition that provides opportunities for the youth in the East Asian Seas (EAS) Region to develop initiatives in protecting the region’s oceans and coasts. Up to $2,000 will be awarded for the implementation of winning project proposals for the sustainable development of coastal and ocean areas. Applicants must be between 18-30 years of age and citizens of an East Asian country. The application deadline is 1 November 2022.
More info
Nestlé Foundation Human Nutrition in Developing Countries – Call for Proposals
The Nestlé Foundation supports research in human nutrition in low-income countries. Training grants, pilot grants, and full project grants are offered for research on food policy, production, and technology if the intervention has high potential for improved nutritional status and public health. Priority is for proposals submitted by researchers in developing countries, or jointly with partners in developed countries. Letters of intent can be submitted at any time.
More info
Curt Bergfors Foundation Food Planet Prize – Call for Nominations
The Prize rewards innovative solutions that can help shift to sustainable food systems within a ten-year timeframe. Nominees can be individuals, groups, organizations or businesses fully committed to sustainable food or distinctly identified projects implemented by existing companies and institutions. Initiatives can be science-based or derived from practice, industrial or crafts-based or high-tech. They must have potential for broad scaling and application. Up to USD 2M will be awarded to prize winners. The application deadline is 30 September 2022.
More info
Get in touch!

If interested in responding to any of the funding opportunities above, please contact the RM team (Bryony Bidder/Arthur Witzenburg/ Ljubica Butkovic/ Marlotte De Jong) for coordination and support. Also contact us on our RMT email address: CIFOR-ICRAFResourceMobilizationTeam@cgiar.org

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The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and World Agroforestry (ICRAF) envision a more equitable world where trees in all landscapes, from drylands to the humid tropics, enhance the environment and well-being for all. CIFOR and ICRAF are CGIAR Research Centers.
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