Grants

Welcome to the MFF Grants page. MFF invests directly in coastal ecosystems through on-the-ground projects. Several types of projects are used to channel MFF activities. Since 2008, both small-scale and larger projects have been implemented in the member countries. From 2012, regional projects have been introduced as a way of addressing topics relevant to the whole MFF Region.  

Small Grant Facility (SGF) 
SGF Projects are the mechanism through which funds are provided for small-scale projects. Each member country receives funds to establish a Small Grant Facility to deliver projects under two categories: less than US$10,000, and between US$10,000 to US$25,000. MFF also encourages co-financing of these projects, especially by the private sector.

Small Grant Facility projects are important for supporting local action in the form of community-based project activities. The National Coordinating Body (NCB) in each country has full ownership of the Small Grant Facility. The NCB calls for proposals and selects the projects for funding. The projects themselves are managed for each NCB by the country office of IUCN or UNDP.

Between 2008 and 2011, more than 80 Small Grant Facility projects were implemented across the MFF region. These focused primarily on supporting NGOs and community-based organizations working to meet the needs of coastal communities. By linking these projects to government agencies, much interest has been generated among officials in scaling up their learning to other agencies and to policy makers. For example, the research-oriented projects in India have encouraged the Ministry of Environment and Forests to provide funds to build upon MFF’s work.

Medium Grant Facility (MGF)
Medium projects were introduced at the 7^th meeting of the MFF Regional Steering Committee held in November, 2010. The budget range for medium projects is USD 50,000-100,000. These  projects go through a multiple-stage approval process. Following the NCB call for proposals and preliminary review, the project proponents may refine or adjust their proposals. Once the NCB endorses a proposal, it is forwarded to the MFF Secretariat for the second stage of evaluation.

MFF Medium Projects will follow from the priorities identified in the National Strategy and Action Plan (NSAP) prepared by each MFF Focal Country, and will commence in late 2012.

Large Grant Facility (LGF)
The budget range for large projects is upto USD 300,000. MFF Large projects were implemented between 2008-2011. Beginning late 2012, only Medium projects (referring to grant amount) will be implemented. MFF is currently documenting lessons learned from the Large Projects implemented during MFF's earlier days (with a higher limit of grant funding upto USD300,000).

Regional Initiatives

MFF regional projects span several countries to consolidate existing knowledge on best practices in coastal resource management and to conduct research onemerging issues to acquire new knowledge. Each regional project has the direct support of at least three MFF member countries, with a strong leading partner organization selected from MFF’s core institutional partners.

To emphasize the strength of MFF as a regional initiative, the Regional Steering Committee recognized the value of implementing projects that bring together at least two member countries and one core institutional partner. Four projects, to be implemented with MFF's core insitutional partners UNEP and FAO, will span topics around mangrove conservation; community resilience; governance in small island communities; and responsible diving. The National Coordinating Bodies of India and Sri Lanka will also lead a regional study about the conservation of living resources in the Gulf of Mannar.