DEFRA: Darwin Plus - People & Skills

Overview

What is Darwin Plus Programme

Darwin Plus (also known as The Overseas Territories Environment and Climate Fund) is a UK government grants scheme that helps deliver long-term strategic outcomes for the unique biodiversity, the natural environment and improving resilience to climate change within the UK Overseas Territories (UKOTs). It is one of the Biodiversity Challenge Funds, which also includes the Darwin Initiative and the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund, aimed at conserving biodiversity and safeguarding the environment for local people.

Most projects will include one or more of the following themes:

• Biodiversity: improving and conserving biodiversity, and slowing or reversing biodiversity loss and degradation;
• Climate change: responding to, mitigating and adapting to climate change and its effects on the natural environment and local communities;
• Environmental quality: improving the condition and protection of the natural environment;
• Capability and capacity building: enhancing the capacity within UKOTs to support the environment in the short- and long-term.

Projects contribute to the delivery of existing commitments for individual Territories, such as those set out within the national biodiversity strategies, environmental action plans and roadmaps, or equivalent.

Darwin Plus People & Skills

Darwin Plus People & Skills is aimed at building capacity through training, education, and professional development opportunities. Darwin Plus People & Skills is intended to fund UKOT nationals and/or long term residents and/or those with a long term relationship with an OT where it does not have a permanent resident population, to increase their knowledge and ability to meet long-term strategic outcomes for the natural environment in UKOTs.

Darwin Plus People & Skills offers grants of up to £100,000 to projects lasting up to 24 months.

Start dates can be flexible (to match academic years, for example), but grants must start between 1 April 2025 and 31 December 2025 and must end within 24 months of the start date.

The UK Government has committed to make £10 million available for Darwin Plus each year until March 2025.

Who can apply

Darwin Plus funding is open to applications for projects in all UKOTs. The fourteen UKOTs are:

• Anguilla • Bermuda • British Antarctic Territory (BAT) • British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) • British Virgin Islands (BVI) • Cayman Islands • Falkland Islands (FI)2 • Gibraltar • Montserrat • Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie & Oeno Islands • St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha • South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands (SGSSI) • Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia (on Cyprus) • Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI)

Activities

A wide range of projects may be eligible for funding through this scheme. People & Skills is intended to support people to build technical and scientific expertise in the fields of biodiversity and the environment to broaden their knowledge and experience of conservation. Where needs are clearly identifiable and demonstrable, Defra is willing to consider support for people:

• undertaking formal qualifications (where these are linked to any of the four broad themes listed at 1.2 of Guidance and can be completed within 24 months).
• broadening their own experience of working in any of the four broad themes listed at 1.2 through appropriate related work experience, such as, but not limited to, internships with relevant organisations or training for skills required in relevant sectors.
• developing policy skills (for example, attendance at relevant national or international workshops or meetings).
• seeking to upskill their teams by bringing in experts, trainers and/or mentors, either domestically or from another country, to build capacity amongst people based in-territory.

Potential activities that may be eligible include, but are not limited to:

• Relevant academic qualifications, including:
  • Undergraduate and foundation degrees;
  • Masters’ degrees;
  • Associate degrees;
  • Online and remote degrees;
• Professional development opportunities, including:
  • Training placements and internships;
  • Travel to and attendance at conferences and workshops;
  • Funding for trainers to come to UKOT(s) to deliver agreed training programmes;
  • Remote or online learning;
  • Territory to Territory skill share and exchanges;
  • Targeted training courses;
  • On-the-ground fieldwork training opportunities, and field work courses;
  • Other opportunities, where there is clear justification.

Requirements

Eligibility of the beneficiary or group of beneficiaries

Support is available for an individual or group of people. People & Skills project beneficiary/ies can be nationals and long-term residents. A long-term resident should have lived in the Territory from which they are applying for at least 5 years. For Territories without a permanent resident population, individuals who can demonstrate an existing relationship with that Territory may be considered. Before applying please also check the likelihood of any necessary visas being obtained. This could be relevant for projects where international travel is involved.

Eligible costs

In addition to costs accepted for other Darwin Plus funds, eligible costs for People and Skills can (depending on the nature of the application) include a monthly subsistence, host organisation expenses, travel costs and fees for academic qualifications.

They will not cover the costs of training required by an organisation and which would be considered mandatory and therefore a core cost.

Applications will be considered on their merits in the light of available resources. Defra may not be able to fund all eligible applications.

Lead Organisation and Project Leader

Applications must be made by the Lead Organisation, not an individual, agreeing to the Terms and Conditions including managing the grant, its finances, reporting and governance. The Project Leader should be the lead individual who will work closely with or supervise the beneficiary/ies.

The Project Leader is the individual with the necessary authority, capability and capacity, and a full understanding of their role and associated obligations to take responsibility for delivering value for money, managing risk and financial controls whilst fulfilling the terms and conditions of the grant.

The Project Leader and Lead Organisation can be based in any country, though they strongly encourage projects to be led by an in-territory organisation.

See Guidance for further information.