IUCN launches European Invasive Alien Species Rapid-Response Fund

IUCN launches European Invasive Alien Species Rapid-Response Fund

Deadline: 10-Feb-27

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is pleased to announce the opening of a call for proposals under its European Invasive Alien Species Rapid-Response Fund.

Objectives

• The specific objectives are to:
  • facilitate rapid and cost-effective responses to introductions of alien species that could severely and negatively impact biodiversity and the related ecosystem services, as well as human wellbeing in the EU.
  • build capacity with actions to increase the capacity of stakeholders on rapid eradication.

Funding Information

• To support early intervention, the fund will issue grants of between €10,000 and €50,000 for rapid response activities up to 12 months in duration.

Eligible Activities

• The projects must incorporate physical eradication measures of an IAS.
  • Resources: management and eradication measures.
• A small portion of the grant budget can be devoted to monitoring activities in order to regularly assess the measures and provide evidence of removal of the target species.

Ineligible Activities

• The purchase of land and firearms, involuntary resettlement of people, or activities that negatively affect physical cultural resources, including those important to local communities;
• Activities adversely affecting individuals and local communities or where these communities have not provided their broad support to the project activities;
• The removal or altering of any physical cultural property (includes sites having archaeological, paleontological, historical, religious, or unique natural values);
• Financial support to third parties through sub-grants;

Eligible Species

• Projects must target invasive alien species of animals or plants, including macroalgae (i.e. fungi and microorganisms are not covered).
• The species must be alien to the location of introduction. The species can be native to other parts of the country or area, however, is this is the case, it should be proven to be alien in the location of introduction.
• Please submit evidence of the invasiveness (e.g. survey results, research, project results
• etc.).
• The project must directly address an early-stage invasion of an alien species (i.e. nonnative) (either breeding or non-breeding) that has a high risk of spread in the near future resulting in negative impacts to biodiversity and related ecosystem services (i.e. become an invasive alien species). These invasions could impact species assessed as threatened or Near Threatened on national or European Red Lists, or habitats within Natura 2000 sites, for example. The likelihood of spread and potential negative impact of the species can be provided by evidence of the species being invasive in other countries that have similar climatic conditions (e.g. referring to the species’ EICAT category, or any risk assessment if available). This could be at a national level and address the recent introduction of an IAS that is not yet established in a country, or at a sub-national level to address an IAS that is already established within a country, but that has recently been introduced within important sites such as an island or in or near a protected area.
• The invasive alien species does not need to be of Union concern (i.e. present in the list of the EU IAS Regulation).

Eligible Locations

• Projects must be implemented in countries of the European Union. The only eligible European Union overseas countries and territories are the Canary Islands, the Azores and Madeira. All other European Union outermost countries and territories are not eligible.

Eligibility Criteria

• In order to be eligible for a grant, the Lead Partner must:
  • be either a research institution, a Civil Society Organization (CSO1 ), a Nongovernmental Organisation (NGO) or government or government-affiliated entity active on the management of IAS in the EU. Partnerships involving governments or government affiliated entities will be strongly encouraged;
  • be directly responsible for the preparation and implementation of the grant project – applications submitted by a body acting as an intermediary for a third party are not eligible;
  • have a bank account in the name of the organisation; be authorized under relevant national laws to receive charitable contributions, including from
    sources outside their respective countries.

Ineligibility Criteria

• Universities are not considered as Civil Society Organisations and hence not eligible under the present call for proposals. As public entities, they do not fit with the “non-State” criterion.

Applications Requirements

• Only the following documents are required and necessary for submission:
  • CVs of key project staff
  • Project location map
  • Statute or similar founding document
  • Organisation in-country registration certificate, MoU or letter of endorsement
  • If applicable
    • Confirmation letters from project co-applicant(s)

For more information, visit IUCN.