Who can apply for a CEPF grant?

Non-governmental organizations, community groups, private enterprises, and other civil society applicants may apply for funding. Organisations must have their own bank account and be authorised under relevant national laws to receive charitable contributions. Government-owned enterprises or institutions are eligible only if they can demonstrate that the enterprise or institution (i) has a legal personality independent of any government agency or actor; (ii) has the authority to apply for and receive private funds; and (iii) may not assert a claim of sovereign immunity.

Within the broad swathe of eligible entities, as described above, those that most exemplify civil society and can build civil society capacity are particularly encouraged to apply. Applications that include civil society actors with limited capacity, who may not otherwise be eligible or able to apply – for example, community groups – are also encouraged. Further, individuals are encouraged to work with civil society organisations to develop applications, rather than to apply directly. Anyone who is uncertain of their eligibility or likelihood of receiving funding from CEPF should contact the BirdLife International Regional Implementation Team at cepf-rit@birdlife.org.vn

What types of proposals does CEPF approve?

Each project must support one of the first three strategic directions in the CEPF investment strategy for Indo-Burma to be eligible for funding (BirdLife is already implementing the fourth strategic direction). The investment strategy and strategic directions for Indochina are summarised in English (PDF, 0.6 MB) and Khmer (PDF, 0.6 MB) and Vietnamese (PDF, 0.5 MB) and Lao (PDF, 0.4 MB), and Thai (PDF, 480 KB) and available in FULL in Vietnamese (PDF, 2 MB), and available in FULL in Engish (PDF, 2.5MB).

Proposals must also meet all of the following eligibility criteria:

* Project is located in Cambodia, Lao P.D.R., Thailand, Vietnam, or eligible parts of China within the Indo-Burma Hotspot (Figure 1);

* Project is located in a country for which GEF Focal Point endorsement has been obtained (as of July 2008, this was the case only for Cambodia and Vietnam) – thus, calls for Letters of Inquiry will not include all countries at the outset;

* Grant will not be used for the purchase of land, involuntary resettlement of people (including displacement of land uses), or activities that negatively affect physical cultural resources, including those important to local communities;

* Grant will not be used for activities adversely affecting Indigenous Peoples or where these communities have not provided their broad support to the project activities;

* Grant will not be used to remove or alter any physical cultural property (includes sites having archaeological, palaeontological, historical, religious, or unique natural values);

* Proposed activities observe all other World Bank Safeguard Policies;

* Proposals follow any additional guidelines or geographic or thematic restrictions within relevant calls for Letters of Inquiry. These will be advertised widely, including at BirdLife International in Indochina website.