VITTEL® and Ashoka Changemakers announce Act for Biodiversity Challenge
Deadline: 3 March 2020
VITTEL® and Ashoka are launching the “Act for Biodiversity” Challenge — a global search for changemakers who can bring key players together to preserve and restore biodiversity.
(Ad) Are You Searching for Latest Grants, New Donors, Sample Proposals, Jobs and How to Apply Resources? fundsforNGOs Premium has all these and more at one place! Learn more.
The Changemakers are looking for already-implemented solutions that engage people and organizations across sectors to preserve biodiversity. By building alliances and catalyzing collaboration between key players — such as citizens, the scientific community, companies and/or governments — they can scale innovations to address the enormous environmental challenge they face.
Focus Areas
(Ad) Stop getting irritated with excessing advertisements. View the information you want quickly on a clean, ad-free and exclusive Member Dashboard that offers tools to search for grants, view latest grant opportunities, upcoming deadlines, sample proposals, downloadable ebooks and also organize your favourites! Learn more.
Align with one of the following focus areas:
Address the impacts of urbanization. Urban areas are now home to the majority of the planet’s population. They often overlook the variety of life found in cities — urban green spaces host native and non-native species critical to the earth’s health and human wellbeing. They are seeking solutions that strengthen biodiversity in the urban environment, such as strategies to implement green infrastructure or engage city residents in creative conservation efforts.
Innovate agricultural systems. Agriculture is the largest contributor to the loss of biodiversity. Common agricultural practices — such as unsustainable monocultures, pesticides, synthetic fertilizers and inefficient irrigation — hurt the vital ecosystem services, such as pollination, biological pest control, healthy soils and watersheds, that are essential to sustaining life. They are seeking solutions that are changing this narrative.
Nurture and preserve forests. As the most diverse ecosystems on land, forests are not only home to trees and plants, but most of the world’s terrestrial species. Every year, they lose over 18 million hectares of forest, which is threatened by deforestation, degradation, hunting, and invasive species. They are seeking solutions that protect and nurture the rich biodiversity found in forests.
Examples
(Ad) Are you still finding it difficult to search for donors online? Join Premium and use our powerful Donor Search mechanism to find relevant donors based on your country and location or keyword. Our specially developed algorithm will search across the internet for the most relevant and useful donors of your interest willing to fund your work. Learn more.
The Changemakers are interested in all kinds of solutions to preserve biodiversity— from scientific innovations to community initiatives— as long as they fulfill the eligibility criteria and fit within the Challenge scope. For reference, check out these real-world examples:
A scientific solution that boosts biodiversity by sustainably managing and monitoring bee populations, using this data to inform stakeholders like farmers, companies, and governments and to help local ecosystems thrive.
An organization that connects young people in rapidly urbanizing areas with nature, educating students and communities and training them to care for urban nature reserves.
A citizen association of professional women foresters who combine vegetable gardens and wild tree nurseries to protect biodiversity, reduce desertification, and ensure better health and nutrition for their communities.
Innovations
(Ad) Not able to keep track of so may different grant opportunities and their deadlines? No problem! fundsforNGOs Premium has a handy tool called « Deadline Calendar. » This tool will help you keep track of all upcoming grant opportunities and their deadlines and view them in a beautiful calendar format. Learn more.
The Changemakers are seeking implemented innovations that:
Use a systemic approach. If a project focuses on preserving a single species, it must address why preserving that species contributes to the overall health of its respective ecosystem and other species.
Value collaborating with other key players. Preserving biodiversity requires solutions that integrate expertise and participation from stakeholders like farmers, scientists, policymakers, and the public. They are looking for innovators who have either built collaboration into their solution already or want to bring other players on board in the future.
Prize and Benefits
(Ad) Are you looking for readymade proposals? fundsforNGOs Premium has a vast collection of Sample Proposals from successful grantees around the world. These proposals are available for viewing so that you can quickly get new ideas, best practices, lessons learned and develop your proposal in the perfect manner. Learn more.
All eligible entrants will
Receive feedback from Ashoka & VITTEL® & Nestlé S.A. networks
Become known internally at the Ashoka & VITTEL® & Nestlé S.A. networks
Be invited to participate in the peer review process
Be considered as potential candidates for Accelerator and Co-Creation opportunities with VITTEL®, Nestlé S.A. & Ashoka
Be considered for features in VITTEL®’s public communications campaigns (upon authorization from entrant), and therefore benefit from large communication and distribution outreach.
Semifinalists (up to 50) will
Have an opportunity to refine their entry and incorporate feedback received in the screening phase
Receive additional feedback from experts from Ashoka & VITTEL® & Nestlé S.A.
Be referenced on VITTEL®’s website at the semifinalist announcement
Be invited to participate at online calls for semifinalists to connect with each other
Finalists (up to 15) will
Participate at in-person event (travel costs covered) with networking opportunities with VITTEL®, Nestlé S.A. & Ashoka
Have access to additional online network opportunities with Ashoka & VITTEL®& Nestlé S.A.
Be featured in Ashoka social media channels
Be referenced on VITTEL®’s website at the finalists announcement
Present their initiatives at a live-pitch to the judges panel (at the in-person event)
Be reviewed also by a pool of VITTEL® employees and stakeholders, who will vote to choose their favorites. (Voting results will be considered by the judges at the final deliberation).
Winners (up to 4)
All winners will receive a cash prize (a total of 60 000 CHF will be distributed among the winners);
All winners will be featured on VITTEL® PR coverage about Challenge results;
2 winners will be invited to participate in an Accelerator for Collective Impact with VITTEL®, Nestlé S.A. & Ashoka.
Eligibility Criteria
Entrants must:
Be 18 years old or older by the time they apply
Apply with a project that is already implemented beyond the idea stage (must have implemented at least a pilot) and thus be able to present at least initial evidence of impact
Have incorporated as a nonprofit, for-profit, or hybrid organization, or have a fiscal sponsor
Be fluent in English and/or French (winners will be expected to engage in activities that require English or French proficiency)
Additional terms:
Only one application per initiative will be accepted.
Entries will only be accepted in English or French.
Employees of VITTEL®, Nestlé S.A. and their parent companies, affiliates and subsidiaries, joint ventures, advertising agencies, promotion agencies and other service providers for this Challenge, their immediate family members (spouse, parent, child, sibling, regardless of where they reside) and those living in the same household are not eligible.
Partners or initiatives that are already financed or supported by VITTEL® or Nestlé S.A., its affiliates, subsidiaries or joint ventures are not eligible.
How to Apply
(Ad) How to raise funds? Where can I find a list of donors for my area of work? How to write proposals? How can I submit a grant request to USAID, the European Commission or the Gates Foundation? How can I use Social Media to promote my work? We have developed powerful resources in the form of Ebook and Articles covering all this information and more. Learn more.
Applicants can apply online via given website.
For more information, visit https://network.changemakers.com/challenge/act-for-biodiversity-challenge/brief